About place

The Hekla Center houses a contemporary, multimedia exhibition on Mount Hekla, its history, and its influence on human life in Iceland from the time of the island’s settlement until now.

The exhibition emphasizes the influence of the volcano on the inhabited areas close to it, that is, the districts of Landsveit, Holt, and Rangárvellir. The history of these districts is traced and the story of people’s struggles with sandstorms and eruptions told. The Center has an outstanding restaurant and facilities for meetings and conferences.

The Hekla Center strongly supports cooperation with scientists, organizing and sponsoring conferences and exhibitions where the latest scientific research and findings can be presented. In addition, the Center has special educational materials for the schoolgroups that visit from all over the country, as well as for other visiting groups of Icelanders or foreigners.

The restaurant
Leirubakki has a first-class restaurant run by chefs who have earned excellent reputations at popular restaurants in Iceland and abroad.

A splendid specialities menu is available for guests, as well as special group menus on request. The highest standards are met in choice of ingredients and preparation. The ingredients are purchased locally, such as lamb from the Landmanna pastures and trout from Veiðivötn and Ytri-Rangá.

The morning and lunch menus focus on lighter dishes, while dinner menus are more extensive and varied. Coffee, cakes, bread and rolls are served all day until 6 pm, when the dinner menu takes over.

The dining room is in the Hekla Center, where a unique view of Hekla through its large windows underlines the proximity of the mighty volcano and Iceland’s highlands.

The restaurant is open every day in the summers from 10 am until 10 pm, and in the winters according to a flexible schedule and special arrangements.

The Hekla Center is a working tourist information center, providing tourists advice about all of the surrounding area, including Mount Hekla, and organizing numerous trips to the mountain from Leirubakki.