• Our Tours
    • Exploring Iceland by bus
    • Exploring Iceland on Horseback
    • Exploring Iceland on Foot
    • Exploring Iceland by Car
    • Exploring Iceland on your own
    • Exploring Iceland - Private Tours
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Meet our Guides
    • Meet our Horse Partners
    • Animal Welfare Policy
    • Environmental Policy
    • Fair Trade Policy
    • Icelandic Food
    • Facts about Iceland
    • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Deutsch
EXPLORING ICELAND - ICELAND TOUR OPERATOR
  • Our Tours
    • Exploring Iceland by bus
    • Exploring Iceland on Horseback
    • Exploring Iceland on Foot
    • Exploring Iceland by Car
    • Exploring Iceland on your own
    • Exploring Iceland - Private Tours
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Meet our Guides
    • Meet our Horse Partners
    • Animal Welfare Policy
    • Environmental Policy
    • Fair Trade Policy
    • Icelandic Food
    • Facts about Iceland
    • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Deutsch

Exploring Iceland Blog

The Icelandic Lopapeysa

3/24/2020

3 Comments

 
Picture
We have a riddle to solve for you: What do French Champagne & Cognac, Greek Feta Cheese and the Icelandic knitted sweater have in common?
Yes, you are right! Well done! Answer: They are legally protected product names. Since March 2020 a knitted Icelandic sweater may only be called lopapeysa if it fullfill certain criteria: 

1.      The sweater must be handknitted in Iceland.
2.   The wool used to make handcrafted Icelandic sweaters shall be cut from Icelandic sheep.
3.      Only virgin wool shall be used as material for the sweater (wool that has not been recycled).

Read More
3 Comments

swimming pools rules in iceland

10/23/2018

5 Comments

 
Picture
Newsflash: “Tourist leaving Iceland heavily traumatized….”

Going to the swimming pool in Iceland is a true Icelandic National sport, we go there to exercise, to relax and to chat with friends and strangers in the hot tub. Icelanders start going to the pool from a very early age. There are baby swimming classes, swimming lessons in school are mandatory and even the smallest village or community has a pool where people meet. The British have their pub, the French their café, we have our local pools. With rising numbers in tourism and rising entrance fees in popular touristic “hot springs” like the Blue Lagoon, more and more tourists are looking with eager eyes into the option of visiting the public local pools. They are clean, lovely and cheap, most 

Read More
5 Comments

Walking with goats

4/26/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
The beautiful Icelandic goat, also commonly known as the “settlement goat” is an ancient domestic breed believed to be of Norwegian origin. Most likely it arrived in Iceland with the first settlers from the Scandinavian countries over 1100 years ago. ​The Icelandic goat was on the verge of extinction during the late 19th century, but its population recovered recently mainly thanks to a few dedicated goat lovers such as Jóhanna Bergmann Þorvaldsdóttir, a devoted goat farmer in West Iceland.​

Read More
0 Comments

a making of a new tour

9/16/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
 Yesterday we went for a photo shooting with our wonderful models Isabella and Héla to a small but absolutely charming turf house museum, the Íslenski bærinn heritage museum.

This exhibition is dedicated to the Icelandic Turf House that kept Icelanders alive and nurtured their culture throughout the centuries. Here guests can see how these houses were built, how people lived in them and learn about their origin and cultural context, their contemporary significance, subtlety and beauty. The curator Hannes Lárusson grew up on the farm who belonged to his grandparents and takes his guests to a journey back in time when daily life went by at a much slower pace than today. His grandparents lived in the farm up to the 1960´s, still working the fields with horse power.

Read More
1 Comment

the icelandic mid winter festival 

1/25/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
At this time of year we are celebrating the Iceland mid winter called Thorrablót. There are festivals all around Iceland, in every little town or community. In some areas in the countryside, each farm bring their own food tray and drinks to the annual festival, normally held in the local community center or at the sport hall. After the Thorrablot dinner traditional songs, annual chronicle (local show) and story telling are accompanied by dancing and in true Icelandic style continue until the early hours of the morning.
The menu consists of unusual culinary delicacies, 

Read More
1 Comment

beware OF the smell in town on 23.December!

