CulturalInterest 5/5
Arctic Henge
Heimskautsgerðið
The Arctic Henge is a large stone monument on a hill above Raufarhöfn, one of Iceland's northernmost villages, in the northeast of the country. Huge basalt gateways and arches are arranged around a central plinth so that they frame the sun through the year, and the free, unstaffed site is open at all hours.
Region
North Iceland
Coordinates
66.4620° N, 15.9630° W
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · Limited
- The monument stands on an open hill reached by a rough, unpaved path.
- Limited mobility · Limited
- Short but uneven walking on gravel and grass between the arches.
- Sensory · Full
- A quiet, open-air site; the main factors are wind and weather.
- Cognitive · Full
- A freely explored outdoor monument with no fixed route.
Why it matters
The project was conceived by local hotelier Erlingur Thoroddsen and designed with artist Haukur Halldórsson as a modern solar calendar inspired by the dwarves named in the Eddic poem Völuspá. Building began in the early 2000s and continues in stages, with the arches aligned to the cardinal directions and the midnight sun.