Isafjordur

The city of Isafjordur is located in the far northwest of Iceland, in the Westfirdir region. The administrative center of Isafjardarbayr community.

The city lies on the shore of the Skjutlfjord, one of the branches of the largest fjord in Westfirdir - Isa Fjord . The city is the commercial and economic center of the Westfirdir region. The area of ​​the city is constantly increasing with the help of draining and filling the fjord with sand. The population of Isafjordur is 3,968 people (as of December 1, 2008 ).

The first settlers appeared on the site of the current city back in 920 . Later, Norwegian and Icelandic merchants settled here, and in the 16th century several English and German companies established their trading posts in Isafjordur. Subsequently, when during the years of Danish rule in Iceland there was a ban on foreign trade, a number of buildings were erected on the southern outskirts of the city, which are today the oldest surviving in Iceland (e.g. Tjeruhusid, built in 1734 ).

Since the 18th century, the welfare of the city’s inhabitants has been gradually growing thanks to the fish processing, salting and drying industries created here. Isafjordur received trade rights in 1787 , city status - in 1866 .

Despite its small size, population, and historical isolation from the rest of the country, Isafjordur has a music school, a church , and several hospitals. The building of the oldest hospital in the city currently houses a cultural center with a library and an exhibition hall. Recently, the small town became known in Iceland as a center for alternative music, and the annual Aldrei fór ég suður festival was created for artists from all over Iceland and even from other countries.
Also in March 2005, the University Center Háskólasetur Vestfjarða was established in Isafjordur, which acts as a distance learning center for 7,000 residents of the western fjords.

In 2002, Edn Elias Gwudmündsson (better known as ) and his father, Gwudmündur Kristiaunsson (better known as Papamug), organized the first rock festival 'Aldrei fór ég suður', which became annual and is held in Isafjordur every year in mid-April. The name of the festival is translated from the Icelandic language as “I have never been to the south”, which refers to young Icelanders who did not leave their homelands and did not move south to Reykjavik , but created musical communities in their home in Isafjordur.

Since 2003, the city also hosts the Við Djúpið music festival every year in June, in which famous musicians and singers from around the world participated.

In 2010 and 2011, Isafjordur hosted the European Swamp Football Championship ^[2] . In addition to football and marsh football in Isafjordur, kayaking and canoeing are also popular sports ^[3] . Four kilometers southeast of the city there are 15 hectare golf courses .

• Olafur Ragnar Grimsson , President of Iceland

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