What do you do if you get lost in the woodlands in Iceland?
If you’ve been to Iceland, you’ve heard this joke multiple times. It’s a favourite among tour guides, meaning it must be a pretty big hit with tourists, despite its overuse.
If you haven’t heard it, and you can’t hazard a guess, you can always stick around ’til the end of the post.
10 Quick Facts About Iceland
1. Iceland is the most environmentally friendly countries in Europe. It’s also one of the happiest and has the lowest population density.
2. The most famous restaurant in the country is a hot dog stand.
3. Dior imports Icelandic water to use in its creams. The tap water is pure and filtered naturally, with nothing added.
4. One in ten Icelanders is a published author. Reykjavik has won an award for the most cultural city in Europe due to have the most writers and books published per capita.
5. Iceland’s first day of summer is the first Thursday after April 18. It is a public holiday and a day to be nice to children. If you fail to treat children well on this day, you have a bad summer ahead of you.
6. Icelanders use their land’s geothermal properties to their advantage. Aside from geothermal pools, they use the hot water to heat homes. In downtown Reykjavik, hot water pipes below the streets heat up the road and melt the snow in the winter. Who needs snow clearing?
7. The houses in Iceland are built to withstand earthquakes, especially in areas that straddle both tectonic plates. Built from cement and steel, the US Army considers the houses to be bomb shelters.
8. Icelanders are proud of their horses, which have been bred in the country for 1000 years and are incredibly pure. They are the only horses that can run through lava fields. If a horse leaves the country, it’s not allowed back in. Seriously.
9. Icelanders actually have Celtic ancestry in addition to their Nordic genetics. Why? Vikings would stop over at the British Isles on their way to Iceland and pick up the best-looking women they could find to bring with them.
10. On average there is one murder in the country per year. Crime rate is low, but there are still criminals. Each year, around 139 men and six women go to prison long term.
So, what do you do if you get lost in the woodlands in Iceland?
Stand up.
Want more on Iceland? Try here:
- A Lesson in Icelandic Names
- Hiking on Iceland’s Sun Home Glacier
- Hiking Mount Esja
- How to spend your first day in Reykjavik
- The Story of Katla: The Icelandic Volcano
- What to pack for Iceland in April
I never knew all this stuff about Iceland. That crime rate’s pretty impressive. They can’t have more than one prison for women with those numbers.
I feel like they closed down a larger prison a few years ago to move the inmates to a smaller place downtown… but don’t quote me on that because I can’t quite remember.
Pretty sure being in Iceland is the safest I’ve ever felt while travelling.
These facts are so interesting, I love that the most famous restaurant is a hot dog stand!
Haha, I know! It’s things like that which make the whole country so endearing.
What a fascinating country!! Kind of wishing I was born an Icelandian… is that right?
Chalsie | The Workshop Co. x
Believe me, I wished it the whole time!
I loved Iceland! I went there last year to visit a friend who is currently working there. It was so nice to have someone who could show us around. It was absolutely gorgeous!! Oh and I did get to go that hot dog stand. I managed to snap a really awkward photo without realising it 😉 I had no idea about Dior importing Icelandic water. Great post! xx
Haha, the hot dog stand always had a massive line. I’m not a hot dog person so I don’t quite get it, but it’s pretty interesting to see how popular it is.