Bakarabrekkan

Outdoor recreation areas

Bernhöftstorfa
101 Reykjavík

Bakarabrekkan við Lækjargötu.

About Bakarabrekkan

Bakarabrekkan, or Baker’s Slope, is an old name for Bankastræti. Today, it refers to the grassy slope below Bernhöftstorfan at the corner of Bankastræti and Lækjargata.

Bakarabrekkan is a prominent feature of the city center. Along with the lawn in front of Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík and Mæðragarðurinn, it forms a nearly continuous green area along the east side of Lækjargata. The statue "Vatnsberinn" by Ásmundur Sveinsson is in Bakarabrekkan. There is also a large outdoor chess set with pieces by sculptor Jón Gunnar Árnason.

Basic information

Age: The area was first defined as a public park in 1943, but it is much older.

Transportation:

  • Parking by Lækjargata and Amtmannsstígur. Parking fees apply on weekdays from 10am to 6pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
  • Public bus routes: 1-3-6-11-12-13-14. Stops: Lækjartorg – MR.

You can find: Gardening - Benches - Artwork - Historical site - Restaurant - Café - Festivities

History

  • Bakarabrekkan is named after the bakery of Danish baker Tönnies Daníels Bernhöft, which was at Bankastræti 2. Bernhöftstorfan is also named after Baker Bernhöft.
  • Bakarabrekkan was first designated as a public area in Reykjavík's new planning scheme in 1943.
  • "Vatnsberinn" by Ásmundur Sveinsson was moved to Bakarabrekkan from Öskjuhlíð in 2011. Originally, "Vatnsberinn" was always meant to be in Bakarabrekkan, but this location caused much debate among city authorities and the public.
  • A statue of Reverend Friðrik Friðriksson, founder of KFUM and KFUK and the football clubs Valur and Haukar, by Sigurjón Ólafsson stands at the bottom of Bakarabrekkan. The statue was erected in 1954.
  • Bernhöftstorfan was protected in 1979, two years after the buildings there were badly damaged in a fire. In 1981, the reconstruction of Bernhöftstorfan was completed and the restaurant Lækjarbrekka opened.
  • The outdoor chess set was inaugurated in 1981. Like "Vatnsberinn," there was much debate about its location as it was originally meant to be at Lækjartorg.

References

  • Bragi Bergsson. 2012. Public parks in Iceland. Master's thesis. University of Iceland, School of Humanities.