Icelandic Oddities: 10 Unique Experiences

Icelandic Language.

What I describe as “Icelandic oddities” are actually things that make Iceland WONDERFULLY unique. For starters, its language is not related to or “like” any other language in the world. It is actually closest to Old Norse, which is the language that the Vikings spoke. For that reason alone, I want to learn it.

Icelanders also try to preserve their unique socio-linguistic culture through names. No child born in Iceland may have a non-Icelandic name unless approved by the Icelandic naming committee. Check out this article for more specific information on the law and tradition!

Iceland Phallological Museum.

This museum certainly has to make it on a list of Icelandic oddities. This place houses more d*** than even the most promiscuous of sororities. The museum is devoted entirely to – you guessed it- penises! There are 282 natural specimens and 350 art installments related to male genitals. The main area of the museum is more specifically devoted to the scientific realm of phallology, whereas the “academic area” of the small building examines penises through different lenses including artistic, psychological, social, and biological. 

In terms of biology, you can see vast amounts of preserved pee-pees from all sorts of creatures including: whales, seals, and even a polar bear! There are artistic expressions of penises such as a penis lamp and utensils carved to look phallic. 

Iceland’s culture is big on believing in mythical creatures. So naturally, you can see troll and elf penises as well.

While my husband got nauseous half way through and left, I had a very wonderful time. All I can say is, I’m so happy that I won’t ever have to mate with a mink whale. Ow. 

Laundromat Cafe.

One of the quirkiest places to eat in Reykjavik…and wash your skivvies, is undoubtedly the Laundromat Cafe. It is an “all types” welcome eatery in which they boast their acceptance of the LGBTQ community as well as breastfeeding moms! Wahoo! The space is bright in both its lighting and pop art decor. In many ways it feels as if you’ve stepped into a hip, woke version of a comic book. The name, as you guessed, comes from the laundromat in the basement of the restaurant. You can wash your clothes and then come upstairs for a great meal.

The restaurant also offers books and games to peruse during your time at the cafe. We came for their famous brunch, and there was a fair offering of choices ranging from classic pancakes to acai bowls. You can also choose between a “clean laundry” platter or a “dirty laundry” platter. Of course I chose the dirty – who the hell eats healthy on vacation? I highly recommend this cafe if you are looking for an eccentric place to dine in Iceland. 

Lebowski Bar.

It’s impossible not to talk about Icelandic oddities without mentioning the Lebowski Bar! The bar is inspired by and named after the cult classic movie, The Big Lebowski, of course. The film surfaced in 1998 and features legends such as Jeff Bridges, John Goodman (LOVE), Steve Buscemi, and Julianne Moore. The bar is open for food and drink throughout the day and evening, and becomes a night club-meets-bar on Friday and Saturday evenings. 

The bar pays a ton of homage to the film, with movie posters and still photographs galore. Jeff Bridges, who is the lead in the movie, displays a serious affinity for white Russians throughout the film. Naturally, the Big Lebowski Bar has an entire menu dedicated to “white Russians.” The most famous is perhaps the so-called “cocoa Puffcasian.” It has vodka, Kahlua, and cream with a generous layer of Cocoa Puffs cereal on top. It’s a boozier version of the milk at the end of a bowl of cereal. This place offers a ton of great dancing on the weekends and fun to be had – as well as a great bite to eat during the week. 

Elf Stone.

More than half of Iceland’s population believes in elves, or as they are also called – hidden people. To be fair – Iceland’s landscape definitely lends itself to that belief. We took a free walking tour of Reykjavik and learned all about a particular elf stone. By the way, in case you weren’t aware, an elf stone is a typical stone, boulder, or rock that an elf has decided to make its home. In New York, we call that squatting.

As the story goes, during an expansion project this particular stone was in the way of city planners. There were several attempts using various types of heavy equipment to remove the stone, but to no avail. So the city hired a [tax-payer funded] “elf whisperer” to step in. After listening to the demands of the hidden folk living inside the rock the “whisperer” was able to convince the elves to “give it up.” Apparently – the rock was moved with ease after this encounter.

Bleeding Vagina Wall.

Iceland is proud of their feminist culture. As a result, it is only appropriate that a giant painting of a menstruating vagina hang in Reykjavik’s City Hall building. I’ll always remember the look of pride our tour guide had as she beamed at the fine work of art. More so, I’ll remember the conservative elderly people in our group who couldn’t believe the word vagina had been uttered aloud – let alone be shown on the tour. 

Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat Statue.

Next on our list of Icelandic oddities is this man with a giant rock over his head. Iceland erected this statue in honor of its many civil servants who work hard to keep the country up and running every single day. There are so many that in this piece they are depicted as a single person, and that is why the man with his briefcase on the way to work does not have an identity.

This Giant Goose.

More than half of all Icelanders have Viking DNA coursing through their blood. Apparently, this goose we found also has Viking juice running through his godless, soulless body. He made it very clear who ran things down by the water, and I was never more terrified in my life. I’ll never forget the horror in my heart when I heard his big webbed feet a-stomping against the ground. Truthfully, I was enjoying looking out at all the buildings across the waterway when he turned a corner like a mafia don, found me, and said, “this here is my turf. Don’t fuh-get it.” It was a weird way to start our trip, I’ll be honest.

Bar Bites.

We took a bar crawl on our first night in Reykjavik. I highly recommend doing it through the company “Wake Up Reykjavik.” We met a lot of great friends and it was a really cool way to see the city. The price was steep, but it covered all drinks and entrance into a nightclub with an insanely long line which we got to cut. Typically drinks are ridiculously expensive in Iceland, so I found the cost reasonable. 

At one stop in particular we tried two Icelandic oddities, which happen to be famous throughout the country. The first is the “black death” shot – also called Brennvin. It has a lethal reputation, and is popularly consumed within the country. It’s made from fermented potato or grain and fermented with caraway seeds. It tastes…well…a lot like death.

Apparently, people used to get hammered off this stuff and the government felt less than happy about that. So, they made all makers of Brennvin put a black label and skull on the bottle to look scary and hopefully make it less appealing. It had the opposite effect, was seen as “bad ass,” and is still drank far and wide today. The skull is gone, but the black label remains.

A snack of fermented shark came with the black death shots, and I was less than enthused about this option.

Fermented shark used to be eaten by Vikings way back in the day, and that is about its only appeal. It tastes like raw and rotten fish mixed with ammonia. So if you were looking for a dish that mixes those two flavors – this is your snack!

Hot Dog Hero.

If you don’t try an Icelandic hot dog when you visit, you suck. Compared to all other dining options they are pretty cheap and SO delicious. That is why it’s hands down my favorite “street snack” to date. Particularly you want to go to the stand where Bill Clinton – in a shocking twist of an old classic tale – put a wiener in his mouth. This wiener being a hot dog, though. 

Icelanders will tell you proudly that this hot-dog has, “exceptional snap.” I mean really, we’re talking a legit 10 out of 10 for snap. This means that when you bite into it and pull it with your teeth, it snaps back — you can almost hear the crunch. The hot dog also consists of a top tier mix of pork, beef, and lamb meat and no pig lips which certainly makes it an oddity to anyone coming from America. The meat is organic, and free range. You should order your hot-dog with all the fixings for the best experience. This includes raw onions, crispy onions, ketchup, remoulade sauce and a sweet brown mustard sauce. You will know true love after finishing your dog.