12/9/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
​Skata: Fermented skate, traditional dish on the 23rd of December.  In Iceland it is customary to eat buried and fermented skate along with potatoes on Þorláksmessa. The ammonia-infused odor of fermented skate is quite strong and long lasting so a lot of housewifes send their husbands to an official Skata dinner at a restaurant or hotel! Bad breath guaranteed!
​
Þorláksmessa: „Mass of St. Thorlac“ is an Icelandic holiday celebrated on December 23. It is a celebration in 

Read More
1 Comment

More typical Icelandic christmas treat

12/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Hangikjöt: ​ Smoked lamb translated into „hung meat“ because it used to be hung in the smoke house. This dish is a typical Icelandic Christmas  treat and usually served either hot or cold in slices, traditionally with potatoes and a white sauce called „uppstúfur“ (Béchamel sauce), green peas and red cabbage. 
0 Comments

icelandic christmas bread 

12/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Laufabrauð – „The Leaf Bread“ A very thin and flaky slightly sweet pan fried bread. It comes originally from North Iceland, where the families would come together as an essential part of the Christmas preparations and cut out the patterns by hand or by a special iron „laufabrauðsjárn“.
Basic Recipe:
Ingredients:
8 c flour
¼ c sugar
 1½ tsp baking powder
 2 c milk
 1/3 c butter

Read More
0 Comments

the christmas cat

12/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Jólaköttur – The christmas cat: If you thought of a sweet little kitten – you are wrong!
This cat is a monster, easily 10 times the size of a regular cat, black and -  boy, is she mean!
She takes the children that didn´t get new clothes for Christmas and eats them. So that is the reason that even today children in Iceland always get something new to wear. There is a saying „að fara í jólaköttinn“ meaning that somebody will be taken by the christmas cat for not wearing new or tidy clothes. Not a cat you would like to meet – believe us! 
0 Comments

Santa - the icelandic style

12/9/2015

0 Comments

 

13 ICELANDIC YULE LADS from Inspired By Iceland on Vimeo.

​Coca Cola may have Santa Claus with his red coat and white beard, other may have Nikolaus, Ruprecht and Sinterklaas! We have our beloved Icelandic Yulelads - our „Jólasveinar“!
They are definitely not the the typical fatherly Christmas figure – quite the opposite!
The Icelandic „jólasveinar“ live in a cave up in the highland and are a group of 13 brothers. Frankly, their parents wouldn´d win a parenting award, both are certainly of troll origin: Grýla, the mother,  harsh punishing and Leppalúði, the lazy good – for – nothing father. 

Read More
0 Comments

    Author

    Exploring Iceland blog has several authors.

    Categories

    All
    Fishing
    Icelandic Culture
    Iceland Travel
    Iceland Various
    Iceland - Various
    Literature
    Mountaineering
    Northern Lights
    Riding In Iceland

    RSS Feed

Our Tours

Exploring Iceland ...
​
​by Bus 

on Horseback
on Foot 
by Car
 
​on your own
 
​


Testimonials

Exploring Iceland

Fálkastígur 2 
225 Garðabær 
​Tel:  +354-519-1555
ID: 531213-2030
VATno: 122187
info@exploringiceland.is

​Terms and Conditions 
Opening Hours
Monday  - Friday 
9 – 17

24 hours emergency phone number:   +354-898-8903

Exploring  Iceland  is a fully licensed Tour Operator and Travel Agency, authorised by the Icelandic Tourist Board.
Picture
Exploring Iceland  has an extensive safety plan as required by
​Icelandic law for its tours
Picture
Picture
Picture
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Our Tours
    • Exploring Iceland by bus
    • Exploring Iceland on Horseback
    • Exploring Iceland on Foot
    • Exploring Iceland by Car
    • Exploring Iceland on your own
    • Exploring Iceland - Private Tours
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Meet our Guides
    • Meet our Horse Partners
    • Animal Welfare Policy
    • Environmental Policy
    • Fair Trade Policy
    • Icelandic Food
    • Facts about Iceland
    • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Deutsch