Capital Region
Íslandsvarðan
About Íslandsvarðan
Íslandsvarðan is a bronze outdoor sculpture located along the shoreline at Sæbraut in Reykjavík. Created by Icelandic artist Jóhann Eyfells, the work draws inspiration from the traditional stone cairns that once served as essential route markers across Iceland’s open landscapes. These cairns helped travellers navigate between farms and settlements long before roads or modern navigation systems existed. Íslandsvarðan reinterprets this historic form in a contemporary sculptural language. Cast in bronze using natural earth-mould techniques, the sculpture reflects both the rugged character of Icelandic terrain and the long-standing cultural importance of cairns as symbols of orientation and movement through the landscape. Its circular opening frames views across Faxaflói Bay, encouraging visitors to engage directly with the surrounding coastline and distant mountains. The sculpture stands along Reykjavík’s Sculpture and Shore Walk, one of the city’s most popular waterfront walking routes. From this location, visitors can experience the meeting point of contemporary Icelandic art and the natural coastal environment that has shaped Reykjavík’s history as a harbour city. Today, Íslandsvarðan serves as both a cultural landmark and a quiet viewing point along the shoreline, linking Iceland’s traditional travel heritage with modern public art in the capital.
🐉 A Modern Cairn by the Sea
For centuries, stone cairns helped travellers cross Iceland’s open landscapes long before marked roads existed. These simple piles of stones guided people safely between farms and coastal settlements, especially in fog, snow, or darkness. Íslandsvarðan reflects this tradition in a modern sculptural form placed along Reykjavík’s shoreline. Rather than marking a remote mountain route, this cairn now stands beside the sea, where walkers follow one of the capital’s most scenic coastal paths. The circular opening invites visitors to stop and look outward across Faxaflói Bay, echoing the way travellers once paused at cairns to confirm their direction before continuing their journey.
📖 History of Íslandsvarðan
Íslandsvarðan was created by Icelandic sculptor Jóhann Eyfells as part of Reykjavík’s shoreline sculpture installations along Sæbraut. The work reinterprets the traditional Icelandic route marker known as a varða using cast bronze instead of stacked stone, linking historic travel culture with contemporary public art. Today, the sculpture forms part of Reykjavík’s Sculpture and Shore Walk — a series of artworks placed along the coastline where visitors can explore the relationship between Icelandic landscape, navigation traditions, and modern artistic expression.
✈️ Why Visit
See a modern sculpture inspired by traditional Icelandic cairns that frames beautiful views across Faxaflói Bay along Reykjavík’s scenic shoreline path.
💡 Did You Know?
The circular opening in Íslandsvarðan is designed to frame the horizon and mountains across the bay — echoing how traditional cairns helped travellers orient themselves in the landscape.
🕐 Best Time
All year
🚗 Access
Located along the seaside walking and cycling path on Sæbraut. Easily accessible on foot from downtown Reykjavík via the Sculpture & Shore Walk route.
⏱ Duration
5–10 minutes stop (longer if combined with coastal walk)
📍 GPS Location
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