Mosfellsbær is a small town in the Greater Reykjavik area, about 15 kilometres east of the capital, sitting between Esja mountain and the coast. It is best known as the home of Halldór Laxness, Iceland's Nobel Prize-winning novelist, whose farmhouse at Gljúfrasteinn is now a museum — preserved almost exactly as he left it, books and typewriter included.
The town itself is residential and quiet, but the surrounding landscape is why people come. Esja (914 metres) is Reykjavik's favourite mountain hike, a straightforward walk with views across the whole capital area and Faxaflói Bay. The Álafoss wool factory outlet, just south of town, has been operating since 1896 and sells Icelandic wool products at good prices. Mosfellsbær also sits at the edge of the geothermal area that supplies hot water to the capital — the Reykjadalur hot spring trail is a short drive inland.