Hernámssetrið í Hvalfirði

About the museum

Hernámssetrið í Hvalfirði, also called the War and Peace Museum, is a privately run museum at Hlöðum on the north shore of Hvalfjörður. It is housed in an old community hall and deals with the years of the occupation of Iceland, 1940–1945, when a peaceful rural area changed within a short time and Hvalfjörður became an important base for Allied warships and submarines. During those years more than twenty thousand American and British soldiers passed through the fjord.

The owner and museum director is Guðjón Sigmundsson, known as Gaui litli (Little Gaui). He worked for a long time in film as a props man and is a keen collector. He has gathered objects from the war years to build up the exhibition. Visitors can look at the objects up close, leaf through soldiers' diaries, read military maps and sit on old furniture.

The exhibition shows not only the military side but also daily life during the war years, for example a barber's shop, a shop, children's toys and a dance hall. The museum's message of peace appears in artworks on the outer walls of the building and in the statue Von um frið (Hope for Peace), which a Russian artist gave to the museum. On site there is the café Hvíti fálkinn (The White Falcon), a souvenir shop and a campsite.

Highlights

• Objects, diaries and maps from the occupation years 1940–1945
• Stage sets of daily life, such as a barber's shop, a shop and a dance hall
• The history of Hvalfjörður as a base for Allied warships and submarines
• The statue Hope for Peace and artworks on the outer walls of the building
• The café Hvíti fálkinn and a campsite at the museum

Permanent exhibition

• Hvalfjörður 1940–45 – Exhibition on the occupation years in Hvalfjörður and their impact on the district, with objects, diaries, maps and stage sets from daily life.

Operated by

Hernámssetrið ehf. (einkarekið)

Director

Guðjón Sigmundsson

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Playground / play area

Children under 11 enter free. There is a play area at the campsite next to the museum.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the north shore of Hvalfjörður, about a 45-minute drive from Reykjavík.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The café Hvíti fálkinn is on site, along with a souvenir shop. A large campsite with electricity, showers, toilets, washing-up facilities, charcoal grills and a children's play area is next to the museum and is open from 1 June to 26 August.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit