- published: 24 Jun 2014
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Bolungarvík is a fishing village and municipality in the North-West of Iceland, located at the Vestfirðir peninsula, approximately 14 kilometres from the town of Ísafjörður and 473 km from the capital city Reykjavík.
Bolungarvík had 888 inhabitants on 1 January 2011.
It is one of Iceland's oldest fishing outposts, well positioned close to abundant fishing grounds. The quiet countryside attracts some tourists, mainly in summer. There is a camping site, an indoor swimming pool with a waterslide, A National history museum and an open air fishing museum. The surroundings of Bolungarvík are quite popular destinations for hiking, horse riding and birdwatching. People in town have a few apartments for rent and all basic facilities, such as bank, a post office, a bar, a sweet-shop, health-care centre, kindergartens, high-school and a community centre.
Bolungarvik was the location for Nói Albínói, a movie by Dagur Kári about a teenager living in a remote Icelandic village.
According to Landnámabók Þuríður sundafyllir settled in Bolungarvík around 940 along with her brother Þjóðólfur. Folklore says they had a disagreement and put a spell on each other, as they were both skilled sorcerers. Þuríður laid on her brother that he would spend eternity as a monolith on which all birds would defecate. Þjóðólfur in turn hexed his sister that she would forever stand where the wind blows most. The pillar that was said to be Þuríður collapsed in half in 1936. The legend says that same night "Þjóðólfur" sank in the sea. That night their spell washed away into the sea.