Park history and objectives

The Public Park was first opened in 1912 and became a botanic garden 1957. The park has been enlarged three times since 1912 and is now around 3.7 ha in size and lies at altitude of 40-50 m amsl.

The aim of the botanic garden is to grow trees, shrubs and perennials in the demanding climate of northern Iceland, which is characterized by pronounced seasonality of temperature and day length. Sheltered by the mountains of Eyjafjord, one of the longest fjords in Iceland, the gardens provide a favorable microclimate for plant growth.

Besides Icelandic native species, we are able to grow a surprising number of 6600 alien taxa. The garden is an IPEN member and is active in seed-exchange, public information, education and recreation.