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The first place in Iceland to be ever built, Husavik is now the main town in northeast Iceland. It is a major trading center, a base for day trips to locations in north Iceland, and a famous venue for whale-watching. It is situated at the shore of the Skjálfandi bay.
Husavik was the first place in Iceland ever to be built in. Before the permanent Viking settlement in Iceland, Swedish Viking explorer Gardar Svavarsson sailed around Iceland which was then uninhabited. He built living quarters in a region near to the place which is now Husavik.
Husavik has been a trading center since 1614, and the home of the oldest cooperative society in Iceland, which was founded in 1882. Since then, the town has lived mainly with the help of fishing, sparse agricultural activity, and small industry. It developed into a village in 1960, and is one of the main towns in northeast Iceland at present.
Husavik has a picturesque harbor, and the Skjálfandi bay is often home to a variety of whale species, which include Minke Whales, Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Sei Whales, Orcas, Dolphins and Porpoises. This makes it an immensely popular site for whale-watching. The town has a whale museum. Founded in 1997, the museum has whale displays and provides education on marine ecosystem. Another museum is the Icelandic Phallological Museum which has specimens from every mammal found in Iceland. There is also a beautiful timber Church.
A nearby tourist attraction is the Jökulsárgijúfur, Iceland's largest National Park.
Although a small town, Husavik has all the services including a bank, a post-office and a good hotel. There are a number of food outlets around the harbor region, serving delicacies like pan-fried haddock and juicy lobster tails.
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