Not to Miss! One Woman’s Lifetime Collection of Iceland’s Gems

I wasn’t expecting “holy ground” when we stopped in the tiny town of Stöðvarfjörður (pop.184), tucked between Iceland’s eastern-most fjords and mountains.

But that’s the way it felt.

One woman’s collection of stones, cleaned and on display outside the home where she’d lived and raised four children. Where now ten years after her death, her family welcomes visitors to view their mother and grandmother’s life’s work.

“Petra was sincere and remained faithful to her ideals. This enabled her to enthrall the general public. Because of this the collection is indeed on an international scale. Most tourist in Iceland are “ordinary people” who are capable of taking in what is ordinary and appreciate an initiative such as the rock collection.”

Travel Guide and frequent visitor Friðrik Brekkan

In the last three decades, thousands of people visited Petra’s home. When the long Icelandic winter ends, the family cleans and places each stone in the entire collection back in its spot. Thousands of stones, all treasures found from within hiking distance, often with the four children in tow, from this house. Minerals and gems line benches and fill every available space, leaving room only for Petra’s flowers.

Petra’s guests come from all over the world and are sometimes a colourful group of people and through the years she had a number of memorable visits. Few years ago a group of twelve cyclists from Italy arrived. They had been travelling around Iceland for a few days when they were drenched in a rainstorm. Petra took them in, gave them food and shelter and dried all their clothes before they continued on their journey

steinapetra.is

Petra’s youngest daughter, Þórkatla told me people come to visit for many reasons. Children, she said, pick up the stones, examine them and fully experience each the way her mother did. She said many believe that the stones possess some type of energy.

“I remember thinking that it was horrible to be unable to write a song or a poem about all the beautiful things that I have witnessed, not to be able to give something back. I have seen such beautiful things, incredible beauty that I can’t express with words. Many times I sat down and admired God’s creation. It’s all so variable.” 

Ljósbjörg Petra María Sveinnsdottir

If you’re visiting eastern Iceland, here’s the link with directions, museum hours and ticket prices. Petra’s Stone & Mineral Collection.

It’s holy ground.