Siglufjörður is one of northern Iceland's most atmospheric small towns: a former herring boomtown squeezed between the sea and the steep mountains of the Tröllaskagi peninsula. For much of the 20th century it was Iceland's herring capital, noisy with boats, salting stations, and seasonal workers. When the herring vanished, the town went quiet.
That boom-and-bust story is still visible around the harbour, and the excellent Herring Era Museum makes it more than a pretty fjord stop. Siglufjörður also has a small folk music museum, winter skiing in Skarðsdalur, and summer hiking in mountains that rise hard above the streets.
It is not on the Ring Road, which helps. Come here when you want a more focused North Iceland detour than another roadside waterfall: a compact town with a strong story, good museums, and real mountain edges.