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.

This unique museum could easily be described as the city's most interesting attraction. It's exactly what its name suggests: an ode to the male genitalia of mammals from around the world. But don't come just for laughs; a visit to the Icelandic Phallological Museum is truly an educational experience, housing more than 215 specimens from 93 different species—including casts of the "members" of Iceland's silver-medal winning Olympic handball team. The theme of the museum continues uninterrupted in the gift shop and café.

This tinier-than-tiny museum is crammed into what used to be a set of public bathrooms at the bottom of a stairwell right off a city sidewalk. Somehow it all seems fitting for a museum focused on the Icelandic punk and new wave scene that started in 1978. Photos, posters, handbills, equipment, and instruments line the walls and displays at this subterranean memorial to one of the country's favorite music genres.

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.