National Park Center at Hellissandur

Opening hours: Every day at 09:30 – 17:00 Phone: 661-1500

National Park Center

The National Park Center at Hellissandur was opened on March 24, 2023.

Visitor services staff and park rangers provide general information and education about the area. The center also features a souvenir shop and exhibition space. Restrooms are available 24/7.

Elja Café operates the food service within the National Park Center. It offers seating for 40 guests. Opening hours are the same for the café and the visitor centre.

Jökulhöfði

The building’s design is called Jökulhöði and comes from Arkís architects who won a design competition in 2006. The house is divided into three; to the south is Jökulhöfði, whose name refers to Snæfellsjökull, which towers over the building and houses an exhibition hall and restaurants, to the north is Fiskbeinið, which refers to the popular fishing tickets in the area and houses the offices of Snæfellsjökull National Park, a souvenir shop, an information desk and an educational space.

The highway runs through the building, but the design of the building allows you to walk right through the building inside and out.

Exhibition

Wonders of Snæfellsjökull
The permanent exhibition Wonders of Snæfellsjökull is located in the open space at the visitor centre. The exhibition focuses on the geology and mystique of Snæfellsjökull, folklore and facts, as well as stories about the diverse areas within the national park.

Visitors can explore an impressive rock collection by volcanologist Haraldur Sigurðsson. The collection contains samples of the main rock types found in the area and throughout Iceland.

At the center of the hall is a model of Snæfellsjökull and its surrounding landscape, where visitors can watch lava flow, glaciers retreat, the Northern Lights dance, boats row across the sea, and trolls appear, among many other features. The model is connected to locations around the glacier, where visitors can access folklore and educational information.

Admission to the exhibition is free, and everyone is encouraged to visit and learn about the mystical powers of Snæfellsjökull and the national park itself.

BREEAM certification

The aspects of BREEAM that are most relevant in the National Park Centre in Hellissandur:;

Daily operations are based on Green Accounting, and at the end of each operating year, calculations of daylight, energy and water consumption will be submitted.

All waste that leaves the building will be weighed. The requirements were also placed on the contractor throughout the entire construction process.

Access to the building will be exemplary, and there are good walking and cycling paths leading to and from the National Park Centre.

Charging stations will be available for both visitors and staff of the National Park.

The entire construction and operating process is carried out based on the most environmentally friendly methods, and the choice of materials is low maintenance (materials can erode, no outdoor paint, etc.).

All wood used in the building is FSC certified, which means it is traceable throughout the production process.

The National Park Center at Hellissandi is designed in accordance with the competitive proposal of Arkís arkitekta ehf. The Administration Office – Ríkiseignir (FSRE) managed the building construction and Húheild contractors took care of the practical implementation.

Total size 710 square meters

Space for community use 600 square meters

The total cost of construction is 640 million isk.

Construction began in 2020 and was completed in 2022.

National Park Center at Hellissandi was officially opened on March 24, 2023