Selfoss
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Selfoss |
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At the time of the Settlement of Iceland at the end of the 9th century, Selfoss was settled by Þórir Ásason. Ingólfur Arnarson, Iceland's first known settler, was also said to have spent the winter of 873-74 "under Ingólfsfell west of the Ölfusá river." In the summer of 1891, on the initiative of entrepreneur and politician Tryggvi Gunnarsson, a suspension bridge was built over the Ölfusá river at Selfoss; at that time it was the most ambitious structure built in Iceland. The bridge was crucial for the development of Selfoss: in 1900, forty people lived at Selfoss, while in 1993 the town's population was over 4,000, making Selfoss by far the largest town in the south of Iceland.
When the Ölfusá river was bridged in 1891, this opened the way to development of tourist services at Selfoss. Accommodation, meals and various services were offered in Tryggvaskáli, built by the bridge, and tourist services have grown and developed ever since. Facilities and services available to visitors include the following:
Selfoss offers a variety of accommodation for visitors: a hotel, guesthouses, a camping site, and bed-and-breakfast.
There are plenty of options for those who want a meal or an evening out, including a hotel, pizza parlours, a chicken restaurant, fast-food restaurants offering a variety of food including traditional Icelandic meals, as well as pubs, dance clubs, and excellent banqueting and conference rooms.
Leisure facilities at Selfoss include a splendid 9-hole golf course. There are pleasant walking paths in the area, along the banks of the Ölfusá river, and on nearby Mt. Ingólfsfjall, with its spectacular views of the lowlands of south Iceland, the mountain ranges to north and east, and the Westman Islands to the south. The municipal swimming pool has both indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, solarium, etc. in a recently renovated area. Selfoss offers good sports facilities, including a sports hall at the Sólvallaskóli school, and a large open-air leisure area with sports fields. At Selfoss is the largest collection of works by painter Ásgrímur Jónsson (1876-1958), a pioneer of Icelandic visual art, and there are regular arts shows at the gallery.
Selfoss is the centre of communications in the south, with bus services in all directions. Buses run from Selfoss to Reykjavík, inland to Gullfoss and Geysir, and to the coastal communities of Stokkseyri, Eyrarbakki and Þorlákshöfn. In the summer, there are also bus services to Þórsmörk and Landmannalaugar, to Akureyri and to the east, as well as many other places. Selfoss has several travel agencies and a tourist information centre.
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Facilities |
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| Company | Contact | Adress | Information |
| Lodgings | |||
| Hotel | |||
| Hotel Selfoss | Eyravegur
2
800 Selfoss Fax
+354 482 2524 |
Hótel Selfoss has 20 modern and tastefully furnished single and double rooms all with balcony, bath, direct telephone, satellite TV and minibar. In the hotel is a restaurant and conference facilities for up to 400 persons. Hótel Þóristún is an annex from Hótel Selfoss, there we offer lower priced rooms with or without private bathroom. Breakfast is served at Hótel Selfoss less than 100 meters from Þóristún. | |
| Guesthouse | |||
| Gesthús
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v/Engjaveg
800 Selfoss |
Gesthús
are cosy bungalows in Selfoss. Each bongalow, with accommodation for 4
persons, has its own kitchen, WC and shower. Breakfast, dinner, light
courses, beer, wine and cheese are available in our restaurant in the
tourist centre. Among other facilities are two small pools (hot tubs)
with geothermal water. Our campsite is one of the best in Iceland with a
service house, barbeque, WC and showers. From june 10th to august 20th
we offer sleeping bag accommodation in a school nearby with good
facilities. Located in the heart of south Iceland, Gesthús are the ideal base for tours to the country's most famous scenic attractions. Activities/Leisure opportunities include walking tours, horseback riding, sight-seeing flights, salmon and trout fishing, kayak sailing, jeep safari, visits to a farm, museums, swimming, excursions, etc |
