Hofs Church stands in Hof, in South Iceland, not far off the Ring Road. It is a turf church: walls of volcanic rock and timber, and a roof under a thick layer of turf and moss that merges with the grass around it. Turf churches are now rare in Iceland, and this one was built in the late 1800s. Grassed-over graves surround it. The interior is plain and not always open, so the building itself and the churchyard are the reason to stop.
Hofs Church
Local name: Hofskirkja
Volcanic rock, timber and a roof under thick turf and moss — one of only a few turf churches left in Iceland, built in the late 1800s.
- Entrance
- Free
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible parking at the church.
- Parking
- At the church. Spaces are limited, but visits are short and a place usually frees up. No parking charge.
- Difficulty
- Easy — level, steps from the car
- Transport
- Self-drive (Ring Road)
- Address
- Hof, 785 Öræfi, Iceland
What makes it special
The roof is the reason to stop. Turf and moss lie thick over walls of volcanic rock and timber, and the green runs on into the grass around the building, so the church looks like part of the ground rather than something set on it. Turf churches were once ordinary in Iceland. Only a few are left, and this is one of them, built in the late 1800s. The graves around it are grassed over too, low mounds rather than rows of upright stone. The interior is plain and the door is not always open. That matters less than it sounds: the outside and the setting are what people come for.
Good to know
- No toilets — there are none at the church and no services on site.
- The church is not always open — the door can be locked and the cemetery roped off, but the outside can still be walked round and seen.
- The inside is plain — the turf roof, the stone walls and the graves are what you came for, not the interior.
- It is a quick stop — most people walk round the church, take photographs and drive on.
Getting there
The church is not far off the Ring Road, so the stop costs little time on a driving day. Cars pull in at the church itself, and there is no approach walk: you park, and you are at the churchyard. Everything after that is on foot, and it amounts to a circuit round the outside of the building and back to the car.
Access & restrictions
The churchyard is a burial ground, not an exhibit. When the cemetery is roped off, stay outside the rope; the church can be seen and photographed from the open ground around it. Keep off the turf roof and off the grave mounds. If the church is unlocked, go in quietly and leave the interior as you found it.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside Hofs Church?
Not always. The church can be locked and the cemetery roped off. When that is the case you can still walk around the outside and see the whole building.What is the church built of?
Volcanic rock and timber, under a turf roof carrying a thick layer of moss. It dates from the late 1800s and is one of only a few turf churches left in Iceland.Are there toilets at the church?
No. There are no toilets and no other facilities on site.Is it worth stopping on a Ring Road drive?
It is a small building and the interior is plain, so it can feel modest after the big sights. The turf roof, the grassed-over graves and the quiet around them are what make the stop worthwhile, and the detour is short.