Welcome to Reykjavik

Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and the northenmost capital city in the world, it was founded in 1786. The Reykjavik Capital Area has just under 200,000 inhabitants, about 60% of the total population of 300,000.

Reykjavík is governed by the city council, directly elected by anyone aged over 18 and registered with domicile in the city. The council has 15 members that are elected for 4 year terms. The city council governs the city of Reykjavík according to law number 45/1998. The city council selects people on the boards and each board controls a different field under the city council's authority. The most important board is the city board that wields the executive rights along with the city mayor. The city mayor is the uppermost public official in the city and also the director of city operations. Other public official then control different institution under his authority.

Therefore the administration consists of two different parts. The political power that the city council wields and other boards in its authority, and the official system where public official under the authority of the city mayor take care of administering the policy and the management.

The mayor is appointed by the city council, usually one of the council members is chosen but they may also hire a mayor that is not member of the council.

Reykjavík residents can access the city’s services from three portals: community-based service centres, call centres and e-services. Six service centres, in as many neighbourhoods, are operated in the city. These focus on providing families in the city with both comprehensive and targeted welfare services and accept applications for all services provided by the city. Each service centre is a pioneer in a particular field of the services, e.g. multicultural issues and preventive measures.

The telephone centre 411 1111 connects callers to all operating units within the city infrastructure and provides general information on services and activities provided by the city. Electronic Reykjavík involves, among other things, personal areas on the website of the City of Reykjavík which residents can establish for e-business. All applications for Reykjavík City services are accessible from one area on the city’s website.

Reykjavik's mayors

• Ólafur F. Magnússon — 24. January 2008 -
• Dagur B. Eggertsson — 16. October 2007 - 24. January 2008
• Vilhjálmur Þ. Vilhjálmsson — 13. June 2006 – 16. October 2007
• Steinunn Valdís Óskarsdóttir — 30. November 2004 – 13. June 2006
• Þórólfur Árnason — 1. February 2003 – 30. November 2004
• Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir — 13. June 1994 – 1. February 2003
• Árni Sigfússon — 17. Mars 1994 – 13. June 1994
• Markús Örn Antonsson — 16. July 1991 – 17. Mars 1994
• Davíð Oddsson — 27. May 1982 – 16. July 1991
• Egill Skúli Ingibergsson — 15. August 1978 – 27. May 1982
• Birgir Ísleifur Gunnarsson — 1. December 1972 – 15. August 1978
• Geir Hallgrímsson — 6. October 1960 – 1. December 1972
• Auður Auðuns and Geir Hallgrímsson — 19. November 1959 – 6. October 1960
• Gunnar Thoroddsen — 4. February 1947 – 6. October 1960
• Bjarni Benediktsson — 8. October 1940 – 4. February 1947
• Pétur Halldórsson — 1935 – 1940
• Jón Þorláksson — 1932 – 1935
• Knud Zimsem — 1914 – 1932
• Páll Einarsson — 1908 – 1914

The City of Reykjavik’s call center - one telephone number for all the city’s activities: 411 1111.

Inhabitants have easy access to the City of Reykjavik’s services through the city’s Call Center: 411 1111, weekdays from 8 am – 5 pm. Outside office

hours, at weekends and on holidays the call center’s back-up service handles calls.

Call Center representatives are able to connect you to the entire city’s operating stations. They also provide general information about the services and operations of the city in Icelandic and in other Nordic languages, except Finnish.

The city’s Call Center can also be reached through the city’s website. Selecting the relevant button on the front page of www.reykjavik.is makes it possible to start a direct web chat with a Call Center representative during office hours. Messages may be left for the representative outside of office hours.

E-mail may be sent to the Call Center upplysingar@reykjavik.is and it will be immediately replied to during office hours.

