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Dominated by volcanic basalt formations & tens of thousands of sheep, the Faroe Islands are simultaneously super dramatic and pastorally peaceful.
@ a glance essentials:
.
Language:
Faroese
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Faroese Króna
Water safety
Safe to Drink - Among the Cleanest in the World
Most Locals can speak English.
Currency:
DKK
Local Transport
There are bus and ferry networks in large cities and even some smaller towns.
The Faroe Islands tightly controls it's tourism and has its own booking platform, guidetofaroeislands.com, where most tours can be found. Be prepared to pay tolls for tunnels and even some hikes have entrance fees.
Hot Tip:
Faroe is a self-governing territory 🔍 of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of an 18 islands (plus another 730 smaller islets, and skerries.) There is no evidence of any prehistoric indigenous population or migrations to the islands prior to ~500 AD when a small population of Celtic Hermit monks. Known as papar, they left Ireland to tend sheep and live in isolation for a few centuries before the archipelago 🔍 was colonized by Norse Vikings in 825 AD.†
(The Islands' early history, including it's conversion to Christianity in 999 AD, was recorded in the Færeyinga saga, written in Iceland ~13c.)
a bit of background...
........................ The islands' population is so small there are no real prison in Faroe and just 9 traffic lights in the whole archipelago. But they do have the world's 1st underwater traffic circle in the Eysturoyartunnilin subsea tunnel.
Fun Fact:
In 1380 AD the Faroe Islands entered a union with Denmark (ruled by Olaf II King of both Denmark & Norway ) The kingdoms 🔍 were soon also joined with Sweden in the Kalmar Union until it's withdrawal 1523, when the islands essentially fell under Danish rule.
During Germany's WWII invasion of Denmark Faroe was used as an arctic 🔍 outpost by England and the British presence encouraged a burgeoning nationalist movement which culminated in an independence referendum in 1946.
The secession movement won with just over 50% of the vote but Danish authorities not only invalidated the outcome, based procedural issues, they dissolved the Faroe parliament (Løgting.) In 1948 Denmark & the Islands were able negotiate a compromise resulting in the current Home Rule arrangement. (This semi- independence also allowed Faroe Island to stay out of the EU when Denmark joined.)
† Todays Faroese show approximately 87% Scandinavian paternal ancestry + 84% Celtic maternal lineages in genetic studies, and the language, Faroese, still bears closer resemblance to Old Norse (and Icelandic) than Danish does
Must Try Local Cuisine:
Skerpikjøt - wind-dried Mutton fermented in hay or Ræstur Fiskur – wind-dried, fermented fish
Turrfiskur – Dried fish rehydrated and served with butter or Spik (melted sheep fat).
Braised, Smoked or Dried Puffin or Guillemot † ∞ Grindadráp - Whale meat & blubber
Tvøst og spik - Literally “meat + blubber., thin slices of Ræst Kjøt (air-dried Meat hung for months) w/ spik (above)
Boiled Kohlrabi - a turnip like root veg. ∞ Seyðahøvd – Boiled sheep’s head
➿➰➿
† A local seabird
I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit
Faroe Islands
(but it's on the list!) - So I don't have any personal
(If you get there first send me your best finds !)
recommendations yet, but you can start with the most popular spots
below, and I'll update with my favorites, hopefully soon!
Most Known For:
♦️ Coastal views like Drangarnir & Tindhólmur sea-stacks, sea-arch + needle islets & Cliffs like
Beinisvørð: one of Europe's highest & Trælanípa w/ view of Lake Sørvágsvatn the “floating lake”
🔸 Sea Birds - thousands of which can be seen on the Vestmanna bird cliffs &
Mykines (Puffin Island) - with a lighthouse hike
♦️ Quaint Villages like Kirkjubøur: w/ the ruins of a medieval cathedral 🔍, the oldest still
inhabited wooden house in Europe (900+ years) and St. Olav’s church. or Gjógv with a
natural harbor in a gorge & colorful houses.
Plus Viking villages like Bour, Saksun; a tiny tidal bay w/ turf-roof houses & black-sand
lagoon & Tjørnuvík: black-sand surfing beach & Risin og Kellingin sea stacks:
🔸 Waterfalls like Fossá & Fossa; multi-tiered cliff waterfall (Faroe's tallest) & Múlafossur Waterfall dropping
straight into the sea🔍 .
♦️ Kallur Lighthouse | Kalsoy - epic cliff-edge light w/ the “James Bond grave” statue of the seal woman
🔸 Streymoy's Tórshavn Old Town w/ Alting - one of the world’s oldest parliaments (since ~850 AD)
♦️ Wool Jumpers; w/ more sheep 🐑 than people (~80,000 vs ~54,000 humans) the Islands are famous for cozy, thick,
traditional sweaters w/ distinctive geometric patterns tied to specific regions / families.
📽️ NOTABLE FILMS SHOT IN THE FAROE ISLANDS:
⭐ No Time to Die | 2021 (James Bond) ⭐ Vikings: Valhalla | 2022 ⭐ Peter Pan & Wendy | 2023
(used as Neverland)
🍿
🌀 Ólavsøka | Tórshavn (July 28th National Holiday) - celebrating Saint Olaf w/ traditional chain dances, ballad
recitals,† and concerts
🌀 Sjómansdagur / Seamen’s Day (1st Sunday in June) - honoring fishermen 🎣 w/ rowing competitions in
traditional Faroese boats,
🌀 Grindadráp / Pilot-Whale Drive) – when 🐳 meat & blubber are distributed free to the community
🌀 Gritnisbrøðra / St. John’s Eve Bonfires (June 23) - midsummer bonfires, singing old ballads & burning of witch
effigies on the cliffs.
🌀 Krossmessudagur (May Day / Cross Mass: May 1 or nearest Sunday) - Ancient spring festival with bonfires, raising
of a Maypole-like cross (popular in Sandur)
† Faroe has an oral tradition of ballads known as kvæði: narrative poems dating back to at least the 14th century, often performed during the Faroese chain dance; a medieval circle dance preserving
Site Key:
Five Star Recommend
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