Attractions in the Faroe Islands

Cultural experiences in the Faroe Islands

Your trip to Faroe Islands offers a wealth of cultural experiences, depending on what you find most interesting. We have compiled some of the most popular attractions of the islands.

The National Gallery - This is the largest collection of Faroese art and visual art. Here are amazing paintings, inspired by everyday life in the Faroe Islands. Especially the world-famous art of Sámal Joenssen-Mikines is worth admiring. The museum is home to both classic and contemporary Faroese art, and exhibitions and events regularly take place at the museum.

G! Festival - A legendary music festival taking place on the beach in the village of Gøta every year in July. Emphasis is on both minor upcoming bands and more established artists. The festival is located in a perfect setting overlooking the Faroese landscape.

Kirkjubøur - A historic village on the southern end of Streymoy, where you can experience an old royal farm, an old wooden church and the ruins of the old Catholic cathedral, called Múrunin.

The Nordic House - This house of culture on the outskirts of Tórshavn is the result of a Nordic dream of creating an institution that brings together Nordic culture. The building is bright and welcoming. You can experience traditional and contemporary events in the concert hall and visit the current art exhibitions.

Ólavsøka (Olaifest) - The Faroese National Day, celebrated on 28 and 29 July with a national festival in Tórshavn. The traditional costumes with silver buttons are prominently featured, and all of Tórshavn is transformed into celebration, dancing and colors. All are welcome.

Tinganes - The Old Town of Tórshavn, where the old Lagting has assembled for more than a thousand years. Here you will experience the beautiful old buildings built close together, the place of assembly on the rocks at the tip of the headland and feel the presence of history.

The Faroe Islands is so much more

Of course there are many more cultural experiences in the Faroe Islands. There's the Saga Museum in Vestmanna, where you can see and hear how the Faroese handled crime and punishment in ancient times, and how they dressed and lived their lives. The Norð­oya Fornminnissavn is a museum in Klaksvik. Here you can experience an old trading house, a pharmacy and get a glimpse of how these things operated in old times.

The National Gallery of the Faroe Islands - experience the best in Faroese art

Following Tórshavns main street through the Viðarlundin park, will take you to the National Gallery. Inside the museum is the largest collection of Faroese art in the world. The grounds surrounding the museum feature beautiful bronze sculptures by Faroese artists. The museum is built in the traditional Faroese style with black wood, and lies on the edge of the plantation, close to the National Stadium.

Exhibitions and events at the museum

The National Gallery contains over 2,000 Faroese works of art, making it the largest collection of Faroese art anywhere. At the museum you will get a unique insight into Faroese culture and art history, and a very clear impression of how the Faroe Islands is a central theme for the local artists. Animals, legends, traditions and landscapes are well represented in the artistic expression.

At the museum you will experience the most recognized works of the most famous artist of the Faroe Islands, Samuel Joensen-Mikines. Famous for his powerful images of Faroese culture, landscapes and people. The images are dark and dramatic, and the people look like they were carved out of the rocks.

The different rooms of the museum are dedicated to different times and artists, and each in their own way gives you a direct insight into the Faroese soul. In common is the Faroese motifs, whether naturalistic or abstract.

The purpose of the National Gallery is to safeguard and showcase Faroese art. This means that regular exhibitions of modern Faroese artists are on display in the large bright hall, which also hosts receptions and art openings.

Visit the page to see current and upcoming exhibitions in the art gallery.

About Faroese art

After the war the Faroese Art Association began to collect Faroese art. This became the collection of the National Gallery. The oldest paintings are from the 1840s. The Faroese tradition of visual arts is relatively new, whereas traditional crafts as wood carving and knitting stretches back to ancient times. It is the museum's primary task to preserve and publicize Faroese visual art, by publishing, creating exhibitions and lending out artworks to museums in other countries.

Visit Kirkjubøur - and get close to Faroese history

Kirkjubøur is an important part of Faroese history. It is the southernmost village in Streymoy, and is close to Tórshavn. In the Middle Ages this village was the cultural and religious center of the Faroes. The bishop resided here until the Reformation, and in the village you will find the impressive ruins of the old St. Magnus Cathedral. Built in the 1300s, the cathedral was never finished and was probably damaged by an avalanche. The only remains is the Múrunin (Wall) - an impressive five feet thick wall in the Gothic style that testifies to the old religion.

The old churches

The village is steeped in history and is known for its churches, as its name reveals. Ólavskirken is the only medieval church in the Faroe Islands, still used today. The charming whitewashed church dates from the 1200s. The very famous and beautifully carved Kirkjubø chairs, on display at the Forminnisavnid museum in Tórshavn, come from this church.