Community-based Service Centers in the districts

There are six community-based service centers in Reykjavik. The community-based service centers provide services for individuals and families, furnish kindergartens and elementary schools with the specialist services, give advice about leisure activities and provide general information about operations in the City of Reykjavik

Further information about the community-based service centers and their activities can be obtained through the districts’ websites, click on the relevant Service Center to connect to their websites.
• Vesturgardur, community-based service center for the residents of Vesturbaer district, Hjardarhagi 45-47, tel. 411-1700
• The community-based service center for the residents of the city center and the district of Hlidar is at Skulagata 21, tel. 411-1600.
• The community-based service center for the residents of the districts of Laugardalur and Haaleiti is at Sidumuli 39, tel. 411-1500
• The community-based service center for the residents of Breidholt is at Alfabakka 12, tel. 411-1300
• The community-based service center for the residents of the districts of Arbaer and Grafarholt is at Baejarhals 1, tel. 411-1200.
• Midgardur, community-based service center for the residents of Grafarvogur and Kjalarnes, Langarima 21, tel. 411-1400
Opening hours of the community-based service centers are 8.20 am - 4.15 pm on weekdays except in Arbaer, where it is open from 8.20 am - 4.00 pm.

The City of Reykjavik’s website

Reykjavik’s website, www.reykjavik.is, is a comprehensive information and service website for the city. The key factor in its construction and interface is to provide the city’s inhabitants with a lively, quick and diverse web service. The policy of the City of Reykjavik is to be a leading player in the field of electronic administration in this country; here the website has a key role.

The aim of the city’s website is to:

Provide inhabitants with clear information in a digital format about services that are available and to which they are entitled – whether provided by a separate administrative sector or institutions of the city.

Strengthen democratic policies and to grant inhabitants clear insight into the city’s political system, administration, services and the management of all issues.

Provide inhabitants with easy access to electronic services and electronic self-service to meet as many needs as possible, using the possible best technical solutions including those for personal privacy and security in the Internet and information systems.

Encourage lively communication between inhabitants and the city’s administration and institutions, to listen to their opinions and to promote consultation, such as seeking opinions on specific issues by taking polls, holding discussions and using chat rooms.

Questions and comments about the website may be sent to vefur@reykjavik.is

The web editor is Hreinn Hreinsson and others on the website team are Fridrik Rafnsson, project manager, and Hafsteinn Fridfinnsson, service manager.

Swimming Pools
The Committee for Sport and Leisure in Reykjavík operates 7 public swimming pools in Reykjavík. The basic operational unit is a swimming pool that is suitable for exercising, games, relaxing and for instruction. All the pools have hot tubs, a steam bath and/or sauna. In addition, some pools have specific activity areas for children with toddler pools and slides.
Children below the age of 8 are not permitted entry to a swimming pool unless they are accompanied by an individual who can swim and is at least 14 years old (counting from the year of birth, rather than date of birth). This individual is not permitted to accompany more than two children at one time. However, this does not apply to children who are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. When children are old enough to start compulsory school they use the appropriate changing rooms for their gender.
Íþrótta og tómstundasvið Reykjavíkur, Bæjarháls 1, 110 Reykjavík.
Tel: 411 5000
Fax: 411 5009
Netfang:itr@itr.is
ÍTR homepage

See homepages for swimmingpools:
Árbæjarlaug
Breiðholtslaug
Grafarvogslaug
Klébergslaug
Laugardalslaug
Sundhöllin
Vesturbæjarlaug

Music Schools in Reykjavík
The City of Reykjavík has a service contract with eighteen private music schools,
Tónlistarskólar í Reykjavík.

Reykjavík Music Schools are privately operated schools, which receive funding from the City of Reykjavík. The Music School at Kléberg is the only music school that is entirely operated by the City of Reykjavík. Each music school has its own price list.
Further information:
Menntasvið Reykjavíkur (Reykjavík Division of Education)
Laufey Ólafsdóttir, Musical Representative
Fríkirkjuvegur 1, 101 Reykjavík
Tel: 411 7000
Fax: 411 7050
Heimasíða Menntasviðs
Netfang:menntasvid@reykjavik.is

