Gljúfrasteinn

The name of the house is derived from a large stone in the vicinity called Gljúfrasteinn, about which Halldór wrote the short story "Steinninn minn helgi" at the age of 19.

Gljúfrasteinn is built on the banks of the river Kaldakvísl and is situated close to Laxness's childhood home, Laxnes.

Halldór Laxness was a prominent figure in Icelandic society and his status only increased after he won the Nobel Prize in 1955.

Laxness's home became a cultural hub in Iceland where important foreign guests were brought for official as well as unofficial visits.

Visitors can view works by artists such as Svavar Guðnason, Nína Tryggvadóttir, Louisa Matthíasdóttir, Jóhannes Kjarval, Karl Kvaran, Ásmundur Sveinsson, as well as works by the Danish painter Asger Jorn and the Norwegian painter Jakob Weidemann.