4 Best Sights in City Center East, Reykjavík

Designed by state architect Guðjón Samúelsson in 1937 (though not completed until 1986), Reykjavík’s iconic church towers over the city with its striking modernist form inspired by Iceland’s basalt landscapes. A must-visit, the observation tower offers stunning panoramic views of the capital and surrounding mountains. The church is named for Hallgrímur Pétursson, one of Iceland's most beloved poets, best known for his Passion Hymns. In front of Hallgrímskirkja stands a statue of Leif Erikson, the Icelander who discovered America 500 years before Columbus (Leif's father was Eric the Red, who discovered Greenland). The statue, by American sculptor Alexander Calder, was presented to Iceland by the United States in 1930 to mark the millennium of the Alþingi parliament.

Glittering like the upper hemisphere of a giant disco ball, Perlan (the Pearl) is a grand construction of steel and mirrored glass. Perched atop Öskjuhlíð, the hill overlooking Reykjavík Airport, it's also one of the first landmarks to greet visitors when they arrive to the city. Supported by six massive water tanks and illuminated by 1,900 light bulbs, this impressive building opened in 1991 as a monument to Iceland's invaluable geothermal water supplies. It has since become a major tourist attraction, offering guests a host of amenities beneath its shiny surface, including the Wonders of Iceland natural history museum, an ice cave, a northern lights show, souvenir shops, a café, and a viewing platform with telescopes.

Part of the National Gallery of Iceland, the House of Collections was originally built in 1908 to house the National Library, National Archives, the collection of the Natural History Museum of Iceland, and the national collection of antique relics. It's now the home of a long-running exhibition called Resistance, which explores themes of sustainability and human impact on nature. Visitors can also experience artworks across four floors, each dedicated to different aspects of the aforementioned themes.

This statue perched atop a hill (also named for Ingólfur) commemorates the Norse settler credited with being the first to set down roots in Reykjavík around 874 AD. Legend has it that Ingólfur cast two pillars of his chieftain's seat into the sea upon his approach to Iceland, and then sent two enslaved people on a three-year search to find them. They were found in what is now present-day Reykjavík. Ingólfur's story is central to Icelandic history and celebrated throughout the city’s culture and landmarks.