Flatey, Island in Breiðafjörður Bay, Iceland
Flatey is a low, flat island sitting in Breiðafjörður Bay on the west coast of Iceland, surrounded by calm waters and small rocky islets. It has a handful of old wooden houses, open grassland, and long stretches of shoreline with no notable rise in the terrain.
A monastery was founded on the island in 1172, making it an important religious center in western Iceland for many years. In the 14th century, the Flateyarbók was written here, a manuscript that gathered Norse sagas and remains one of the most important of its kind.
The name Flatey simply means "flat island," which describes exactly what you see when you arrive. The few old houses that remain are spread along a single path, giving the place the feel of a village frozen in time.
A ferry runs between the island and Stykkishólmur on the mainland during summer, but crossings depend on weather and can be delayed or cancelled. The island is easy to walk across in a few hours, as everything is on flat ground with no difficult terrain.
The small church on the island, built in 1926, has interior paintings by Icelandic artist Baltasar Samper showing scenes from the daily life of former residents. This kind of painted interior is rarely found in a rural church of this size anywhere in Iceland.
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