One of the most famous statues in Reykjavik is the imposing Leifur Eiríksson in front of Hallgrímskirkja, at the end of Skólavörðustígur street. Eiríksson was best known as a hero of Viking age. He was the first European to arrive in America in the year 1000, preceding Christopher Columbus by roughly half a millennia. It was actually a gift from the United States.