Akureyri is a great place in summer as well as winter. It is easy to spend a few days strolling around the town or exploring places of interest in the immediate vicinity.
The ski area in the mountain Hlidarfjall is very popular and is the best equipped ski area outside Reykjavík. The weekend we stayed there, skiers from all over the country flocked to Akureyri. It was a school holiday, so many took the opportunity to travel.
We are not skiers but we still took the opportunity to visit Akureyri. We walked along the pond and enjoyed life on a very beautiful and bright winter day. A winter visit to Akureyri had been on the agenda for a long time and we were not disappointed. Akureyri is in the incredibly beautiful fjord Eyjafjörður. On this day, the mountain range around Eyjafjörður was at its most beautiful. It was also very effective to see the ski area above the town lit up in the evening.
To get to and from Akureyri you have to cross a mountain road called Oxnadalsheidi, which can be dangerous, and on the way home the visibility was very bad but very good conditions when we went to Akureyri. When there is snow squalls, it is important to be able to see signs that demarcate the road and make sure not to drive too close to other cars. On a bright day, Oxnadalsheidi with its valleys and mountains is a very beautiful route.
Below are photos from a winter visit to Akureyri along with a video taken on a trip across Oxnadalsheidi mountain pass.
