House of the Snowbird

A Poet's House in Reykjavik's Oldest Quarter

At the corner of Vesturgata and Mjostraeti, in the heart of Reykjavik's Grjotathorp neighbourhood, stands one of the city's oldest and most characterful wooden houses. Built in 1896 by the poet Einar Benediktsson, the House of the Snowbird is a striking red and white timber building that has survived over a century of Icelandic winters. Einar Ben, as he is affectionately known, had the house shipped in pieces from Norway, a common practice in 19th-century Iceland where suitable building timber was scarce. Markings on the original beams still bear traces of this transatlantic journey.

The Artist Family

Today the house is owned and operated by a family of artists who have woven their creative mark into every room. The interior is an intriguing fusion of old Scandinavian craftsmanship and contemporary Icelandic art. Walls are lined with original paintings and photographs, while shelves and surfaces display handmade ceramics produced by the family in a studio in the building's basement. The host, Elsa, maintains the artistic tradition and offers guests a deeply personal experience of Icelandic culture. Visitors frequently describe the atmosphere as warm, intimate, and unlike any standard accommodation.

Grjotathorp and the Old Town

The surrounding neighbourhood of Grjotathorp is Reykjavik's oldest preserved residential district. In the 18th century, a cluster of turf houses occupied this land, part of the Grjoti smallholding on the original Reykjavik estate. By the late 1800s, these had been replaced by the colourful wooden houses that still line the narrow streets today. The area was at the centre of Reykjavik's earliest urban development, linked to Skuli Magnusson's ambitious Innrettingar workshops that aimed to modernise the local economy. Walking through Grjotathorp now, with its small gardens and carefully restored facades, offers a vivid sense of what the capital looked like before concrete and corrugated iron became the dominant building materials.

The Snowbird Connection

The house takes its name from the rjupa, the rock ptarmigan, a bird so central to Icelandic identity that it has appeared in folklore, poetry, and on dinner tables for centuries. Iceland's only native gamebird, the ptarmigan turns pure white in winter, earning it the affectionate name snowbird. For generations, Icelanders depended on ptarmigan hunting to supplement winter food supplies, and to this day the bird remains the most traditional Christmas meal in the country. The name House of the Snowbird thus evokes not merely a single species but a broader thread of Icelandic cultural memory, connecting this 19th-century poet's house to the landscape and traditions that shaped the nation.

Visiting the House

The House of the Snowbird sits within easy walking distance of nearly all of central Reykjavik's main attractions. The Old Harbour is roughly 200 metres to the north, Harpa Concert Hall stands a short stroll to the east, and the museums and galleries clustered around Tryggvagata and Hverfisgata are all within a ten-minute walk. The neighbourhood itself rewards a slow wander, particularly in the early morning or late evening light when the painted timber facades catch the low Icelandic sun. Whether you visit as a guest staying in one of the apartments or simply pass by on foot to admire the exterior, the house offers a quietly powerful connection to Reykjavik's literary and artistic past.