Welcome to Hallgrímskirkja

Location

Hallgrimstorg 1

101 Reykjavik

Iceland

Hallgrímskirkja stands on Skólavörðuholt, one of the highest natural points in central Reykjavík, making it a prominent landmark visible from across the city. From its elevated position, the church offers sweeping views over Reykjavík, the surrounding mountains, and the North Atlantic Ocean. Its tower marks the end of Skólavörðustígur, one of the city’s most vibrant streets, lined with cafés, shops, and galleries.

The church is within easy walking distance of Reykjavík’s city centre and is accessible by public transport and car. Its central yet serene location makes Hallgrímskirkja both a place of worship and a cultural meeting point, welcoming visitors, concertgoers, and locals alike. The setting combines architectural grandeur with a strong sense of place, firmly rooted in the heart of the city while reaching toward the wider Icelandic landscape.

Accessibility

The church nave is fully accessible for wheelchair users.

An elevator provides access to the 8th floor of the tower.

The open-air viewing platform on the 9th floor is not wheelchair accessible, as it can only be reached via a short staircase from the 8th floor.

There have been Christians in Iceland from the very earliest days, even before the Age of Settlement in the 9th century. The earliest settlers were Celts, Christian monks seeking solitude, but they disappeared as the Norse settlers arrived in 830. Among the Norse settlers were Christians. In the Althing of 1000, Christianity was declared the national religion, a decision that prevented a religious civil war. The Icelandic church was part of the Roman Catholic Church until the mid-1500s, when the teachings of Martin Luther were introduced by royal decree of the King of Denmark, who at that time ruled Iceland. The Church of Iceland is Evangelical-Lutheran and about two thirds of Icelanders belong to it.

Hallgrímskirkja is both a national monument, dedicated to the most renowned sacred poet of Iceland, Hallgrímur Pétursson, and a mid-town parish church with a vibrant parochial life and musical activity. Hallgrímskirkja is the largest church in Iceland and towers over the centre of Reykjavík. It also houses the largest organ in the country. The tower is 73 meters high. It provides a panoramic view of Reykjavík, the surrounding mountains and the ocean stretching west to Greenland and the Americas. The tower is among the most visited tourist destinations in Reykjavík. The church was built between 1945 and 1986, and the parish is part of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Iceland.

Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614 – 1674) is the best known sacred poet of Iceland. When still a child, his father moved to the Bishop’s residence at Hólar in Hjaltadalur in the north of Iceland and Hallgrímur there received education. He was apprenticed as a blacksmith in Copenhagen, but abandoned the trade and studied in the Vor Frue Skole from 1632 to 1637. While there he met Guðríður Símonardóttir, who had been in slavery in Algeria. Hallgrímur and Guðríður returned to Iceland where Hallgrímur became a priest at Hvalsnes in the Reykjanes peninsula and later at Saurbær in Hvalfjörður. He died in 1674. Hallgrimur is most famous for his Hymns of the Passion, a series of 50 meditations on the martyrdom of Christ, written in 1656-59. The poems are generally considered to be classic in Icelandic literature. Verses of the poems have accompanied Icelanders for more than three centuries. They are read on national radio during Lent and in many churches on Good Friday. Hymns of the Passion have been translated into nine languages, including Danish, Norwegian, German, Dutch, Hungarian. A new translation into English by Gracia Grindal was published in 2019.