Or simply the Faroe Islands - an archipelago located in the north of the Atlantic Ocean, almost halfway between Iceland and Great Britain. It belonged to Denmark until 1948, when an agreement was reached on the Faroe Islands receiving limited sovereignty.
The Faroe Islands have the status of an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark with independent administration in all matters except foreign policy and defense. The distance from the metropolis in a straight line is about 1,000 kilometers.
- The closest are the sparsely populated areas of northern Scotland (Shetland - 260 km) and Iceland (450 km)
Attractions
Of the 18 islands that make up the archipelago, only one is uninhabited - Litla Dimun (about 0.8 km2 in area). And this is surprising - in general, not the most hospitable weather conditions.
The population of the other 17 islands (Bordoy, Esturoy, Fugloi, Hestur, Kalsoy, Koltur, Kunoy, Mykines, Nolsoy, Sandoy, Skuvoy, Stora Dimun, Streymoy, Suduroy, Svinoy, Vagar, Vidoy) ranges from 2 (Koltur) to 21 thousand inhabitants (Streymoy).
It is simply necessary to look at all the diversity - in its own way this is a unique attraction. Perhaps the most sparsely populated and unpolluted nature corner in Europe! The roads in the Faroe archipelago are of excellent quality, and the landscapes even have something unearthly in them.
You won’t have to be distracted by castles and other palaces - they have never been here. All attention is on green hills, rocks growing from the icy sea, sunrises and sunsets, fogs and other natural delights.
There is enough air and perspectives here - believe me, a trip to the Faroe Islands is no worse than traveling through the Norwegian fjords (which is still an expensive pleasure) or discovering a distant one!
Description
Tórshavn was founded in the 10th century in the southeast of Streymoy and named after the god of thunder and lightning, Thor. The name literally means "Harbor of Thor".
The Faroe Islands are a self-governing parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the Queen of Denmark.
As an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, according to the law on local self-government, the archipelago has its own supreme legislative power - the parliament (Løgting) and the government (Landsstuiri). There must be a royal auditor (ombudsman) in parliament.
It has, however, only an observational function. Also, two representatives of the islands are permanent members of the Danish parliament, the Folketing.
The local economy is based on fishing and fish processing, conversion of small boats and handicrafts. The GDP of this sparsely populated country is over $ 2 billion, which makes the Faroese very wealthy people (annual per capita income exceeds $ 45 thousand. Unemployment is about 5.5%, which is explained not so much by the rosy state of the economy as by the migration of young people to Denmark.
Major islands
Streymoy (374 km2) is the largest and most populated (about 21.5 thousand inhabitants). Almost half of the country's population lives on the "island of currents". The capital of the Faroes, the city of Torshvan, is also located here. The hilly relief is typical, the highest point is Kopsenni Peak (789 m).
Esturoy (286 km2) - the second largest and most populous (about 10.5 thousand inhabitants), literally translated as "eastern island". An automobile bridge was built between Streymoy and Estura. Here is the highest point of the country - the peak of Slattaratindur (882 m).
Vagar (177 km2) is the third largest island with a population of about 2,785 inhabitants. The only international airport "Vagar" in the archipelago is located here.
Suduroy (163 km2), literally translated as "southern island", is inhabited by about 5 thousand inhabitants.
Geography and climate
The Faroe Islands have a rugged, rocky terrain with several low mountain peaks and a steep, indented coastline teeming with long fjords.
There are no especially high mountains on the archipelago, there are no large rivers and lakes. Although if you look at the photo, it seems that the entire archipelago is a series of mountains and valleys. The highest point of the Faroe Islands is located on the island of Esturoy - this is the peak of Slattaratindur (882 m above sea level).
A pronounced maritime subarctic climate dominates. The general character is determined by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, and in particular, the North Atlantic Current. And although the warm Gulf Stream softens the cold somewhat, the summer here is usually cold: the average air temperature in July is +11-+17 °C.
Winter is very mild for these latitudes. In January, the thermometers show from 0 to + 4 °C.
