Iceland, with a little French flair

You may find yourself a little confused when arriving in Fáskrúðsfjörður and notice that all the street signs in the small town are in French. Don’t worry, you’re still in Iceland. But this locale in the country’s East Fjords has used both French and Icelandic on all the town’s street signs to honour the strong French tradition in the region.

Fáskrúðsfjörður was founded in 1880 and, until 1935, was the main hub for French fishermen off the East of Iceland. The French developed the town as a trading post and fishing village, building a French hospital, French consul and French chapel during the town’s heyday.

The old French hospital, long believed to be haunted, has been carefully restored and now houses a hotel, French-inspired restaurant, and a museum dedicated to the French fishermen that once populated the area.

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