On the way from Vik to Skaftafell, in an area named Fljotshverfi, is the small farm of Nupsstadur. It's set a bit off of Route 1, the "Ring Road," and the driveway is gated with a "Closed" sign; however, visitors are allowed to park at the gate and walk.
In addition to a few sheds and a house, Nupsstadur Farm has a small, moss-covered church. The black and white colors mimic other churches in Iceland, such as the one in Budir. Visitors are allowed to go inside the church, which is mostly empty, with a pew lining each side wall and an altar at the end.
Turf houses were used hundreds of years ago in Iceland to help better insulate inhabitants from harsh winters. Most of the ones scattered around the island today are kept for historical value.
The morning that I visited Nupsstadur, the skies were overcast and there was fresh dew on everything.
It’s not uncommon for Icelandic farms or small clusters of farms to have their own chapel. Nupsstadur Church, built in the 1600s, was long in the care of the Hannesson family. Eyjolfur and Filippus Hannesson recently lived on the farm until it was taken over by the National Museum of Iceland.