Cloudy weather prevails throughout the year, with rain, strong winds and fog. And the sun is perceived as a gift.
When to go
The best time to visit the Faroe Islands is from May to October. In July and August - the peak of the tourist season, and since you still won’t be able to swim, get out here in late May or early June. Prices are lower, and there are many fewer curious people!
You ask: why not go in winter, if the Gulf Stream warms the islands, and the weather is generally very mild (perfectly calm Christmas and New Year)? And we will answer: a very short day and a high probability of inclement weather. In summer, on the contrary, the duration of daylight hours reaches 19 hours and ... take a walk - I don’t want to!
Where to stay
Tórshavn and its surroundings offer the widest selection of hotels and individual apartments. Even on New Year's Eve you can find options from 65 € per night, but in general the price is 80-100 €.
How to get there
The easiest way to fly to the Faroe Islands is from Copenhagen - yet Denmark remains a metropolis and is obliged to provide good transport accessibility for (partially) its own citizens.
Vagar Airport is the only one in the archipelago, located on the island of the same name. The latter is connected to Streymoy and Tórshavn by a motorway laid, among other things, through an underwater tunnel. Distance - 45 km.
Bus number 300 runs regularly during the day (schedule: www.ssl.fo/en/timetable/bus/300-torshavn-airport-soervagur/). You can also get there by taxi. Further, it is wiser to rent a car in order to fully enjoy the local scenery.
A Schengen visa is not applicable here (this is if you run into passport control, which used to be very rare for domestic flights) - you need a national Danish visa with a special stamp that gives you the right to visit the islands.
However, there are a lot of stories about trips to Schengen on the Internet - we recall that most likely you will fly here from Copenhagen, and they will let you into Denmark on a multivisa of any country included in the agreement.
There are only two ways to arrive, and both are quite obvious.
- By plane from Denmark, Great Britain, Norway, or Iceland. The local Faroese air carrier Atlantic Airways flies to the airports of Copenhagen and Aalborg, Oslo and Bergen, even London. Flights depart from Kastrup, for example, up to 5 times a week. This is in the summer - less often in the winter
- There are also ferries to the Faroe Islands from Denmark. They leave from the port of Hirthals in the north of the Jutland peninsula twice a week in summer and once in winter. The operating company is Smyril Line, there is only one ferry, Norröna. Alas and ah, the pleasure is not cheap: traveling back and forth with a car will cost from 236 euros out of season!
Visa
Please note that the usual Schengen may not be enough to visit the Faroe Islands: Denmark requires not only a national visa, but also a separate stamp to visit the archipelago.
Passport control used to be a rare occurrence and therefore the usual European multivisa was enough. But now, due to the influx of refugees, it is better not to take risks and get a cherished mark in advance.
Holidays in the Faroe Islands 2019: how to get there, what to see and what to eat. Visa, accommodation and good hotels in the Faroe Islands.
The Faroe Islands are a group of islands surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and located between Iceland and Scotland. The capital of the Faroe Islands is the city of Torshavn, which is one of the smallest cities that have the status of the main city of the state. The national currency is the Faroese krone. The Faroe archipelago consists of 18 islands, people live on only 17 of them. The number of people living in the Faroe Islands almost reaches the mark of 50,000 people.
The name of the archipelago comes from the Faroese word "Føroyar", which translates into Russian as "Sheep Islands". You should not be surprised by this name, because there are much more sheep here than people! If you climb deep into any of the islands, even there, among the rocks, there is a great opportunity to see a cute sheep.
How to get to the Faroe Islands
There are two options for getting to the Faroe Islands:
- The first is to fly on one of the planes Faroese national airline Atlantic Airways. This is the only company that makes regular flights to the Faroe Islands. The cheapest and most popular flight: Copenhagen - Vagar. It takes place several times a day, the flight lasts about 2 hours. Also, the Faroe Islands can be reached from the UK and Norway. From these countries there are also flights to the Faroe Islands.
