Reyðarfjörður

Reyðarfjörður is a town in Iceland. The town is at the bottom of the epynomous largest fjord in the east coast of Iceland. The town has about 2300 inhabitants. Like most other towns in the East Fjords of Iceland, it is surrounded with beautiful mountains. Although the climate is particularly rainy and foggy, on clear summer days it often has the highest temperatures in Iceland.

From the early 20th century, Reyðarfjörður was a trading port, as well as a fishing port. Due to its strategic location and good harbour conditions, it became the second largest of the Allied bases in Iceland during World War II. There is a WWII museum located at the old camp above the town.

Having mostly been a quiet fishing town since the war, Reyðarfjörður (and neighbouring communities) saw a revival in the early 2000s when Alcoa decided to build an aluminium plant there. It was built in 2003-7 by the contractor Bechtel, requiring thousands of workers from various countries, most notably from Poland. At one point the town had the highest concentration of foreign residents of any community in the country.

By 2008 the construction workers had left, but townspeople have faith in the aluminum plant for the continuing prosperity of their old community.