Siglufjörður is Iceland’s northernmost town and its fame and fortune has always been linked to the ebb and flow of the fishing industry. Just a tiny shark fishing village in 1900, Siglufjörður soon became one of the largest towns in Iceland and the undisputed capital of herring fishing in the North Atlantic. During the heyday of the fishery people were drawn north by the prospect of abundant work and the lure of money. Although the herring has long since disappeared, the town bears the distinct imprint of “The Herring Era”.
Since 2002 Siglufjörður has welcomed cruise ship passengers to its spectacular setting in a mountainous fiord on the remote edge of northern Iceland. The historic gold-rush-like atmosphere of the bustling herring town is wonderfully presented in the three main exhibits of the Herring Museum of Iceland. From the fishing boats to the salting station and bunkhouses to the fish meal factory the daily lives of the people in the industry are brought vividly to life.
