Blönduós is a town with a population of 895. Like many towns and villages around Iceland, Blönduós didn’t emerge as a village until the late 19th century.
One of Blönduós’ main characteristics is that the town is split into two parts by the glacial river Blanda, the name of the town comes from the river Blöndu is an oblique case of Blanda. The old part of town, including many original houses from the late 19th and early 20th century, is located on the south side of the river. On a hill above the town is a church with striking architecture that is intended to resemble a volcanic crater.
Most of the industry and livelihood in Blönduós evolve around service for agriculture and tourism. In recent years, the town has become known for its connection with textiles. A wool washery, Iceland’s only textile museum Heimilisiðnaðarsafnið and the Icelandic Textile Center, featuring a residency program for international textile artists and scholars, are all located in Blönduós.
