Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmsbær
Skyline of Stykkishólmsbær
Coat of arms of Stykkishólmsbær
Location of Stykkishólmsbær
Stykkishólmsbær
65°04′30″N 22°43′30″W / 65.07500°N 22.72500°W / 65.07500; -22.72500Coordinates: 65°04′30″N 22°43′30″W / 65.07500°N 22.72500°W / 65.07500; -22.72500
Region Western Region
Constituency Northwest Constituency
Mayor Sturla Böðvarsson
Area 10 km2 (3.9 sq mi)
Population 1,195
Density 109.50/km2 (283.6/sq mi)
Municipal number 3711
Postal code(s) 340, 345
Website stykkisholmur.is
Norwegian house in Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmur (Icelandic pronunciation: ​[ˈstɪhcɪsˌhoulmʏr̥]) is a town and municipality situated in the western part of Iceland, in the northern part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It is a center of services and commerce for the area. Most of the people make their living from fishing and tourism. A ferry called Baldur goes over the Breiðafjörður fjord to the Westfjords. It also is the gateway to Flatey. The origin of Stykkishólmur can be traced to its natural harbor. The location became an important trading post early in Iceland’s history: the first trading post in Stykkishólmur is traced back to the mid-16th century, even before Denmark implemented the Danish–Icelandic Trade Monopoly (1602 – 1787). From that time trading has been at the heart of the settlement's history. In 1828 Árni Thorlacius built a large house for his home and companies, the Norwegian house, which has been renovated and accommodates the local museum.[1]

Overview

The favorable position of the town was discovered early and in 1550 a trading post was founded at the site. Today, the most important sector of employment in the town after the fishing industry is summer-time tourism.

The town was named after a small island in front of the harbor called Stykkið ("the piece"). The nearby mountain of Helgafell is the burial place of Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, a heroine of the Icelandic sagas.

The town's former library has been restored as a public hall and contains an installation by the American artist Roni Horn.

The sports club of Stykkishólmur is called Snæfell, named after the glacier Snæfellsjökull, which is located on Snæfellsnes. The town's most popular sport is basketball.

Aerial panorama of Stykkishólmur from the sea, June 2017
Stykkishólmur facing the coming midnight sun
Climate graph of 1880–1980 average air temperatures at Stykkishólmur

In the 1986 novel Red Storm Rising, Stykkishólmur is the site of a landing by US Marines tasked with liberating Iceland from occupying Soviet forces.

Chess champion Bobby Fischer was planning on moving to Stykkishólmur before his sudden death in early 2008.

Stykkishólmur is the main setting in the short story Tussenlanding (Transfer) from the 1991 short story collection De Matador en andere verhalen by Tim Krabbé. The story features a Dutchman coming to Iceland in hope to start a relationship with an Icelandic woman he barely knows.[2]

Stykkishólmur was one of the destinations in the 2013 movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.[3]

Climate

Stykkishólmur features a true subpolar oceanic climate, the least cold of all the polar climates, with cool summers (<10 °C, considered by most as the limit of polar climates) but with winter averages less cold than cities much further south featuring temperate continental climates, such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Toronto, or Denver, because of the moderating effect of ocean currents.

Climate data for Stykkisholmur
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 10.2
(50.4)		 9.8
(49.6)		 10.0
(50)		 12.0
(53.6)		 16.6
(61.9)		 17.9
(64.2)		 21.0
(69.8)		 20.8
(69.4)		 16.2
(61.2)		 13.5
(56.3)		 11.4
(52.5)		 10.7
(51.3)		 21.0
(69.8)
Average high °C (°F) 1.0
(33.8)		 1.6
(34.9)		 1.7
(35.1)		 4.4
(39.9)		 8.0
(46.4)		 11.1
(52)		 12.8
(55)		 12.4
(54.3)		 9.2
(48.6)		 6.0
(42.8)		 3.0
(37.4)		 1.6
(34.9)		 6.1
(43)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.3
(29.7)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 1.6
(34.9)		 4.9
(40.8)		 8.1
(46.6)		 9.9
(49.8)		 9.6
(49.3)		 6.7
(44.1)		 3.9
(39)		 0.9
(33.6)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 3.5
(38.3)
Average low °C (°F) −3.6
(25.5)		 −2.9
(26.8)		 −2.9
(26.8)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 2.6
(36.7)		 5.9
(42.6)		 7.8
(46)		 7.5
(45.5)		 4.8
(40.6)		 2.0
(35.6)		 −1.1
(30)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 1.4
(34.5)
Record low °C (°F) −16.0
(3.2)		 −17.7
(0.1)		 −19.0
(−2.2)		 −16.0
(3.2)		 −6.7
(19.9)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 2.0
(35.6)		 1.2
(34.2)		 −2.8
(27)		 −8.0
(17.6)		 −10.8
(12.6)		 −14.8
(5.4)		 −19.0
(−2.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 67.5
(2.657)		 68.9
(2.713)		 71.7
(2.823)		 52.9
(2.083)		 33.7
(1.327)		 40.2
(1.583)		 42.0
(1.654)		 51.7
(2.035)		 56.6
(2.228)		 80.3
(3.161)		 66.8
(2.63)		 71.6
(2.819)		 704.6
(27.74)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 16.8 15.7 17.6 15.6 11.8 12.7 12.5 13.4 14.7 17.2 16.1 17.5 181.8
Source: Icelandic Meteorological Office [4]

Town festival

Every year on the second or third weekend in August, the people in Stykkishólmur celebrate the Danskir dagar ("Danish days") festival, which honors the town's historic connections with Denmark. The festival has been held every year since 1994.[5]

Friendship towns

Stykkishólmur from the lighthouse
Stykkishólmur from the lighthouse

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hit Iceland information page about Iceland"
  2. ↑ "De Matador en andere verhalen. Inhoud (in Dutch)". Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  3. ↑ "Assisting the Daydreamer". Filminiceland.com. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  4. ↑ "30 years average 1961-1990 for selected stations". Icelandic Meteorological Office. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Danskir Dagar". Retrieved 2016-12-29.
  6. ↑ Vänorter - http://www.orebro.se/2444.html Archived 2009-07-27 at the Wayback Machine.:
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