Ósvör Maritime Museum occupies a reconstructed fishing station on the shore at Bolungarvík, in the Westfjords. Three turf-roofed buildings make up the site — the fishermen's house, the drying house and the workshop — restored and filled with the gear of a working day at sea. A guide in traditional fishing dress takes visitors through them, and the objects inside the houses are there to be handled.
Osver Maritime Museum
Local name: Sjóminjasafnið Ósvör

Open-air museum of turf-roofed fishing huts on the shore at Bolungarvík, with a costumed guide.
- Entrance
- An admission fee is charged.
- Accessibility
- The entrance is not wheelchair accessible. There is a toilet on site.
- Parking
- Car park at the museum, with the gift shop beside it. Two further car parks lie about 1.2 km and 1.6 km away in a straight line.
- Difficulty
- No walk in — the car park is at the door and the houses stand together by the water.
- Transport
- Bus stop Hvíta húsið, about 1.7 km from the museum in a straight line.
- Hours
- Open daily, 10:00–16:00.
- Address
- 61, 415 Bolungarvik, Iceland
What makes it special
A man in traditional fishing dress meets visitors at the huts and walks them round, explaining the station and the clothes he is wearing. Inside, the sleeping and working quarters have been restored and hold hundreds of the objects these crews used day to day; picking them up is part of the visit. Eleven people lived in the main house, nine men and two women, and that is the figure that lands once you are standing in the room itself. The drying house still carries racks of dried fish. Outside, the green turf roofs sit right against the water, and on a clear day the view runs all the way to Greenland.
Good to know
- Outdoors throughout. The visit moves between separate houses with no shelter in between, so dress for the weather.
- Flies. They can be a real nuisance around the site.
- Children. The museum suits children well, and the objects in the houses are meant to be touched.
- On site. There is a toilet, and a gift shop stands beside the car park.
Getting there
The museum stands on the shore at Bolungarvík, and the approach is the easy part: the car park is at the site, with the gift shop beside it, and the houses stand alongside. Two further car parks are mapped about 1.2 km and 1.6 km off, measured in a straight line from the museum. Coming by bus, the stop called Hvíta húsið lies about 1.7 km away, again straight-line — the walk by road will be longer than that.
Best time to visit
Best: a clear day, when the view from the site runs across the water to Greenland.
Avoid: heavy rain and wind.
The whole visit is outdoors, moving from one house to the next, so the weather decides how long you last; in bright light the green roofs against the sea are worth the stop on their own.
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Frequently asked questions
What is there to see at Ósvör Maritime Museum?
A reconstructed fishing station of three turf-roofed buildings — the fishermen's house, the drying house with its racks of dried fish, and the workshop — furnished with the objects of the working day.Is there a guide?
Yes. A guide in traditional fishing dress takes visitors through the buildings and explains the station and the clothing he is wearing.Is the museum indoors?
No. The houses are separate and you move between them in the open air, so the weather is part of the visit.Is it suitable for children?
Yes. Children are welcome and the objects in the houses are there to be handled rather than kept behind glass.Is it wheelchair accessible?
No. The entrance is not wheelchair accessible. There is a toilet on site.









