Austurvöllur

On the southern edge of Austurvöllur is a small building of hewn stone, but don't let its size fool you. This is the building of the Icelandic parliament, known as Alþingi. The institution has in fact long since outgrown the building which was built in 1881 for a nation of a little over 60,000. Today the upper floors of most houses on the north and west sides of the park also house parliamentary offices. The Alþingi building today houses only the debating chamber of the unicameral institution and the party meeting rooms. When Alþingi is in session it is possible to go up to the viewing platforms and watch the debates, otherwise only groups affiliated with educational institutions are permitted to tour the inside of the building.

Run by the Reykjavík City Museum, this exhibition in central Reykjavík was built around the oldest archaeological ruins in Iceland. As the name indicates, these ruins date to around the year 870. This interactive exhibitions brings you the early history of the area that today forms central Reykjavík.

One of the best examples of late 20th-century architecture in Iceland, built into Tjörnin (The Pond). On the ground floor, which is open to the public, there is a large relief map of the whole country as well as a café and an exhibition hall.

A small museum devoted to the history of punk music in Iceland, located in a former underground public toilet facility. In the final room you can listen to Icelandic punk music through headphones, and there are guitars and leather jackets to try on and pose with.

By the old harbour in Reykjavík, Hafnarhúsið hosts a rotating exhibitions of the work of Icelandic artist Erró and temporary exhibitions often showcase other local artists.

This experimental theatre group has toured the world and won many prizes for its daring productions which include Romeo and Juliet, and Woyczek. They have also made films including the acclaimed Children and Parents, in 2006 and 2007 respectively.