DOWNTOWN REYKJAVIK
Downtown Reykjavik or miðborgin (Icelandic: city centre), also known as Miðbær or Austurbær, is a sub-municipal administrational district that covers much of the central part Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. The district includes six neighbourhoods: Kvos, Grjótaþorp, Skólavörðuholt (Crossroad House), Þingholt, Skuggahverfi and Vatnsmýri.
It is the administrative centre of Iceland, containing Alþingishúsið (the national parliament buildings), Stjórnarráðshúsið (the cabinet house) and the Supreme Court of Iceland. In addition, the area is home to many of the city’s landmarks, including the Tjörnin pond, the town hall, and Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church in Iceland. The city centre is also the centre of Reykjavík's nightlife; most of the city's bars and nightclubs are located in Austurstræti (east street) and Bankastræti (bank street).
For a living view of Reykjavik's past, a visit to the open-air Reykjavik City Museum- Arbaejarsafn, located in the eastern part of the capital is well advised. The newly opened and innovative Reykjavik 871 +/-2 Settlement Exhibition, located on Adalstraeti in the city centre, allows visitors to view the recently discovered, oldest settlement ruins in Reykjavik and Iceland (possibly those of Ingolfur Arnarson or his descendents), featuring an original Viking age longhouse. This and more information to be found on visitreykjavik.is.
