Wilderness Center — Múlavegur í fljótsdal, Iceland

A farm-turned-museum hideaway at the edge of Northern Europe's largest wilderness, Fljótsdalur

Visitors to the Wilderness Center, known in Icelandic as Óbyggðasetur Íslands, begin by parking the car and crossing an old wooden bridge. The centre's own account is that from that point they step into an adventure into the past. It stands in Norðurdalur in Fljótsdalur, near Egilsstaðir, right by the edge of what it calls Northern Europe's biggest wilderness. The place is built around preservation. Guests sleep in renovated old buildings, which may leave them feeling they are "sleeping in a museum." The Old Farmhouse, built in 1940, has been refurbished to its original design, with four small bedrooms decorated in the spirit of past owners. Elsewhere there is the Land Owners Suite, which can also be booked as a family room, and the Bed-Closet, a closed bed for those who want the atmosphere of a traditional common room with some privacy. Food is cooked in the old kitchen in front of guests, with an emphasis on local ingredients, Icelandic lamb and fish, and baking made with rhubarb from the centre's own field. Outdoors, the Icelandic horse and the glacial river Jökulsá lead the way. Riding and hiking tours follow a river the centre says has 15 waterfalls, more than any other in Iceland. At one point walkers can winch themselves across by a traditional cableway and explore an abandoned farmhouse on the far bank. Every tour carries a touch of storytelling in the tradition of the Icelandic sagas. An exhibition on life in the wilderness is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm between 15 May and 30 September, with winter opening on request. In winter the centre runs the Weekend of Wellness, three days and two nights for groups of six to twelve. A certified guide leads daily yoga and mindfulness, suitable for beginners, opening with a welcome session of light stretching, breath work and some yoga nidra. The days include a 6 km hike to the abandoned farm Kleif, which can be walked mindfully or in silence, an open sauna and outdoor hot pool, a cooking evening with a chef from the local drink company Könglar, and a night in an open-roof stargazing hut.

Traditions: Yoga, Mindfulness, Yoga Nidra, Breath Work, Meditative Hiking, Icelandic Saga Storytelling

Programs: Weekend of Wellness with Yoga and Mindfulness, Welcome Yoga session, Morning Stretch and Mindfulness, Mindful or silent hike to Kleif, Sauna and outdoor hot pool, Stargazing hut evening, Cooking evening with Könglar, Horseriding and hiking day tours