Sunrise at Hallgrímskirkja

Hallgrímskirkja is the tallest church in Iceland, standing on a hill above the centre of Reykjavík. Its 74-metre tower was designed to echo the basalt columns that form when lava cools, and it can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.

Reykjavík lies just south of the Arctic Circle, so its light changes more than almost anywhere else. In June the sun barely sets and the sky glows all night; in December the sun rises close to eleven and sets in mid-afternoon, after a long, slow, pink dawn. On dark winter nights the northern lights can dance above the tower.

A sunrise over Hallgrímskirkja is a gift from the edge of the Arctic — a city where every sunrise is an event.

The best season

Summer, from May to August, brings midnight sun and endless golden evenings. Winter has short days with long, colourful dawns and dusks, and from September to March the northern lights on clear nights.

Where to watch

The top of the church tower looks over the colourful roofs of Reykjavík to the sea and the mountains. The harbour and the Sun Voyager sculpture on the seafront face the summer sunset to the north-west.