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| Heimagisting | Heiðmörk
2A
800 Selfoss |
We are situated on the outskirt of Selfoss - unspoiled nature just across the street. You can have your breakfast served early or you can sleep in. Light meals available in the evening upon request. Sitting room with television. We speak english, german and scandinavian. "A home away from home". | |
| Hjardaból Country Guesthouse | Box
124
802 Selfoss |
Travel specialist Iceland Direct's home is Hjarðarból Country Guesthouse. Located near Selfoss, in the magnificent south of Iceland, Hjarðarból is the perfect place for your Icelandic holiday base. Comfortable rooms, wholesome meals and excellent facilities are complemented by spectacular scenery - the guesthouse looks towards the volcano Skálafell and the mountain Ingólfsfjall. Iceland's capital Reykjavík is within easy reach and Keflavík International airport is also readily accessible. From Hjarðarból Iceland Direct provides tours to many outstanding destinations. Join us and explore wild and beautiful Iceland. We know you will have a wonderful holiday. | |
| Camping | |||
| Cottages | |||
| Icelandic Summer House | Austurvegur
22
800 Selfoss |
Planning a holiday to Iceland? Icelandic Summer Houses can offer you accommodation at reasonable price in the vicinity of natural wonders and friendly people. Enjoy the freedom and the flexibility to make your own plans according to the weather and your mood. Icelandic Summer Houses offer an exciting alternative to the traditional accommodation in Hotels or Guesthouses and can reduce the cost of accommodation considerably and at the same time allow our guest to enjoy the pristine and non-polluted natural surroundings in Iceland. All the summer Houses are privately owned, and furnished with care and according to personal taste. The owners bid you heartily welcome into "their home". | |
| Eating | |||
| Kaffi
Krús |
Austurvegur
7
800 Selfoss |
A coffee house located in the center of Selfoss and seats appr. 40. It offers light meals, cakes and drinks. There is a private room downstairs that seats 18 persons, excellent for meetings and/or other functions. Great place to stop with a small group on their way to Reykjavík after sightseeing. | |
| Other companies | |||
| Gudmundur Tyrfingsson | Fossnesi
C
800 Selfoss |
At Guðmundur Tyrfingsson, we offer 17 charter buses for 8 - 62 passengers for shorter or longer tours. Most of our buses are custom made in our workshop in Selfoss. Our objective is to offer our customers the best possible service, at reasonable prices. | |
| The House of Merchants | 820
Eyrarbakki Tel +354 483 1504 Fax +354 483 1082 |
The Árnesinga Folk Museum is located in Húsið (The House) in the village of Eyrarbakki. Húsið, dating back to 1765, is one of the oldest and most remarkable buildings in Iceland. It was originally the residence of the Eyrabakki trading post merchants and their staff and was for a long time considered on of the most cultivated homes in the country. Part of the museum is dedicated to the history of Húsið and its inhabitants and uses artifacts which relate to it and the trade industry at Eyrabakki. The museum also attempts to show a cross section of the history of the Árnessýsla (Árnes region). | |
| Iceland Direct | Box
124
802 Selfoss |
Allow Iceland Direct to show you some of the world's most spectacular scenery. From our base at comfortable Hjarðarból Country Guesthouse in the magnificent south of Iceland we operate affordable tours to many rugged, dramatic and surprising locations. The quiet enjoyment of nature is important to us and we know you will have a special holiday. Iceland Direct provides quality tours for many of Europe's responsible and specialist travel companies. We use local hotels and guesthouses and all our activities are designed to have as little environmental impact as possible. Of course, we are a fully licensed Icelandic tour operator. | |
| Mountain Cruiser | Álftarima
30
800 Selfoss |
Unique travel experience on specially equipped jeeps through the Icelandic highlands. Plan your own itinerary, or take one of our predesigned tours to places like Þórsmörk, Þjórsárdalur, Þingvellir, Kerlingarfjöll, Landmannalaugar, Gullfoss and Geysir. | |
| Southern Iceland Holidays | Hörðuvellir
6
800 Selfoss |
