The Sculpture and Shore Walk is a popular walking path in Reykjavík. If you need to find something to do while in the city this walk is a splendid way to spend a couple of hours enjoying the scenery, looking at sculptures, and taking a refreshing walk by the ocean. It is a fascinating walk at any time, both during the day and also in the evening at any time of the year. The walk is not too long, and there are many stops along the way. And most of the time the view over the fjord Kollafjörður with its islands and the mountain Esja in the background is stunning.
The things you see
We assume here that most visitors start their walk downtown in Reykjavík and walk the path eastwards by the shore. The first stop is the Harpa conference hall which is a kind of artwork as it was partly designed by the Icelandic-Danish artist Ólafur Elíasson. Outside Harpa is a statue of the Icelandic cellist Erling Blöndal Bengtsson by sculptor Ólöf Pálsdóttri.
As you continue eastward by the shore, you soon come to the famous landmark, the Sun Voyager sculpture by Jón Gunnarsson. In recent years this sculpture has become one of the best-known landmarks in Reykjavík. Further, you will see the sculpture Íslandsvarðan by Jóhann Eyfelds and the spectacular permanent installation by Sigurður Guðmundsoon the Shore Piece. Before you take a turn to visit the Höfði House, which for many is the end of the walk, you should look at the Partnership sculpture, beautiful artwork by Icelandic artist Pétur Bjarnason.
As an evening walk, there is more
Walking the Sculpture and Shore Walk in the evening is also a good romantic option. Often during the evening and into the night in Reykjavík, the wind is quite calm, and the sea surface has a great reflection. In winter there is always the possibility to spot the northern lights and the visibility from the path is often quite good. From October 9th on John Lennon's birthday until the 8th of December you will most definitely see the Imagine Peace Tower, a construction dedicated by Yoko Ono to John Lennon in 2006.