It sits in the valley of the river Reykjadalsá, called Reykholtsdalur, and is part of Borgarfjörður, Western Region.

Reykholt was at one time one of the intellectual centers of the island and had for many years one of the most important schools of the country.

Sturluson's records of the Old Norse language and mythology of medieval Iceland are invaluable to modern scholars.

The Snorrastofa Cultural / Research Centre was established in Reykholt on September 6, 1988, with opening ceremonies attended by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland and King Olav V of Norway.

[1] Today, the village has 60 inhabitants, a school centre and a library concentrating on the works of Snorri Sturluson.