For those interested in seeing amazing sights and enjoying the sense of adventure that comes with traveling to exotic locations, Iceland should be first on the bucket list.
While it’s not for everyone, for those who don’t mind the cold and want to experience something totally out of the ordinary, visiting this winter wonderland is definitely a good plan, as it’s home to some of the most spectacular sights in the world.
Explore with us some of the most amazing aspects of Iceland, as well as strange and unusual peculiarities that you definitely won’t find anywhere else.
Cold by day, cold by night
The first thing you should know about Iceland, and we’re sure you already do, is that it gets very cold.
Not all year round it stays the same frigid temperature, but for the most part it is known that the weather is not the warmest….
This is perhaps why Icelanders have developed a tolerance that many others from sunnier countries would not be able to withstand.
Some girls when out partying are especially resistant to low temperatures – better dead than simple!
Sports fans
Sports are an important part of Icelandic culture and, as you can imagine, when there’s not much to do in such a sparsely populated area, it’s important to find pleasure in entertainment.
While most countries around the world are used to showing support for their favorite sports teams, Icelanders are known to go crazy for sports and their respective national teams or athletes.
It is not uncommon to see people showing their support on the streets during sports seasons or events.
Mind-blowing caves
One of the best things about all the cold weather in Iceland is that it creates a number of truly amazing and spectacular natural phenomena to behold.
This is just one more of the many ice caves throughout the country.
These are essentially rocky ridges that have frozen into an icy ceiling that creates these incredibly luminescent natural structures.
However, you often have to walk to reach them, so be prepared for an adventure!
Snow jams
Extreme climates such as Iceland bring with them a number of problems or curiosities that have to be taken into account when driving in such an environment.
Snow jams are one of those things to watch out for, as no one wants to be left adrift in sub-0 temperatures.
It’s important to leave with an appropriate vehicle, so you don’t have to push the car later like these girls do… in mini-skirts… in the snow. So cold!
The Ultimate Cheeseburger
If you’re traveling to Iceland hoping to enjoy a traditional Western-style fast food meal, you’re not going to have much luck!
While we can all enjoy a fast food snack from time to time, Iceland’s small population and traditional culture doesn’t eat a lot of fast food.
In fact, there are no McDonalds restaurants in operation in the entire country and the last one closed in 2009.
So get used to eating the local food or bring your own snacks!
Some very special cats
Despite the harsh cold climate, Iceland experienced a significant increase in the brown rat population during the 19th and 20th centuries, as ships brought them in by accident.
Fishing ports had the highest concentration of this species and, as a result, locals had to import cats to help control the mouse population.
Today, having cats as “professional” mouse hunters is still a tradition in Iceland and will hopefully continue for a while. A city for cat lovers.
Love is in the air
As you can imagine, the intense cold, which they are already used to and know how to combat, and little daylight can negatively affect the mood and sensitivity of the locals.
To show people that they care (and have a great sense of creativity), the Icelandic government replaced all the red traffic lights with little hearts to help brighten the day of those in traffic who are frustrated at having to stop in their tracks.
Man Mountain
Game Of Thrones fans, you may recognize the man below. His name is Julius Bjornsson and last year he won the World’s Strongest Man Contest, proving that he is as strong as a mountain!
The Icelander has spent most of his life working out and focusing on bodybuilding. Although he grew up as a normal kid, his immense height and girth are a result of his intensive training and effort to sculpt the body.
