Welcome to Hurdygurdy!What we love
about the town of Hveragerði
In 2020 Icebike launched a mini TrailCenter in Hveragerði. Trailbuilding in stunning nature is a privilege.
We are proud to announce the town of Hveragerði & area Hengill as our new mountain bike destination. A new destination in Iceland for MTB riders. This amazing town is located between mountains in a geothermal area and is the home of 3000 people. Worth a visit and a hidden gem in Iceland. An authentic, small, quirky place located 45 minutes drive from Iceland’s capital “Reykjavik”.
Jump to our trips in Hveragerði / Trailcenter
The name Hveragerði, directly translates to gardens of hot springs and is pronounced “HurdyGurdy”. The town is the home of artists, restaurants, and bubbling hot mud pools. Certainly a town like no other.
The number of restaurants per capita is great with the high standard of food available making the town a good destination for foodies. Hveragerði is the home of many local artists and the town is a unique destination. See below for our (not so) humble list of recommendations.
Why is Icebike Adventures in Hveragerði? We have ridden in Hveragerði for decades but in 2020 we had spare time and decided to take trailbuilding to the next level. We teamed up with locals in Hveragerði to start building MTB trails in the area. The mission is to create a unique MTB destination. The trailbuilding is funded by Icebike Adventures. With the help of local volunteers we are working towards creating more options for MTB in Iceland, in Hveragerði and beyond. Iceland is a unique place to ride and we want to make it even better.
It is important to us that all trails are ridden respectfully. There are hikers and horseback riders in the area that deserve to enjoy their time in nature safely. This means always giving way. Always, always stop and go to the side of a trail or road if you see a horse. And don’t get us started on horse vs pony. Icelanders refer to their horses as horses, but others may categorize them as ponies, we can not understand why :).
A village formed in Hveragerði in 1929. It was an appealing place to settle due to the natural resources of the area that added comfort to everyday life. The geothermal energy was used to for bathing, laundry and cooking. Then evolved to heating houses as well as being foundation for small industries like wool processing. Hveragerði is home to the Iceland horticultular school. It is one of very few (or only) places that grow bananas in Europe. Icelanders use the nick name “blómabærinn” for Hveragerði – english translation “FlowerTown”. It is the place where locals travel to in spring to buy flowers for their gardens. We prefer to refer to Hveragerði as HurdyGurdy – simply because we like the sound of it.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HVERAGERÐI:
*all information is personal recommendations of Icebike staff. We like to use big words when we like something! Magne and team Icebike work hard to create new opportunities for biking in Iceland. If you plan on riding the trails be sure to say hi. Even a highfive! We are around most days and we absolutely recommend the café next door for some refreshments post ride.
RIDE, EAT, DRINK, SLEEP, repeat:
RIDE:
Obviously with Icebike. Geotrails for beginners, Steamer for experienced and additional more challenging trails for our multiday riders.
EAT:
Mathöll Suðurlands: Food hall where you find anything from local cuisine to best vegan burgers in the world to tacos and asian food.
“Ölverk”: Best pizza in the world (Icebike staff humble opinion) and great craft beer.
Frost and funi restaurant: A la carte local cuisine.
Matkráin There was almost a riot in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik when the owners of the most popular nordic “smörrebröd” moved from Reykjavik to Hveragerði to open their new place: “Matkráin”. Now the city folks drive to Hveragerði to get the best smörrebrod & nordic cuisine. This is delicatessen.
STAY:
The Greenhouse Hotel – newly opened, top recommendation, (they have family rooms)
Frost & Fire 4*super nice hot tubs
Hotel Ork: Great for conferences, larger groups. Restaurant & spa on site.
Apartments:
Other activities:
Biking is best and we want Hveragerði to be the center of your MTB trip in Iceland. …but there are some more ways to use your time in Hveragerði.
Hike to the Geothermal warm river, hike starts from Café in Reykjadalur next to Icebike Trailcenter. Bring your swimwear & towel, even snacks / cold one and expect a scenic hike about one hour each way. Follow weather forecast.
Horsebackriding: Experts at Eldhestar run tours all year round.
Swim! The swimming pool “Laugaskarð” is close to the center of town. Warm pool, nice hot tubs. Reasonable price. RECOMMEND! Post ride, post hike or a perfect activity on a rainy day.
Art museum Modern and contemporary Icelandic art. Free Entrance!
