If you fancy a pleasant stroll in Reykjavik, there are few better places than Tjornin Pond in the heart of the city.
Lined by a stone walkway and colorful houses on the western shore, families gather here to feed the ducks, geese, swans, Arctic terns and other birds found frolicking in the small lake.
During winter, the natural pond freezes over and becomes a popular place for ice-skating and ice-hockey. Famous buildings located on Tjornin Pond are the Idno Theatre (which also has a café) and Reykjavik City Hall.
Tjornin – ‘the world’s largest bread soup’
Tjornin Pond is actually a small lagoon next to a barrier beach. The lagoon was part of a reef that existed at the present location of Hafnarstraeti Street. The pond is home to some 40-50 different species of water birds, and it is a favorite among Reykjavik’s children, who like to feed the birds with bread. Due to this popular activity, the locals often refer to the lake as “the world’s largest bowl of bread soup”.
Tjornin Pond and Reykjavik City Hall
Prominent in one corner of the lake is Reykjavik’s City Hall that looks as though it is rising from the lake. Tjornin Pond is also a part of the Vatnsmyrin reserve, a protected moorland in Reykjavik that stretches from the Nordic House northwards to Tjornin. Vatnsmyrin (which translates as the Water Marsh) is the water source for Tjornin and the nesting ground for many species of water birds.
GPS: 64.14362 N, -21.942018 W
