Búðir

The black church stands alone. Behind it, a lava field stretches east in frozen waves. Ahead, a golden beach curves toward the Atlantic. Búðir on Iceland's Snæfellsnes peninsula is a place of three contrasts — black, gold, and grey — composed with the deliberateness of a photograph.

Búðakirkja, the small black wooden church at Búðir, was originally built in 1703 and reconstructed in 1987 on its original foundations. It sits at the junction of three landscapes: the Búðahraun lava field, a protected nature reserve with rare lichens and flowers; a golden sand beach; and the open Atlantic with Snæfellsjökull glacier on the horizon. The church is one of Iceland's most photographed buildings, appearing on wedding lists and postcards worldwide. Hótel Búðir, beside the church, is a destination restaurant renowned for its seafood and its views — diners look across the lava field to the glacier through floor-to-ceiling windows. The lava field itself formed around 5,000 years ago and supports over 130 species of vascular plants, making it one of Iceland's richest botanical sites. In winter, the northern lights arc directly above the black church.