- Oldest record of a church at Hof, a farm church dedicated to St Clement
- 1343
- When the National Museum dismantled and rebuilt the church
- 1953 to 1954
- The museum says the church can be viewed at any time, but only from the outside
- Outside only
What it is and whether it is worth a stop
Hofskirkja is a small timber church with stone and turf walls and a turf roof, standing at the farm settlement of Hof in Öræfi. The National Museum of Iceland looks after it as part of its collection of historic houses. Wikipedia calls it the youngest turf church in Iceland.
It is worth a short stop if you are driving Route 1 anyway. It is not a destination for a trip of its own. You cannot go inside, so what you get is the building, its churchyard and the setting between the sea and the glacier country. Pull over, walk round, take a few photographs and move on.
What you can see and how long to allow
The museum describes a timber-framed church with side walls of stone and turf and a turf-covered roof. The gables are timber, each with two six-pane windows, and there is a two-pane window on the west gable. The siding on the east end is old, while the interior is newer, though you will not see that from outside.
The churchyard has raised graves in the older tradition. The museum singles them out as part of what makes the place worth seeing.
It is a stop of minutes, not hours. The museum’s page mentions no ticket, visitor centre or facilities, so use the toilets and cafés at Skaftafell or the lagoons.
A short history
The oldest record of a church at Hof is from 1343, when it was a farm church dedicated to St Clement. It later became a subsidiary of the church at Sandfell. The present building dates from 1883 to 1885, and the museum credits the carpenter Páll Pálsson from Hörgsdal. The museum’s Icelandic building description gives 1884 as the year.
By the middle of the twentieth century the church had decayed badly. The National Museum took it over in return for paying for the repairs, on condition that it would keep serving as the parish church of Öræfi. Wikipedia dates the museum’s ownership to 1951. The church was dismantled and rebuilt in 1953 to 1954, and further repairs have followed. The museum’s building description adds that it has been formally protected since 1 January 1990.
Visiting manners
The church stands in a churchyard with graves, and the museum took it on condition that it keep serving as the parish church. Treat it as a place of worship and a cemetery, not a photo set.
- Stay outside: the museum’s rule is exterior views only. Do not try the door.
- Respect the graves: keep to paths, do not step on or between the raised graves, and keep voices low.
- Leave the turf alone: do not climb on, lean on or pick at the walls or roof. Turf is easy to damage.
- Park considerately: Hof is a cluster of farms, so do not block gates or farm tracks.
- Take only photographs: avoid flying a drone over the churchyard, and take your litter with you.
Getting there from Skaftafell
Wikipedia places Hof about 22 km from Skaftafell, on Route 1 in the strip between the coast and the glacier. That puts it between Skaftafell and the glacier lagoons, so you pass it on the way east. The museum’s page links to a map pin for the exact spot, and our getting there page covers the drive.
One practical tip
Fit it in on the way, not as a separate trip. The easiest slot is a short break on the drive east after the Skaftafell walks, or on the way back. The National Museum’s Hofskirkja page, checked October 2026, says it can be viewed at any time, from the outside only, so you do not need to plan around opening hours.
How it fits with a Svartifoss day
A Route 1 day from Skaftafell can run: Svartifoss in the morning from our main guide, Hofskirkja on the drive east, then Fjallsárlón or Jökulsárlón in the afternoon. That is a lot of driving, so you may prefer to choose one lagoon.
You do not need a tour for this stop, and it is free to look at from outside. Our tours page is the place to look for the glacier hikes, ice caves and lagoon boats that do need booking.
