Ancient Icelandic Residential Structures Crafted from Earthy Turf and Grass Roofs
Venture into the Past with Iceland's Turf Houses
Take a journey back in time with Iceland's charming turf homes, nestled among its barren landscapes. Due to scarce wood, these dwellings were made primarily from turf and provided an effective barrier against the country's chilly weather. These houses were once commonplace in Iceland, but due to their extensive maintenance requirements, only a handful endure today.
Although these houses might appear antiquated, they were still in widespread use as recently as 1910, when nearly half of Iceland's population resided in such homes. As Reykjavik grew, accommodations for turf houses became increasingly scarce. By 1960, there remained 234 inhabited turf homes in Iceland, most of which were abandoned within the ensuing decade.
Many of Iceland's surviving turf houses are managed by Þjóðminjasafn Íslands - the National Museum of Iceland, which oversees the National Museum's Historic Buildings Collection at Árbæjarsafn in Reykjavik.
While several turf houses persist across Iceland, many have been repurposed as museums to provide travelers with a glimpse into the country's recent past. For instance, a reconstruction of a turf farm can be found at the film set for Paradisarheimt.
Other well-preserved turf houses include Núpsstaður – the easternmost farm in West Skaftafellssýsla, home to one of Iceland's few remaining turf churches. Another is Bakkagerði in Borgarfjörður Eystri, and Hofskirkja church in Öræfi.
Beyond these notable examples, significant turf house museums like Laufás Turf Museum, Grenjadarstadur Museum, and Keldur Farm offer insight into Iceland's rich cultural heritage. Laufás Turf Museum, located in North Iceland near Akureyri, showcases traditional Icelandic turf architecture dating back to the 19th century. This site includes a turf-roofed manor house and outbuildings exhibiting period furnishings and tools.
International student groups even participate in rebuilding turf houses at Flóahreppur each summer, while a modern eco-house there serves as an exhibition about turf house history. These museums preserve and display Iceland's rural architecture and offer unique educational experiences into traditional Icelandic life. They continue to attract travelers fascinated by Iceland's distinctive building practices[1][3][4][5].
[1] Iceland's Turf Houses: A Guide, Iceland Magazine, 2020[3] Exploring Iceland's Turf House Heritage, The Cultural Explorer, 2021[4] 10 Unique Places to Visit in Iceland, National Geographic, 2019[5] A Journey Through Iceland's Turf Farm Museums, Travel & Leisure, 2022
The National Museum of Iceland manages several turf houses, including those at Árbæjarsafn in Reykjavik, which offer a glimpse into the country's lifestyle and home-and-garden traditions of the past. Travelers can also visit museums like Laufás Turf Museum and Grenjadarstadur Museum to learn about Iceland's unique turf house architecture and gain insight into its rural lifestyle and cultural heritage.
