About Gallerí Koltra
The handicraft group Koltra was founded in 1995 and is thus one of the oldest handicraft groups in the Westfjords. Koltra is located in Þingeyri and takes its name from Kolturshorn, which is a very visible mountain in Haukadalur in Dýrafjörður.
The purpose of establishing the handicraft group was to help its members and locals to promote their items, and it has been more successful than expected.
The handicraft group Koltra soon founded Gallerí Koltra, which sells the members' handicrafts.
Today, Gallerí Koltra, as well as the tourist information center, is located in the old Salthús, which is the oldest house in Þingeyri and one of Þingeyri's greatest treasures. It is therefore understood that the house has a long history.
Salthúsið was built in 1778 during the years of the Danish King's trade monopoly and was owned by it until 1787, serving the purpose its name suggests. From 1787, the building housed a shop until 1927, run by various shop owners. Subsequently, the Kaupfélag Dýrfirðinga (Dýrafjörður Cooperative) owned the house from 1930 until 1994, when it was handed over to the State House Preservation for conservation, and then Ísafjarðarbær took over its maintenance.
The house was then dismantled and rebuilt on its original site in 2009, with the work considered complete in 2010. At that time, locals were concerned about the role the house should play, but it has now taken on the beautiful role of showcasing Dýrafjörður's handicrafts and providing information to tourists and locals.
In Gallerí Koltra, you can find various types of handicrafts made by artisans from Dýrafjörður. These include handmade soaps, jewelry, various knitted items such as mittens, hats, socks, and the much-celebrated lopapeysa sweaters in all sizes and color combinations. However, it is too lengthy to list everything available there.
Everyone should be able to find something for themselves and their loved ones at Gallerí Koltra, which is open during the summer from May 15 to around September 15. Seeing is believing, and we look forward to welcoming guests, both domestic and foreign tourists.
Gallerí Koltra is designated as the regional information center for tourists in Dýrafjörður, where tourists can obtain information about the area and interesting places, whether they are heading north or south, from Koltra's staff who know their local area and beyond very well.
