Faroe Islands Things to Do Tips by lisahurley

Kirkjubøur is the southernmost village on the island of streymoy. It is home to the ruins of an unfinished cathedral, a 900 year old farmhouse (which is part museum, part farm house - still in use today), and St. Ólav's church. The latter (a small white church near the ruins) was built in 1110 and was the main church of the Faroes Islands and bishop's seat for centuries. According to legend, a boy was born in a cave above the village and was raised at the bishop's seat. Later he became King Sverre of Norway.

Leave a Comment

Skansin is a small fort in Tórshavn, the capital. There is a light house there, some cannons, and the tiny old fort. It was built in 1580 to protect Tórshavn - the trading center. It served as an artillery cache during a war against Britain in 1808. The light house is red and white and makes for some amazing photos surrounded by blue sky and brillirant green grass. It's quite beautiful.

Leave a Comment

By far the most fun tourist thing I have ever done in the Faroes. Our group was taken out in two boats. Our guide was fantastic. He could tell us the trivia, history, and legend associated with every crag, cliff, and bluff. We didn't actually get to see very many birds on this particular excursion, but apparently that's not usually the case. We did see a number of birds, especially puffins. The view was absolutely spectacular. Gorgeous green-topped cliffs and surrounding islands. We were taken right into the grottos between the cliffs. Fantastic! The boats are small though, and feel every motion of the sea, so if you are not comfortable on water be warned. Also be prepared to get prett wet! There was some splashing from the sea, but we also got rained on before going back to shore.

Leave a Comment

I took part in the program last year. I was hoping to gain a good grasp of the language as part of my studies. It turned out that the language studies themselves are kind of a joke. They taught us very little. However, they took us on some of the most wonderful cultural/geographical excursions. We did a fantastic hike from Tórshavn to Kirkjubøur, took historical/sight-seeing tours through Tórshavn, Kirkjubøur, and the northern islands, did the awesome bird-cliff tour in Vestmanna, and toured various museums. We had a number of culture and history lectures that were wonderful. The course also took place during the summer, which gave us ability to also attend the multi-day national holiday - Ólavssøka. I'm hoping that the program does boost its efforts to offer a good course on the Faroese language, but either way, the other experiences made the trip and classes well worth it. Check out their pamphlet. http://www.setur.fo/documents/20041122172447.pdf

Leave a Comment

Website: www.setur.fo