Djúpavík
Encyclopedia
Djúpavík is a small village in the North-West of Iceland
.
It is located at the head of Reykjarfjörður on the Strandir coast in the Westfjords
region (Vestfirðir), in the municipality of Árneshreppur
.
It is approximately 70 km away from Hólmavík
(the nearest settlement of any account), 280 km from Ísafjörður
and 340 km from the country's capital Reykjavík
. At present it only consists of seven houses, a hotel and the ruinous remains of a herring factory. It can be reached by car via road 643 or by plane via the nearby Gjögur Airport
.
1934 saw the resettlement of Djúpavík with the foundation of Djúpavík Ltd. in September of that year. A new factory was built (at the time of its construction it was the biggest concrete building in Iceland and one of the biggest in Europe) and despite the harsh conditions the construction was completed within the span of just one year and the factory was operational by July 1935. Initial worries that the catches would not meet requirements proved unfounded and during its early years the enterprise boomed, bringing improved financial status and living standards to the whole region.
Herring catches started to decline after 1944, with a sharp drop in 1948 (when there were almost no catches for two years) and, despite attempts to keep the enterprise running by processing other fish besides herring, the factory closed in 1954 while Djúpavík Ltd. was officially wound down in 1968.
After this the residents moved away and the settlement was abandoned again.
In 1985 Hótel Djúpavík was established in the old women's quarters and conservation of the factory and other buildings began.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
It is located at the head of Reykjarfjörður on the Strandir coast in the Westfjords
Westfjords
The Westfjords or West Fjords is the name for the large peninsula in northwestern Iceland. It is connected to the rest of Iceland by a 7 km wide isthmus between Gilsfjörður and Bitrufjörður. The Westfjords are very mountainous; the coastline is heavily indented by dozens of fjords surrounded by...
region (Vestfirðir), in the municipality of Árneshreppur
Árneshreppur
Árneshreppur is an Icelandic municipality, located in the Westfjords peninsula of northwestern Iceland.As of 2011, Árneshreppur had a total population of only 52, what makes it the least populated municipality in the country. It has a population density of 0.07/km²...
.
It is approximately 70 km away from Hólmavík
Hólmavík
Hólmavík is a small town in the western part of Iceland, by Steingrímsfjörður.It is the largest settlement in Strandir and serves as a centre of commerce for the county. Hólmavík is part of the Strandabyggð municipality and has 375 inhabitants...
(the nearest settlement of any account), 280 km from Ísafjörður
Ísafjörður
Ísafjörður is a town in the north west of Iceland, seat of Ísafjarðarbær municipality.The town draws its name from the fjord and the fjord was given its name simultaneously to the island...
and 340 km from the country's capital Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
. At present it only consists of seven houses, a hotel and the ruinous remains of a herring factory. It can be reached by car via road 643 or by plane via the nearby Gjögur Airport
Gjögur Airport
Gjögur Airport is an airport serving the small population of the Árneshreppur district in the Westfjords of north-west Iceland, on the coast of Húnaflói bay...
.
History of settlement
Djúpavík was first settled in 1917 when Elías Stefánsson built a hering salting factory there. However, due to economic depression, this enterprise went bankrupt in 1919 and, although the business was briefly taken over by others, the site was abandoned during the 1920s.1934 saw the resettlement of Djúpavík with the foundation of Djúpavík Ltd. in September of that year. A new factory was built (at the time of its construction it was the biggest concrete building in Iceland and one of the biggest in Europe) and despite the harsh conditions the construction was completed within the span of just one year and the factory was operational by July 1935. Initial worries that the catches would not meet requirements proved unfounded and during its early years the enterprise boomed, bringing improved financial status and living standards to the whole region.
Herring catches started to decline after 1944, with a sharp drop in 1948 (when there were almost no catches for two years) and, despite attempts to keep the enterprise running by processing other fish besides herring, the factory closed in 1954 while Djúpavík Ltd. was officially wound down in 1968.
After this the residents moved away and the settlement was abandoned again.
In 1985 Hótel Djúpavík was established in the old women's quarters and conservation of the factory and other buildings began.
External links
- djupavik.com Homepage of Djúpavík