Family Farm in 17 generations

Roykstovan is a very old farmhouse that was once part of the bishop's palace. The farm has been the home of the peasants of Kirkjubøur for hundreds of years, and still is. The building consists of a large log house with a turf roof and is decorated just like in ancient times. Visiting the farm is like stepping back in time, and it's easy to imagine how life was back then without modern facilities.

Most houses in the village have the traditional turf roof, and the grass grows long. Sometimes the house needs a cut. The locals lift a sheep up onto the roof so that it can graze there and maintain the length of the roof.

Getting there

The best way to get to Kirkjubøur is to take a shortcut and hike over the hills from Tórshavn . You will be rewarded with a spectacular view and fresh air, and during the hike you will have a view of the islands to the west - Sandoy, Hestur, Koltur and Vágar. If you wish to hike to Kirkjubøur you can ask the locals for directions, but there are cairns to guide you all the way. The hike starts in the southern part of Tórshavn, at the junction between Landavegur and Velbastaðvegur where there is a bridge over the river Sandá. The hike to Kirkjubøur is about two hours.

You can drive there, of course - it is only 10 kilometers from Tórshavn to Kirkjubøur, by car or one of the local buses. The local red buses are free.

The Nordic House - Faroese Art and Nordic Community

The Nordic House rises from stone and grass on the outskirts of Tórshavn. It is the premier cultural institution of the Faroe Islands and part of a special Nordic community. It is the purpose of the house to display, promote and strengthen Nordic and especially Faroese art & culture, both locally as well as in the Nordic region.

Events, music & culture in the Faroe Islands

The Nordic House is home to diverse cultural experiences. Here you can experience both the permanent Faroese exhibition as well as regular exhibitions of inspiring contemporary art. In the evenings, various events take place in the large concert hall featuring opera, jazz, dance, theater and Faroese pop. There are also small free events, where you can come with family and friends and take part in Faroese dances. The bright lobby has a cozy atmosphere and a nice café.

The Nordic House is definitely a worthy experience. Enjoy an evening filled with Nordic culture. What to experience in the Nordic House in Tórshavn

Nordic architecture in Tórshavn

The large window facades and steel structure around the building signifies that the building must be able to withstand wind and weather. Nordic House is an architectural gem. Everything is Nordic. The stones are Norwegian, the chairs are Finnish, floor and walls were once a part of Swedish forests, and the characteristic glass and steel facade is Danish. The roof is Icelandic and the grass on the roof from the Faroe Islands. Overall, the house is a testament to the community and common spirit that bind the Nordic countries together.

Tinganes - A thousand years in Tórshavn

Traditionally, the Faroese have always made their decisions at the assembly on the rocks on the tip of the small peninsula, Tinganes. You may recognize the peninsula by its iconic red wooden houses with green roofs. Right next to it and steeped in history, is the oldest part of Tórshavn, á Reyni.

Jutting out into the water, this headland divides the port into two: Eystaravág and Vesteravág. On one side is the Skansin fortress of Tórshavn that protected the Faroese from pirates, and on the other side lies the promenade, which is central to city life in Tórshavn.

Parliament in Tórshavn

For more than a thousand years, The Faroese have assembled on Tinganes to make joint decisions. The first ‘ting’ took place in 825, and is one of the oldest assemblies in the world. Every summer, the Faroese travelled to Tinganes to discuss the coming year and what had happened in the past. On the tip of Tinganes you can see ancient carvings in the rocks, where the assembly took place.

Originally the ‘ting’ was held in the open out on the headland, later it was relocated into one of the houses there. The ‘Lagmand’, or Prime Minister, is the highest political position in the Faroe Islands, and has its seat in the big red house on Tinganes.

Á Reyni - A unique borough made of wood

Tinganes also provides the rocky ground for the Old Town, á Reyni. When you walk the small alleys between the beautiful old wooden houses you will experience a unique old district - the oldest part of Tórshavn. A borough made of wood and grass that has been preserved through the ages, and those who currently live there receive support for the restoration of buildings in the traditional style.

Here there are red warehouses, small alleys, blackened houses with grass roofs, ‘flueskabe’ and ‘hjallur’ (small traditional huts for drying mutton). Some of the houses are so close that you can not walk between them or even open a window. In those times, ​​a rule was made that the distance between the houses should be that of a stroke with a hammer. The houses are quite close and without straight lines and structure, and therefore they do not have numbers but names, usually after those who live there.

Guided through Tinganes

The best way to experience Tinganes is with a local guide who can tell you lots of great anecdotes, so as to familiarize yourselves with what has taken place there. Thus, you will acquire a deeper understanding of life in the Faroe Islands for the past thousand years.

Tinganes is located in the center of Tórshavn and is a must when visiting the capital. You will experience water on all sides, fresh air and small houses filled with charm and a history you will not find elsewhere. Read more about what to experience in Tórshavn here.