Iceland encyclopedia Town

Borgarnes

Borgarnes developed beside Borgarfjörður as a trading centre for the farms of West Iceland. Its changing relationship with the fjord can be read in two kinds of infrastructure: the old harbour around Brákarpollur and the road bridge that redirected traffic through the town.

About Borgarnes

A market for the surrounding countryside

Before Borgarnes became a trading place, people in Borgarfjörður travelled to established markets such as Reykjavík, Stykkishólmur and Búðir to sell produce and obtain supplies. Local petitions led to authorisation of a trading place at Brákarpollur in 1867. Kaupangur, built in 1877 by Norwegian carpenter Ole Johan Haldorsen, belongs to this early commercial period. A bridge across Brákarsund, completed in 1929, connected the town with Brákarey and supported further harbour development.

Sources: Sögutorgin — History of Borgarnes ↗

The bridge across Borgarfjörður

Borgarfjarðarbrú opened in September 1981 after six years of construction. Its 520-metre span crossed waters with strong tidal currents, replacing a longer route through the district and shortening the Ring Road by eleven kilometres. Bringing the main road through Borgarnes shifted commercial activity towards the new road junction at Brúartorg. The older harbour district and the newer roadside centre therefore reflect successive stages in the town's transport history.

Sources: West Iceland — Borgarfjarðarbrú ↗Sögutorgin — History of Borgarnes ↗

Article reviewed 28 September 2026.

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