In 1703, 320 years ago when the first census was taken here in Iceland, it was also the first census in the world that covered all the inhabitants of an entire country, where name, age, gender and status were mentioned. Then the inhabitants of Svarfaðardalur, now Dalvíkurbyggð, were 669. Now they are three times as many or 1906. The valley Svarfaðardalur is named after the settler, Þorsteinn Svörfuður, who lived in Grund. The mountains around Svarfaðardalur and Skíðadalur, which lie on the north and west sides of Eyjafjörður, is spectacular. The most beautiful in Iceland, many people think. The mountains that surround the valleys are both steep and high, ranging from a thousand to fourteen hundred meters. Icelandic Times / Land & Saga went to Dalvík and into Svarfaðardalur, here are some snapshots from the trip.
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![](https://i0.wp.com/icelandictimes.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1063,height=709,/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Dalvikurbyggd_R3P2309.jpg?resize=1063%2C709&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/icelandictimes.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1063,height=709,/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Dalvikurbyggd_7R41651.jpg?resize=1063%2C709&ssl=1)
Photographs & text: Páll Stefánsson
18/02/2023 : A7R IV, A7RIII, RX1R II : FE 1.8/135mm GM, 2.0/35mm Z, FE 1.2/50mm GM