Southern Iceland welcomes you to all places of interest on the island of ice and fire. We organise sightseeings, excursions, safaris and special packages all around Iceland for individuals and groups to reasonable prices. Special rates in spring, fall and winter. Among the highlights in the surroundings are the Golden Waterfall, the great Geysir, volcano Hekla, bishopric Skalholt, national park Thingvellir, The Blue Lagoon, fishing villages, glaciers, lakes and rivers and many other unique sites. We provide activities like horse riding, boat trips, snowscooter, angling, river rafting, sightseeing flights and trekking tours. Southern Iceland offers comfortable accommodation, excellent meals, new coaches and experienced, licensed tour guides. Please contact us for further information. | |
| Verkfraedistofa Sudarlands | Austurvegi
3-5
800 Selfoss |
South Icelands consultant engineering (Verkfræðistofa Suðurlands) was established in 1973. Since then, the firm has conducted most kind of major engineering services, including service to local communities, contractors, individuals and companies. The last years the company has increased the focus on the newest tecnology in surveying and mapping. Since 1993 Verkfræðistofa Suðurlands has used a Geodimeter 540S totalstation and since early in 1997 a Geotracer 2200 GPS surveying unit. The staff at Verkfræðistofa Suðurlands has great experience in surveying, within the coordinate systems used in Iceland. | |
| Selfoss Swimming Hall | v/Bankaveg
800 Selfoss |
Indoor and outdoor swimming in a recently renovated area. We also offer hot tubs, steam baths, sauna, a special children area and indoor gymnasium. | |
| BES |
Gagnheiði
17
800 Selfoss |
BES produces PET preforms, made for producing bottles for soft drinks and alcohol based beverages. Its biggest customers are Plastidjan in Iceland and Bravo plant, in St. Petersburg, Russia. | |
| Fagform |
Eyravegi
23
800 Selfoss |
Fagform is a designing and advertising firm serving Icelandic companies, with focus on Southern Iceland. Besides making company logos and media advertisments, Fagform manufactures multiple range of promotion products, including signposts, labels, adhesive markings, flyers, banners, cards, etc. | |
| IB Imports |
Gagnheiði
13
800 Selfoss |
Import and export of used cars and heavy equipment, we also special order spare parts and accessories for cars and heavy equipment. | |
| KÁ | Austurvegi
3-5
800 Selfoss |
Established in 1930, KÁ is a cooperative owned by over 4.600 members. There are three main divisions, a chain of grocery stores, travel services, and services for agriculture. We now have around 450 employees, and our range of business spans the whole of South Iceland. The cooperative also owns a part in several other companies in South Iceland and Reykjavík. | |
| MBF Dairy | Austurvegi
65
800 Selfoss |
The MBF Dairy is a cooperative, founded by the local farmers and has from the beginning been a pioneer in the Icelandic milkindustry. It is the country's largest dairy, serving the entire south coast. The number of employees today has reached 120 and the milk producers are almost 500. | |
| Plastiðjan |
Gagnheiði
17
800 Selfoss |
Established in 1973, Plastiðjan hf is a manufacturer of PET plastic bottles used for soft drinks. It sells most of its production to Ölgerðin hf, manufacturer of Pepsi Cola in Iceland. Other products that Plastiðjan makes are Polystyrene EPS boxes and trays, metallic and plastic caps for the soft drink industry. | |
| SET Ltd | Eyravegur
41-47 800 Selfoss Tel +354 482 2700 Fax +354 482 2099 |
SET Ltd. is the foremost manufacturer of pipes in Iceland. The production includes district heating pipes, multiple range plastic pipes and tubes, and ancillaries. The quality control of SET is certified to ISO 9002 standards. | |
| SG Hús | Gagnheiði 9,
800 Selfoss |
Since the year 1966, S.G. Hús hf, has been building houses and summerhouses all over Iceland. The company has been developing its product according to the ever changing weather conditions in Iceland. Our houses are known to be strong and lasting. | |
| TRS Computer Services | Eyravegur
23
800 Selfoss |
TRS specializes in computer hardware and software sales and support, repairs, LAN design and installation, Internet access and Web site design. | |
| Vefur - Icelandic Webservices | Eyravegur
29
800 Selfoss |
Vefur - Icelandic Webservices offers professional Web site design, hosting, and related services to municipalties, companies, organizations and individuals. | |