N O R T H / A K U R E Y R I

Architecture in Iceland is heavily influenced by the geologic activity that characterizes the island. The church at Blönduós, a northern fishing village, was shaped to imitate the crater of a nearby volcano, of which Iceland has many. Shrimp and shellfish make Blönduós money, but the Blandaá river offers spectacular salmon fishing -- for a one-day license fee of 113,000 Icelandic krónur, or about US$1500.