20 Awesome Things about Reykjavik, Iceland You Might Not Know

Located at a latitude of 64.1466° N, Reykjavik is only 2° below the Arctic Circle (66.54° N), therefore the northernmost capitol of the world!

Close to the Arctic Circle and the North Pole, Reykjavik can get as little as 4 hours of sunlight in the heart of Winter and 21 hours of daylight in the Summer!

McDonalds operated in Reykjavik from 1993-2009 but stopped its operations due to struggle against local competition. Hjörtur Smárason, an anthropologist, bought a cheeseburger and fries meal before its shutdown and put it on display to rot, live on webcam at the Bus Hotel in Reykjavik!

Did you know that 'Reykjavik' actually means 'Smoky Bay? Its name is derived from numerous hot springs around Reykjavik.

Iceland is a small country and only 338,349 people live on the little island in the North Atlantic. Of those, the Reykjavik Capital region is home to more than 216,000 of the country's inhabitants!

Standing at 74.5m, it is the tallest building in Reykjavik. Its unique design is inspired by basalt lava columns. Inside, is an impressive 25-ton organ made of 5275 pipes!

Following Icelander's passion for writing and Iceland's contribution to literature, both in terms of historical and modern literature, UNESCO awarded Reykjavik the title of 'City of Literature' making it 1 of 5 in the world.

Among all its achievements, Reykjavik celebrates as the Puffin Capital of the World with over 30,000 pairs of Puffins.

On 8th of October 2007, John Lennon's 67th birthday, Yoko Ono uncovered a heartfelt light beam to commemorate her late husband and his peaceful ideas. Located on Reykjavik's Viðey island, it is annually lit from October - March.

Inspite of plenty of natural ice and glaciers in Iceland, Reykjavik took it up a notch by making the first artificial indoor ice cave in the world!

Iceland has world’s oldest parliament, which was formed in 930 in Thingvellir. The national parliament, Althingi, was reestablished in 1844 in Reykjavik, where it’s still housed.

Ingólfur Arnarson was a fugitive from Norway, who became the first Icelander when he settled on the island in the 870s, around where Reykjavik is now. He’s listed in Landnamabok, a medieval book of settlements.

Icelanders believe in letting infants sleep in the fresh air—even in cold temperatures. You will often see abandoned strollers, on the street, while they run errands.

Artist Jon Gunnar Arnason’s stainless steel structure, Solfar Sun Voyager, resembles a Viking ship, located on Reykjavik shoreline. According to him, it is an ode to the sun.

You can get the best wieners at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, a local stand, also approved by President Bill Clinton in his 2004 visit.

A dome sitting atop six water tanks, each holding more than a million gallons of water at a temperature of 185°F, also has a restaurant: The Winter Garden. The performance space inside the structure won Golden Ear award in 1993 for its sound design.

According to the World Health Organization, beer accounts for 62% of alcohol consumption in the country, surpassing brewski-loving Germany with 54% and United Kingdom with 37%.

The manmade Blue Lagoon is one of Reykjavik’s most popular attractions. It’s also 31 miles away from the city, closer to Keflavik Airport—the country’s international hub.

If the Aurora is strong enough, you will be able to see the lights from anywhere in the city.

Scattered all around the city is the urban graffiti and sophisticated wall poems on every third building in the downtown area.