Adult Study Groups of Reykjavík
The Adult Study Groups of Reykjavík provide adult education and services according to the City of Reykjavík’s Social Education Policy. The role of the Adult Study Groups is to encourage people to further their education and to assist people in finding suitable educational options.
Courses and other resources provided by the Study Groups are designed and developed in cooperation with other parties in the educational and social service sectors. In addition to the Adult Study Groups, the courses are supervised by education enterprises and schools. In cooperation with education enterprises and colleges, the Adult Study Groups develop resources and offer study assistance to adults that have specific learning disabilities. The Adult Study Groups’ study consultants work in the city’s service centres. Their advisory services are available to all residents of the city that have reached 16 years of age. Further information can be provided by María Garðarsdóttir, the Adult Study Groups’ office manager in Mjódd, tel: 567-7050, 664-8464
Heimasíða námsflokkanna

The Reykjavik Art Museum

The Reykjavik Art Museum has three venues in Reykjavik: Hafnarhus, Kjarvalsstadir, and Asmundarsafn. The museum is the largest visual art institution in Iceland, where it´s mission is to present contemporary art in its many manifestations,carried out through diverse programs.

Main museum homepage

Borgarbókasafn – Main library
There are seven Borgarbókasafn libraries in Reykjavik, as well as a library vehicle which makes multiple stops around the city. The Borgarbókasafn main library is at Tryggvagata 15. It has a great variety of books and magazines, both in Icelandic and foreign languages. The library also has music, video tapes, DVDs and multimedia material, as well as a lot else.
It is possible to sit down and read newspapers and recent magazines in all the libraries. There are also encyclopaedias, dictionaries and other reference books. All the libraries have computers for public use where you can, for a small fee, use the Internet and multimedia material and word processors.
The libraries in Mosfellsbæ and Seltjarnarnes collaborate with the Borgarbókasafn libraries. So those who have a library card at the Borgarbókasafn libraries can use it in the other two and vice versa.

Main library homepage

Vetarhátíð:
February – Winter Lights Festival
The Winter Lights Festival is designed to be an annual event to stimulate and enliven city life in the midwinter. The Festival celebrates both the winter and the growing light after a long period of darkness. The program is a mixture of art and industry, environment and history, sports and culture; the events will provide entertainment for both the inhabitants and visitors to Reykjavík. The Reykjavík Winter Lights Festival is an event to be enjoyed by all. The programme reflects the many faces of Reykjavík and its inhabitants. All the major cultural and educational institutions participate in the Festival and sports clubs, galleries, artists, shops, restaurants and many more join in the fun. The entire city is alive during the festival, both the centre with all its cultural institutions as well as the many parks and sport centres in Reykjavík.

Menningarnótt:
In August - Cultural night.
The Cultural Night in Reykjavik has become an essential part of cultural life in Iceland with thousands of people strolling the streets of the city on this exciting and eventful night. The Cultural Night offers the chance to enjoy a variety of activities ranging from traditional shows and exhibitions to more unusual events. A number of cultural institutes such as galleries, studios, shops, cafes, churches, restaurants and bars in downtown Reykjavik stay open until late. The immensely popular Reykjavik Marathon takes place on the same day.

Hátíð hafsins:
In June – Festival of the Sea
The first weekend in June is a very special day in Iceland and is a reminder of how important the sea and its sailors are to Icelandic history, economy and people. It’s the only day when every ship in Iceland is in the harbor and all the sailors have a day off. Boats and ships of all sizes come into port carrying sailors eager to try their hands at strongman competitions and rowing competitions between ships’ crews and companies. On this day the Icelandic rescue squad diplays a sea rescue in Reykjavik harbour. Sailors’ day is a lighthearted occasion with lots of fun for the whole family.
Listahátíð:

May - June - Reykjavik Art Festival
This is Iceland's premier cultural festival which has been bringing together the best in local and international theatre, dance, music and visual art since 1970. The festival’s programme offers a variety of selected exhibitions, concerts, dance, theatre and opera performances. Along with its focus on Icelandic culture, past and present, the festival hosts many outstanding international artists and performers.

The City of Reykjavik Cultural Policy
The City of Reykjavik's Cultural Policy was agreed at the City Council on December 11th 2001, with changes on February 12th 2003.
reykjavik.is