Arnanes, A Country Hotel in South East Iceland.

Glaciers are mysterious spaces of vast, white ice. They were seen as a place of desolate and freezing death in past centuries, but today a serene vastness for spiritual uplifting, of testing your abilities as well as a venue for exciting snow scooting and fun-making. Among the greatest of those is the huge Vatnajokull glacier in South-East Iceland, that is about to be made into Europe's largest national park along with surrounding areas. South of the glacier, near the town of Höfn in Hornafjordur, flanked by jagged mountainsides, rolling grassy hills and long, black beaches, home only to seals and seagulls, is an inviting hotel that offers relaxation after a day of activities and a good night's sleep. Guests have also described it as "home of the best,, 6-star-cook" of Iceland," and that "in the end we would like to buy out all the home made bread, now we are going with it as a gift!"

Hotel Arnanes can accommodate 35 guests at the same time, in seven rooms with bathrooms, and nine comfortable rooms with shared facilities. All rooms have satellite TV and radio, blackout drapes and a writing desk in non-smoking rooms. Living rooms and sitting rooms are there also for guests to enjoy. The front desk is open 24 hours a day with English, German and Scandinavian speaking staff offering information and assistance in tour reservations. The lobby also has internet access, photocopying and faxing service.

Hotel Arnanes has also a fully licensed restaurant that seats 40 people, emphasizing seafood dishes and traditional Icelandic courses on the menu. It is open from May to October. The restaurant is more than most such facilities, for it also is an art gallery where the owner Helga Erlendsdottir, a trained artist, displays her oil and watercolor paintings.

Helga and her husband, co-owner Asmundur Gislason, will be determined to give any guest the same hospitality, and home baked bread too. Being under the frosty world of the greatest glacier in Europe, it is surely good to have one such place to come to.

If your interest is awakened, don't hesitate to look further at the website www.arnanes.is. Then you can call +354 478 1550 for further information, direct your email to arnanes@arnanes.is, or if you want to fax, then it's +354 478 1819.