Hellnar Church

On the westernmost part of Iceland’s Snæfellsnes peninsula lies the fishing village of Hellnar—once the largest and busiest town in the region. Many centuries of challenging conditions have reduced its yearround population to roughly a dozen—though that’s not counting the puffins. At the verge of the remote village is Hellnar Church, a quaint treasure perched on the edge of the North Atlantic.

Built in 1945, the almost-surreal coastal structure can comfortably seat forty parishioners—or about three times the number of rural residents. Its red roof seemingly seeps into the interior, notable for its crimson carpet and matching pews.

This is not the only white wooden church with a red cap in Iceland, but few others can claim to have such a close physical relationship to an epic glacier (in this case Snæfellsjökull, the church’s close neighbor and consistent photo-bomber).

But the downside of having a front-row seat to the North Atlantic is regularly encountering fierce winds and merciless waves, which have threatened to raise that red roof right off of it. While it’s still intact, the community continues making the effort to meet in this sweet, sacred space every Sunday, despite (or because of) how widely dispersed they are during the rest of the week.

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