Hólavallagarður Cemetery

Eight acres of forested space provides respite from Iceland’s tundra in the heart of Reykjavík.

By The Taphotourist

O anyone who weeps, life has some importance.

―Halldór Laxness

Hólavallagarður (Hillocks Valla Garden) Cemetery is home to 1 belfry, 30,000 graves, and over a century's worth of flourishing woods, including Western Balsam, Sitka Spruce, Swedish Whitebeam, Sycamore.

Consecrated in the summer of 1838, burials in Hólavalla were delayed because of a superstition that said the first to lay rest in a cemetery had to forever act as the un-decayed custodian of the grounds – a role finally filled in November of that year by the President of the High Court's wife.

Because it was one of the only gardens in all of Reykjavik, Hólavalla became a favorite breeding ground for birds and an ideal hangout for bird-watchers. Trees are planted generously and sometimes even directly on the graves.

Hólavallagarður is also home to special plots for French and Faroese fishermen and boasts tombstone styles reminiscent of National Romanticism. 223 graves are over 100 years ago. This cemetery attracts taphophiles and naturalists alike thanks to its informative signage, welcoming paths, rare mosses, and forest-like atmosphere.