Laugardalur

Women used to carry the laundry from the town, where the city center is now, up the street, Laugavegur (poolstreet ;-)) to wash it in the warm water of the springs here in Laugardalur. Carrying the laundry and the laundry utensils was hard work. How far did the women have to walk with the laundry? How was the way? Where there streets or ....? Read the information signs about the laundry women, their children and the washing utensils. Do you think you have similar history of doing the laundry in you country? Read the information on the origin of the central heating system in Reykjavík. When did the springs "Heating service" start to operate? Which were the first official buildings to be heated with this system? What proportion of the houses in Reykjavík were heated with the central heating system? What is the situation now? What proportion of houses in Reykjavík is heated with geothermal water?

The artist Ásmundur Sveinsson lived in this house. When did he live? Find the weatherman and ask him how the weather will be on our hikes? Find the "Hell ride" and take a photo of it. When was this sculpture made? What does it refer to according to the artist himself? See https://safneign.listasafnreykjavikur.is/en/verk/AS-H-384 Take a photo of two sculptures that you would like others to see and describe them shortly.

In Iceland many streets take their names from the old Norse gods and places in the Norse mythology. Sigtún refers to a place in one of your countries. Which country and to which god did it belong? Reykjavegur, on the other hand, refers to something else. What could that be?

Here you can see the stadium were the Icelandic national handball teams play on home ground. But there are more more types of sports shown on the building. Can you recognize some of them?

There are very few species of native trees in Iceland. Here you can see most of them. Find a take a photo of a birch, a rowan tree, a tea leaved willow and a juniper. What features would you use to recognize them? How is the juniper different from the rest of them? Find two kinds of a berry bush. What are they called? Do you have the same kind of berries in your countries? The plants are taking on their autumn colors. Take a photo of some plants that are turning red or yellow. In Iceland there are more species of lichens than there are of vascular plants. Some of them grow on stones and tree trunks. Lichens are a symbiotic relationship of what two kinds of organism? How do the help each other?

Look at the sculpture. Can you think of some geological characteristics that it may refer to? Take a group photo in front of the sculpture.

What is the woman doing? By whom is this sculpture? Why do you think this sculpture is located here?

What is this monument for? Are there similar monuments elsewhere than in Iceland?

Look at the words below the scoring table: Við erum öll í sama liði, meaning we're all in the same team. Are these appropriate words in a football field?

Here the Icelandic national football teams play their home matches. Recently the Icelandic football teams have qualified for big tournaments and attracted very much attention. Which tournaments where they and why all the fuss about it? There is a statue in front of the stadium. Of whom is the statue and in memorial of what?

Laugardalslaug is the largest swimming pool in Reykjavík. It has both indoor and outdoor pools, hot pots, water slides and a playground. It is a good idea to end the walk here and have a bath. As many people bath here, there is chlorine added to the water. To reduce the amount of chlorine that has to be added, all guests are required to wash well, naked and with soap before entering the pool. Please respect that - it's a win win deal.