The permanent exhibit at the Icelandic Emigration Centre (Vesturfarasetrið) in Hofsós details Icelandic emigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There you can learn about the fate of settlements from Utah to Brazil. By 1914, 15.000 Icelanders— almost 20% of the population at the time—had left for the &#8220;New World&#8221;.
The Icelandic Emigration Centre gives an impression of the lives of these thousands of Icelandic emigrants. It also explains their reasons for going and the climactic, social and economic situation in Iceland at the time, explored through a combination of photographs, texts and artifacts. Visiting the centre is almost like going back in time. You can learn about about Iceland in the period 1870-1914.
Many of these emigrants’ descendants still return to Hofsós to seek information about their Icelandic ancestors. There, they can access information found in the centre’s database and library.
<h2>The first European born in America</h2>
The centre is run by the company Snorri Þorfinnsson ehf. The company bears the name of the son of Þorfinnur Karlsefni and his wife, Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir. They were settlers in Vínland (North America). According to the sagas, Snorri is the first European child born in the New World. One of the principal goals of the company is to strengthen the ties between the Icelanders and the descendants of the emigrants to the New World.

Icelandic Emigration Centre

Safety & Responsibility

Check the weather forecast and road conditions every day.

Weather can be unpredictable

Put litter in the bin and recycle when possible.

Help keep Iceland clean

Follow the Icelandic road rules, and remember that off-roading is strictly forbidden as it damages natural landscapes.

Safe roads, safe people

Keep to marked trails and read any warning and safety signs. If in doubt, use common sense or turn back.