Why visit Neskaupstaður
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 3 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include The Jósafat Hinriksson’s Maritime Museum and Málverkasafn Tryggva Ólafssonar.
Weather in Neskaupstaður
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Neskaupstaður
Neskaupstaður (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈnɛsˌkʰœypˌstaːðʏr̥]) is a town located on the fjord Norðfjörður [ˈnɔrðˌfjœrðʏr̥] on the eastern side of Iceland, against the Norwegian Sea. It is part of the municipality of Fjarðabyggð and, as of 2016, it has a population of 1,481. Neskaupstaður is the second largest town in Eastern Region. The town was originally built on a farm called "Nes", settled by Egill Rauði ("the red").
From the Wikipedia article Neskaupstaður (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks4
The Jósafat Hinriksson’s Maritime Museum
Museum
2 Egilsbraut, Neskaupstaður
Jun-Aug: Mo-Su 13:00-17:00
Málverkasafn Tryggva Ólafssonar
Museum
2 Egilsbraut, Neskaupstaður
Jun-Aug 13:00-17:00
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Restaurants and cafes3
Beituskúrinn
Restaurant
26 Egilsbraut
Mo-Th 14:00-00:00; Fr 14:00-02:00; Sa 12:00-02:00; Su 12:00-00:00
Where to stay6
Norðfjörður Camping
Campground
This camp site is part of the Icelandic Camping Card Project
Víðimýri, Neskaupstaður
Jun 01-Sep 15
History
Until 1949, the town was accessible via mountain pass in Oddskarð or a boat. Then it was connected through a 626-meter long single-lane tunnel that passed through the Oddskard mountains called Oddskarðsgöng. Oddskarðsgöng was 632 meters above the sea level and was built between 1974 and 1977. Oddskarðsgöng is now closed. The town is now connected with a new 7,542-meter 2-lane tunnel called Norðfjarðargöng which was constructed between 2013 and 2017.
The building of an aluminum smelter and a new hydroelectric power-plant in East Iceland in 2003 reinvigorated the local economy.
Neskaupstaður joined Eskifjörður and Reyðarfjörður in 1998 to form the new municipality of Fjarðabyggð ("fjords-settlement").
From the History section of Neskaupstaður on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare2
Map of Neskaupstaður
27 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Norðfjörður Airport (NOR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 km away.
- Eskifjörður 18 km southwest, about 18 min by car
- Seyðisfjörður 20 km northwest, about 20 min by car
- Reyðarfjörður 28 km southwest, about 28 min by car
- Fáskrúðsfjörður 29 km southwest, about 29 min by car
- Egilsstaðir 36 km west, about 36 min by car
- Vopnafjörður 86 km northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Neskaupstaður 18.9.2017 (cropped), Hlynur Sveinsson, CC BY 2.0
- Neskaupstaður 18.9.2017 (37166907951), Hlynur Sveinsson, CC BY 2.0
- Neskaupstaður Panorama 01, Spike, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Norðfjarðarflói Viðfjörður Hellisfjörður Norðfjörður Panorama 01, Spike, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Paskahellir, Sfjalar, CC BY 4.0
Page built November 2, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.