Reykjavík

Reykjavik is a huge metropolis condensed to the size of a tiny hamlet, ideal for a family-friendly city vacation. You'll find everything for adults - national museums, landmark cathedrals, historic architecture - as well as everything for youngsters, from geothermally heated swimming pools to whale-watching expeditions. Reykjavik is a city that caters to small visitors. For one thing, it is well-known for being child friendly. Locals are content to let newborns and toddlers sleep in strollers outside, while older children are free to wander the suburbs and remain out late during the warm summer evenings.

The weather is the most important worry for parents. The Icelandic environment may be freezing for young hands, and the city's insanely powerful winds can wreck canopy-covered strollers. Fortunately, municipal buses are free for children under the age of twelve, and indoor activities can readily withstand even the most torrential downpours. Another advantage is the terrain: downtown Reykjavik is mainly flat, with few if any steps to climb. Sidewalks are broad, making it simple to navigate with a stroller, and distances are small enough to be covered with a baby carrier - the downtown area is just 3km (1.86 miles) wide when measured from the Old Harbor to Helmmur.

Reykjavik has a zoo, or at least a zoo-like facility. The Hsdragarurinn, run by the City of Reykjavik, is more like a petting zoo with unique features like a chamber full of huge spiders and snakes, a pool of ringed seals feasting on herring, and an enclosure where Arctic foxes, Iceland's sole terrestrial animal, look wistfully at the adjacent geese. The famous Family Park, just next to the zoo, has an outstanding wooden playground that's a fantastic location to burn off some energy.

Location: Iceland