A Journey to the Faroese Capital of Tórshavn
Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (ISO 200, 4.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/50 s)
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Tórshavn is the capital of the Faroe Islands and obviously, the country’s most populous city at 21,000. This is roughly 40% of the total Faroese population and is located on the island of Streymoy.
The Faroe Islands are part of Denmark but are self-governing. In Faroese, The Faroe islands are said as ‘Føroyar’, which is a combination of two Norse words ‘før’ and ‘oyar’ meaning ‘sheep’ and ‘islands’, respectively. So you can accurately say that the Faroe Islands literally means the Islands of Sheep. That is also a bit of an understatement since the population of Faroe is roughly 50,000 while the sheep population stands at 70,000.
My visit here was roughly 3 days into my Faroe Islands trip since I wanted to first see the hardest to reach parts of the country with the rental car that I had rented. Using public transport, Tórshavn is easily reached from all parts of Faroe using Bus 300 or 350 (depending on which direction you are heading/coming from).
Check out my drone video of Tórshavn, Faroe Islands below!
Furthermore, once you arrive in Tórshavn, you can rely on the FREE local bus network to get through the town (though the town is easily walkable). This was done to encourage the population and tourists to use public transport instead of driving and adding congestion to the Faroese capital (Bus Schedule and Map here).
Also, if you’re in this part of the world, I highly suggest seeing other Nordic Capitals like:
Old Town Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (ISO 400, 4.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/50 s)
Here in this post, I will go over some of the must see places in the Faroese capital city.
Trappan, presumably meaning ‘the stairs’ (I’m guessing since it looks a lot like the Swedish word for ‘the stairs’), is situated in the middle of town. It sits right next to the Tórshavn cathedral and seems to be where all the COOL kids hang out. Nonetheless, cool or not, it’s a great place to relax, unwind, have a picnic, or just chill out at while exploring the Faroese capital.
Trappen, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (ISO 100, 32 mm, f/4, 1/1000 s)
The Tórshavn Old Town (Á Reyni) has to be one of my favorite places in the whole city. There are about twenty turf houses here, with grass atop their roofs, painted black, and some with red and white trim. These small homes stand in excellent contrast with the more modern parts of the town that surround them. Be sure to take care when taking photos here and to respect the privacy of the local residents that still live in these homes.
Historic Tinganes is home to the Faroese government (Føroya Landssýri). Situated between two harbors, this collection of buildings also possess turfed roofs and form one of the oldest parliamentary sites in the world, dating back to the year 900. You would even expect for there to be some security in such a place of high importance but I found no such thing when I was walking around and exploring.
Tinganes, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (ISO 200, 4.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/50 s)
Skansin is a fort in Tórshavn dating back to 1580 when it was built to protect against pirates but Magnus Heinason. Over the years, it was fortified and used by the British during WWII. There still remains a few cannons on site that are from earlier periods. Even today, some of the fortress walls still remain and the overall topography of the site suggests it was used for defensive purposes.
The most recognizable part of Skansin has to be the Skansin Lighthouse. Views from here have you tower over the port of Tórshavn and out towards Nólsoy Island. Built in 1888, it still stands in pristine conditions atop Skansin fort and was one of my favorite spots in the city to take in the warm weather.
If you like some of my photos that you have come across, just know that I have many prints showcasing a variety of landscapes, including Faroe, available for purchase below! (Sold as Posters, Canvas, or in Metal-Frames and Wooden-Frames).
After seeing Old Town Tórshavn, I happened to stumble upon the Tórshavn Cathedral (Havnar Kirkja, or Dómkirkjan). It is the second oldest church in the Faroe Islands and situated on the Tinganes Peninsula. It was built in 1788 and its denomination in Evangelical-Lutheran. Its status as a cathedral began in 1990, when it became the seat of the Bishop of the Faroe Islands.
What I enjoyed most about this cathedral, was its facade and adjacent outdoor garden area. It was incredibly inviting with a variety of unusual and aesthetically pleasing plants. Almost like the cathedral possessed a small botanical garden next door.
Vesturkirkjan is another church further across town in Tórshavn. The church serves the Western part of Tórshavn (while the Tórshavn Cathedral serves the eastern part). Its shape is a little unusual compared to most churches, however it is meant to resemble a sailing ship, an homage to the maritime history of the Faroese. The tower itself is 42 meters high and is a halved pointed pyramid that is easily to pick out from the Tórshavn skyline.
Svartafoss Waterfall, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (ISO 200, 4.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 s)
I never expected Tórshavn to have a lot of nature due to its profile as the country’s capital, but just a 5 min bus ride away took me to a landscape that seemed to be from a National Park. The Svartafoss Waterfall (Svartifossur, or ‘Black waterfall’) can be found in the northern part of Tórshavn, just a few mins walk from the bus stop that I arrived at from the city center. I thought it was pretty cool to have something like this, easily accessible to the city’s residents and tourists alike.
Gundadalur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (ISO 200, 4.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/60 s)
It is called the black waterfall because when there is a drought, little water flows through and the dried stone underneath the would be falls, is black. Photographs from over 100 years ago show little change in the surrounding environment, highlighting the Faroese commitment to maintaining their nature.
Not too far away is the Nordic House (Norðurlandahúsið), the cultural center of the country. The building materials come from all over Scandinavia, the turfed roof being its most recognizable feature. An architecture competition was held in 1977 to design the space with the winners being Norwegian Ola Steen and Islander Kollbrún Ragnarsdóttir. The building was completed and opened in 1983. There are always exhibitions going on inside and you can also just pop in for a coffee/tea as well to relax on your way to/from Svartifossur.
Lastly, a spot I really enjoyed while in Tórshavn was just the harbor area. The Tórshavn Harbor wraps around many small peninsulas on the coastline and contains hundreds of vessels, big and small. What I really loved was how the still water formed a perfect mirror with the sky when specifically taking photographs of the harbor.
Tórshavn is a small capital city but don’t let that fool you; it is absolutely worth seeing and exploring, perhaps as a stop on your Faroe islands road trip or for an overnight stay. Enjoy!
