Akureyri Botanical Garden

What makes it special

The garden is a working trial ground. Its main job is to test which trees, shrubs and perennials can survive the climate of north Iceland, from a sheltered spot on Eyjafjord, one of the country's longest fjords. More than 7,000 species grow on its 3.6 hectares.

One section holds native and naturalised Icelandic flora, and another area is given to Arctic plants. A whole border belongs to the dock family, with many different kinds of rhubarb.

The garden opened in 1912 as Iceland's first public park, on a hectare of hay field the town set aside, and became a botanic garden once donated plant collections arrived. Busts stand among the flowers, and some of the wooden houses on the grounds are among the oldest in Akureyri.

Visiting

Entering from Þórunnarstræti, beside the Menntaskólinn á Akureyri, you walk straight onto the paths. If you came by bike, leave it at the stand by the entrance, because cycling, scooters and skateboards are not allowed inside.

Work round the beds at your own pace and read the plant labels. Leave the labels alone, though, since interfering with them is against the park rules.

LYST, the garden's restaurant and cafe, is the place to stop, with a classy interior behind big windows. It opens from 10am to 7pm Sunday to Thursday, and in summer it stays open into the evening. Its toilets are for customers only.

Tips

If the flowers are the point, the beds keep some colour from spring into autumn. A winter visit is about the trees instead: snow bends them low and fairy lights are strung through them, but little else is on show.

Keep a dog on a leash, and leave seeds where they fall: taking them or damaging plants is strictly banned. Akureyrarkirkja stands on the same hill, so you can pair the two in one outing.