Landakotstún

About Landakotstún

East and south of Landakotskirkja is a public park, partly remnants of the old Landakot farm's field. It is now one of the larger and more open outdoor recreation areas in the city center, with beautiful views of downtown. The park is bordered by Túngata to the north, Hólavallagata to the east, and Hávallagata to the south.

Basic information

Age: Landakotstún is an ancient field. It was first designated as an open space in Reykjavík's planning in 1926.

Transportation:

• Parking by Túngata. 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: Hávallagata (route 13) - City Hall.

You can find: Gardening - Benches - Field - Playground - Notable buildings - Viewpoint.

History

• Landakot was a tenancy croft of the Reykjavík farm, first mentioned as inhabited in 1548.
• The Catholic mission in Iceland acquired the Landakot property in 1860, and the congregation built a small church there in 1897. The current church opened in 1929.
• Reykjavík's 1926 planning allowed Landakotstún to remain undisturbed, despite being considered a prime building site.
• In the mid-20th century, a sidewalk was built across the field and improvements made to the turf. The area then began to be viewed as a public park, and all ideas of building on the field were abandoned. Gardening in the area didn't begin until the 1980s.

References

• Bragi Bergsson. 2012. Public parks in Iceland. Master's thesis. University of Iceland, School of Humanities.
• Nikulás Úlfar Másson and Margrét Jónsdóttir. 1994. Construction history of the Landakot area and surroundings. Reykjavík Heritage Museum, Report 42, Reykjavík.
• Photograph: Bragi Bergsson.