Raufarhöfn

The small town Raufarhöfn is located is part of the municipality Norðurþing on the peninsula Melrakkaslétta in northeastern Iceland.

Location

From Raufarhöfn is approximately 15 km to the northernmost point on the mainland of the island, Hraunhafnartangi (Eng. " headland of the Lavahafens "). But the Arctic Circle is still about 2 km away. The white lighthouse Hraunhafnartangaviti is from 1945.

The distance to the capital Reykjavík is 634 km.

Climate

The climate is arctic Raufarhöfns ( Effective climate classification: ET). The highest temperature ever recorded was 24.7 ° C in August and the coldest ever recorded temperature was -24.6 ° C in March. Due to the exposed coastal location and to the maritime influence in combination with arctic air masses both diurnal cycle as well as the differences between the seasons (only about 10 ° C from July to January ) are very low. Furthermore, immediately south of the Arctic Circle in December recorded because of the location no sunshine and even in July seems despite the Polar tags on average only 3.8 hours per day, the sun, which is in turn due to the inconsistent and often shrouded in clouds weather.

Name

The name derives from a narrow channel, called Rauf (Eng. gap, crack ), which is located between a small island and a hilly promontory Holmur and Höfði.

History

Raufarhöfn received market rights in 1836. At that time, built a Danish merchant in Raufarhöfn a large building called Budin, which although completely burned down in 1956, but was soon replaced.

However, the place is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas as a trading and the merchants of the Hanseatic League he seems to have been known.

By 1830, however, only some smaller farms had been in the area. After a smallpox epidemic at the beginning of the 18th century, the area had even been completely abandoned.

In the 1950s Raufarhöfn was a very busy place, mainly due to the large and nearby herring fishing grounds. The port had already been developed at the initiative of merchants and fishing entrepreneurs in 1900 so that there konnten.Später create large sailing ships we continued with the expansion of the port to accommodate the herring boats and to facilitate export. It emerged processing plants, first under Norwegian leadership until 1924, when it bought the Icelandic State. By the end of the 60s Raufarhöfn was one of the most important export ports for the herring in Iceland.

In the late sixties the herring failed to materialize, came also the economic decline, which, in addition to the isolated location was certainly crucial for increasing rural-urban migration for the area. On 1 January 2009 Raufarhöfn had 223 inhabitants in 1988, however, the figure was 401.

Meanwhile, you're trying to focus more on tourism with the expansion of the hotel and the construction of a highly original Arctic monument ( Heimskautsgerði ). From benefit here is the proximity to the Arctic polar circle about 17 km north of the village and at the same 2 km off the coast is located.

The Church of Raufarhöfn

It was designed by none other than the country of Iceland architect Guðjón Samúelsson and consecrated in 1928. A thorough renovation of the church learned uA 1979th main altarpiece and pulpit are from Ásmundarstaðir.

Management and Services

Raufarhöfn is a service center for the residents of the area, which still rely mostly live by farming and fishing.

The place can be a bank, a gas station, a store with a café and a hotel, a community center with restaurant and kindergarten and primary school show. There are also medical care in a health center ( isl.heilsugælsa ) ..

In addition, there is a gym with a public swimming pool.

The tourism also serve campground and marked trails.

Twinning

Within Islands is twinned with Hólmavík.