Cruising through east Iceland’s Seyðisfjörður, you'll feel enveloped by snowcapped mountains, cascading streams and emerald-green valleys. Even on foggy days, the colorful buildings of the town of Seyðisfjörð peek out from the head of the 17-kilometer (10.5-mile) fjord. Many of the timber houses here were imported from Norway as assemble-it-yourself kits more than 100 years ago, giving the town a timeless feel. Today, the 700 inhabitants of Seyðisfjörð keep it buzzing through art and culture, particularly in summer and when visitors arrive by ferry from Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Walking trails and gravel roads lead out of town to the mountains, following the river Fjarðará and its two dozen waterfalls, and a mountain pass connects Seyðisfjörð to the rest of Iceland. Bjólfur and Strandartindur are the most imposing of the seven peaks surrounding Seyðisfjörð, each more than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) high. Skálanes, a nature conservatory and research station, sits just to the east of town and features 47 species of birds, including eider ducks, arctic terns and Europe’s largest falcon. While there, you may also spot nesting puffins, seals lazing on the volcanic beaches and sheep grazing along the fjord.