Borgarnes (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈpɔrkarˌnɛːs]) is a town located on a peninsula at the shore of Borgarfjörður in Iceland and is the largest town in the Borgarbyggð municipality with a population of about 3800 residents. It is a main junction in Iceland and the gateway to the Snaefellsnes National Park. Iceland's capital Reykjavík is 69 kilometers from the center of Borgarnes. The second largest bridge in Iceland, the Borgarfjarðarbrú, connects traffic to and from Reykjavík.
Borgarnes | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Borgarnes | |
 Location of the Municipality of Borgarbyggð | |
  Borgarnes Location in Iceland | |
| Coordinates: 64°32′N 21°55′W / 64.533°N 21.917°W | |
| Country | Iceland |
| Constituency | Northwest Constituency |
| Region | Western Region |
| Municipality | Borgarbyggð |
| Population (2015) | |
• Total | 1,875 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
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Local area
editThere are four national forests in the region (approximately 40 km from the town center) which are overseen by the Icelandic Forest Service.[1] The forest in Borgarfjörður are mix of birch woods and native conifers. These forests are Vatnshorn [ˈvasːˌhɔ(r)tn̥], Norðtunga [ˈnɔrðˌtʰuŋka], Selskógar [ˈsɛlˌskouː(ɣ)ar̥], Stalpastaðir [ˈstal̥paˌstaːðɪr̥] and Jafnaskarð [ˈjapnaˌskarθ]. Borgarnes has the oldest and tallest of the birch trees in Iceland.[2]
History
editBorgarnes was founded in the late nineteenth-century, in a region that served as the setting of Egil's Saga.[3] The town draws its name from Borg á Mýrum, the farm of Egill Skallagrímsson, the saga's poet-hero protagonist. A museum in Borgarnes, the Settlement Center, is devoted to the region's ties to Egill Skallagrímsson.[4]
Arts and culture
editThe Safnahús Borgarfjarðar is a civilization museum that displays cultural artifacts and historical photos.[5] Safnahús Borgarfjarðar was one of Iceland's first collections to receive the formal recognition of the Saga Council in (2013).[6]
Borgarnes is famous for its park Skallagrímsgarður [ˈskatlaˌkrimsˌkarðʏr̥]. A small hill in the park is said to be the grave of a viking hero, Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson.
Borgarnes is also one of the filming locations in the Hollywood film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The Geirabakari Kaffihus, which is featured in the film, was transformed into Papa John's during the filming.[7] Borgarnes is the birthplace of Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir.
Borgarnes is the hometown of Magnús Scheving, an athlete and entrepreneur best known for creating, directing, and starring in children's television show LazyTown. He cites Borgarnes as a unique experience, having only 3 other students in his grade at school.[8]
Economy
editBorgarnes' commerce is primarily based on agriculture, tourism and culture.[9]
| Climate data for Hvanneyri, 6.6 km (4.1 mi) from Borgarnes (1964–1993) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.5 (52.7) |
10.8 (51.4) |
15.8 (60.4) |
15.9 (60.6) |
20.8 (69.4) |
19.5 (67.1) |
26.1 (79.0) |
22.0 (71.6) |
18.6 (65.5) |
15.0 (59.0) |
13.4 (56.1) |
11.8 (53.2) |
26.1 (79.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.1 (34.0) |
2.1 (35.8) |
2.4 (36.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
12.1 (53.8) |
13.6 (56.5) |
13.1 (55.6) |
9.7 (49.5) |
6.0 (42.8) |
2.8 (37.0) |
1.5 (34.7) |
6.6 (43.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.3 (27.9) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
1.9 (35.4) |
5.6 (42.1) |
8.6 (47.5) |
10.3 (50.5) |
9.7 (49.5) |
6.4 (43.5) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
3.3 (37.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.1 (21.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
2.0 (35.6) |
5.3 (41.5) |
7.1 (44.8) |
6.4 (43.5) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−0.1 (31.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −24.2 (−11.6) |
−22.0 (−7.6) |
−20.8 (−5.4) |
−23.1 (−9.6) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
−22.0 (−7.6) |
−24.2 (−11.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 90.9 (3.58) |
98.8 (3.89) |
85.6 (3.37) |
67.4 (2.65) |
48.6 (1.91) |
53.1 (2.09) |
51.0 (2.01) |
73.5 (2.89) |
69.1 (2.72) |
100.9 (3.97) |
97.2 (3.83) |
100.0 (3.94) |
936.1 (36.85) |
| Source: Icelandic Met Office[10] | |||||||||||||
Notable people
edit- Egill Skallagrímsson, warrior, poet and berserker
- Sigurður Páll Jónsson, member of parliament[11]
- Magnús Scheving, athlete and the creator of the popular kids show "Lazy Town"
References
edit- ^ "Iceland forest service | Skógræktin". skogur.is. Archived from the original on 2015-07-30. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ "Vesturland | Skógræktin". www.skogur.is (in Icelandic). Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ "Saga Spots: Searching for Egill in Borgarnes". The Reykjavík Grapevine. 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
- ^ Iceland, West. "The Settlement Center". Visit West Iceland. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
- ^ grapevine.is (2016-03-24). "Take A Moment: There's More To Borgarnes Than Bónus And N1". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ "Safnahús Borgarfjarðar – Borgarnes Museum". safnahus.is. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ "Ben Stiller breytir Geirabakarí í Borgarnesi í pizzastaðinn Papa Johns". Pressan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ Magnús Scheving: Turning Health Into a Game (MOVE Congress 2019), archived from the original on 2021-12-22, retrieved 2021-09-02
- ^ "Borgarnes Settlement Center Museum Awarded". Iceland Review. 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ "Monthly Temperature and Precipitation Averages for Hvanneyri". Icelandic Meteorological Office. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Sigurður Páll Jónsson". Alþingi (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2024-03-09.
External links
edit
Media related to Borgarnes at Wikimedia Commons
