History & Culture Festival in the West fjords

WORK/PROJECT: SEEDS volunteers will have, for the fourth year in a row, the opportunity to assist with a local fair in the West Fjords of Iceland. Our host is the municipality of Reykhólahreppur, in which the village of Reykhólar is the largest settlement with about 120 people.

The volunteers will help with various tasks in preparation for the fair and during the fair itself. The festival aims to promote the local history and culture, so this project is very good for volunteers interested in these aspects in a remote area of the country. Tasks will include beautifying the area in and around the town, helping with the village festivities by preparing for evening shows and entertainment during the festival, beautifying the area before the fair as well as cleaning up after the festival.

ACCOMMODATION: SEEDS volunteers will stay in a local school sharing rooms. Volunteers will have access to toilets and shower facilities. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Volunteers will receive food and be in charge of the cooking, cleaning activities and will divide the tasks among themselves. The food will partly be from the surrounding area giving volunteers a chance to try the local fare and experience with local ingredients.

Please do not forget some traditional/typical food from your home for the international evening.

LOCATION: Volunteers will stay in the south part of the West fjords of Iceland, in the municipality of Reykhólahreppur, which is located about 280 kilometres from Reykjavík. In 2012 the population of Reykhólahreppur was around 271 inhabitants, making it the 60^th most populous municipality in Iceland.

The area boasts of beautiful landscape which catches the eye of everyone who travels through. It is a great place to stop and enjoy nature, go for hikes and for bird watching. The village gives a unique and beautiful view of the Breiðafjörður Bay. Geothermal heat can be found in the area, one of the few areas in the West fjords which have geothermal heat, and in the olden days it was used to grow corn. The only Algae factory in Iceland is located in Reykhólahreppur.

Economically, the town is quite different from many other of the Westfjord communities. It is not a fishing village, due in large to the shallow waters of the eastern end of Breiðafjörður. Historically, however, it has made its way over the years through the harvest of natural resources. In the past this has included the harvesting of seals and birds, the history of which is documented in the Gifts of Nature Museum located adjacent to the tourist information centre.

This is quite a historic place which is mentioned in many Viking Sagas especially the one of Grettir the strong or Grettissaga. The local swimming pool is named after him and is called Grettislaug.   

The distance is around 200 Km from Reykjavík, 240 Km from Ísafjörður and 350 Km from Akureyri.

LANGUAGE: English will be the language in the camp; high proficiency is not required.

TERMINAL: Closest international Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF). Bus, Central Bus Station (BSÍ).

SEEDS organises the “minibus option”, a shared transport from Reykjavík to the camp and vice-versa, which apart from being cheaper and more convenient, allows volunteers to meet and have a relaxed trip, while stopping on the way for interesting and tourist sites.

EXTRAS / SPECIAL REMARKS: Participation fee EUR 220 (Euros). To be paid to SEEDS on arrival in Euros or Icelandic Krónur.

Free time activities will be organized for SEEDS volunteers by our hosting partner.

SEEDS volunteers will get the chance to participate in the town fair, access to the swimming pool and other leisure activities during their stay.

Age: 18+