Sauðárkrókur

Sauðárkrókur is an Icelandic town with 2,572 inhabitants (as of October 2012). It is both the largest settlement of the greater community Skagafjordur whose part it is since 1998, as well as the largest city in Northwest Iceland at all.

Geography

Situated in the north west of Iceland, located Sauðárkrókur extends northward tapering on the southern shore of the fjord Skagafjordur. The distance to Reykjavík is 295 km of roads.

History

Sauðárkrókur was created in 1857 as a trading center. The first permanent settlement began only in 1871. The city law Sauðárkrókur since 1947. 1998 there was a merger with ten rural communities for community Skagafjordur.

Traffic

The city is Iceland's Ring Road ( Hringvegur ) on the side road 75 easy to reach. There is a year-round port connection to the bus line Reykjavík - Akureyri. In the summer months Sauðárkrókur is serviced twice a day from the capital Reykjavik.

Economy

Sauðárkrókur is the service center for the region around the Skagafjordur. The most important economic sectors in the city are fishing, trade and industry. In addition to plants for processing of fish and crabs as well as a dairy there are a variety of small businesses, including a stone wool factory.

The area is famous as the Mecca of the Iceland horse, as there does not in Iceland more horse breeders and horse are than here.

Culture

The local museum houses Minjahús inter alia, the oldest sewing machine to Iceland in 1857, and a large collection of other household objects, musical instruments and tools. In the city there is a sculpture of a horse Iceland by the Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson.

Worth seeing are some old houses and the wooden church from 1892. Tindastóll The hotel is the oldest hotel Islands and one of the oldest wooden houses on the island. It was built in 1820 of Norwegian Wood as a warehouse in Hofsós 1833 initially and later implemented by Grafarós and after Sauðárkrókur. Since 1884 it is used as a hostel.

In the south, on the way to Varmahlíð, is the museum's courtyard Glaumbær.

Sons and daughters

• Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson ( b. 1968 ), Icelandic politician
• Eyjólfur Sverrisson ( b. 1968 ), Icelandic football player and coach
• Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson (* 1990), the Icelandic football player and son of Eyjólfur Sverrisson