vidimyrarkirkja

A little gem of a church, not as old as it looks, but full of character. Built of timber painted black (tarred?) with green and red doors and windows, and hefty turfed buttresses at the sides. The graveyard has a stunning view - what a view for the dead when they rise from the grave!

I was not sure quite what to expect when pulling off the road to see this church. However, once I spotted this quaint green turf-covered church, I was stunned at its simplistic beauty. I spent a fair amount of time walking the grounds before entering the church. Inside is just as fascinating, as it is a glimpse into the history of the people in the area. I could have spent hours looking at every aspect of this church, and will next time. One surprising aspect was discovering a fresh grave in the cemetery. I normally expect only older graves when visiting a historic church, and I found it fascinating to have such a mix of old (1800s) and new (June 2014). Worth the small fee, and make sure to take the time to enjoy the view, which couldn't be better.

We visited this lovely turf church on our way to Akureyri from Selfoss. Under the protection of National Museum of Iceland, this church dates back to 1834 however, it's known that an older church existed at the same place since the early days of Christianity in Iceland. In fact, there are many parts which are older than the current church itself: for instance altar dates back to 1616, bells back to 1630 etc.It's very small but it's known as one of the masterpieces of Icelandic architecture. There is a very serene graveyard around. The church is still in operation. The gentleman inside provides you with brochures and information. There is a herd of very beautiful Icelandic horses in the outer gardens of th church: they belong to the same gentleman. These horses are very friendly and they are ready to pose for photographers :-)

Нечто потрясающее! Церквушка сделана из плиток мха. Его вырезали прямо с дерном, подсушили и как из кирпичей выстроили домик. Слой довольно толстый, так что ни холод, ни влага не страшны. Удивительно, как до такого строительного материала люди додумались. Вокруг небольшое кладбище, самая старая могила 18 век. Внутрь пускают за денюшку, но мы не пошли.

Это очень маленькая (а может и самая маленькая в Исландии) церковь с травяной крышей. Добраться очень просто, т.к. прямо с дороги №1 есть указатель. Рядом небольшая парковка. Смело открывайте небольшую калитку и заходите. Можно обойти вокруг, посмотреть старые могилы, а можно и внутрь зайти.