Icelandic Wartime Museum

Iceland had no army of its own when the Second World War reached it. The barracks at Reyðarfjörður were built by the British, and the museum keeps that outpost: hut buildings, transport vehicles, tanks, tools and photographs from the occupation years.

The displays are detailed and carefully set up. A recorded commentary tells the story of the occupation, and it is worth stopping to listen through — it carries more than the objects do on their own. Part of the collection stands outdoors on the grounds, where the vehicles are. The exhibition is not large, and the museum does not pretend otherwise.

• The exhibition is not large. It works as a stop on the way through the East Fjords, not as the main outing of the day.
• Listen to the recording. A recorded commentary covers the occupation years and holds the history the objects alone do not tell.
• Part of the site is outdoors. The vehicles stand on the grounds, so the weather decides how much of it you actually walk round.
• The village is part of the trip. Reyðarfjörður itself is worth a walk once you are done inside.

Reyðarfjörður sits on the coast of East Iceland, and the museum is reached by car. There is a car park at the site, with wheelchair-accessible spaces. From the car park it is a level walk to the door — no path, no steps and no climb in between. You park, and you are there.

Better: summer, which is the only season the museum operates in, and a dry day, since part of the collection is parked outside.

Avoid: the weeks at either end of the season, when the museum is shut even though the village is going about its business.

East Iceland draws far fewer travellers than the south coast, and the rooms here rarely fill up. Even in August you can take the displays at your own pace and listen to the whole commentary.