- The second option is to get on the water, for example, by ferry from Copenhagen. Such a trip will cost less than a plane ticket, but you should be prepared for the fact that the journey can take up to two days.
Visa to the Faroe Islands - how to open
There are many legends around obtaining a visa for a trip to the Faroe archipelago, but in reality everything is much simpler. Yes, you will need a separate visa to travel to the Faroe Islands. But making it is very easy. The set of documents is no different from the one required to obtain a Schengen visa. An application for a visa must be submitted at the consulate, if desired, you can also get a Danish Schengen. They will simply make a note to you that with this visa you can freely visit the Faroe Islands.
Faroe Islands - accommodation and hotels
The most popular Faroe hotels are located on the largest islands of the archipelago, which include Vagar, Streymoy and Esturoy. In the rest of the Faroe Islands, housing is much worse, but this problem can be easily solved.
On booking.com or the same roomguru.ru there are good hotels on the largest Faroe Islands that can be booked in advance. What, by the way, will the Danish consulate expect from you before opening a visa for you.
You can rent a hotel room on one of the main islands, and from there go on excursions to other parts of the archipelago. The road even to the most distant places will take only a few hours.
Which hotel to choose in the Faroe Islands?
You can go through all the offers on the Internet yourself, but to save time, we have found 6 accommodation options. Location, price, authenticity are our main criteria.
- Hotel Hafnia 4* . This is the best accommodation option in the center of Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. Oarvegur street, where Hotel Hafnia- Central in the city. To the port - 5 minutes. Modern rooms with comfortable beds, hearty Scandinavian breakfasts in the restaurant overlooking the harbour. There is free parking. Note that the airport bus stop is right outside the hotel.
Hotel Hafnia 4 stars, central street of Torshavn
- Hotel Streym 3* . This hotel is superbly located if you have a large excursion program in the Faroe Islands. It is located near the Torshavn ferry terminal - wall to wall 🙂 From here you can sail to anywhere in the archipelago. The hotel itself is a good "troika", with a plus. The rooms have everything, including heated floors and wi-fi.
Hotel Streym 3 star ferry crossing
- Hotel Vagar 3* . This inn is located in the village of Sørvágur, which is included in the list of attractions of the Faroes. But the main advantage of the Vagar hotel is its location - only 2 minutes walk (!) to the airport. For this he is chosen. It is difficult to find fault with the quality of rooms and service - everything corresponds to 3 stars. In Scandinavia this means a lot!
Faroe Islands - airport hotel
- Hotel Torshavn 3*. This is an ordinary three-star hotel, but we could not ignore it, as it is located right on the waterfront of Tórshavn. One of the most picturesque places in the capital! This is a bed & breakfast with a good restaurant where even the locals go in the evenings.
- Guesthouse Hugo. Inexpensive guest house in the village of Sørvagur. Nearby is the airport. It is convenient to go on excursions, especially if you rent a car on the islands. According to reviews - good hospitable hosts. But the main thing is the price!
Inexpensive guest house is an alternative to a hotel
- Gjaargardur Guesthouse Gjogv 2* . If you want a Scandinavian entourage and the feeling that the Faroe Islands are the harsh north and stunning nature, then the village of Gjogv is the best fit! A quality bed & breakfast style hotel with a moss-covered roof and great reviews on booking.com - 8.7 points out of 150 reviews, 9.4 points for super location.
One of the best hotels in the Faroe Islands in the bosom of nature!
Other housing options
Firstly, you can find accommodation in the most remote corners of the archipelago using the website of the island you want to go to. There are various accommodation options for tourists. In this case, the confirmation of the reservation will be guaranteed only by your verbal agreements with the hosts. This will require fluency in English and experience in communicating with local residents.
Secondly, there is another option - to spend the night in a tent, but this is only possible in special places designed specifically for camping.
Transport in the Faroe Islands
This is a fairly simple task. All the islands of the archipelago are located next to each other, and the distances between cities and Faroe attractions are very short. In addition, the transport infrastructure is very well developed here. Quite often there are buses that can take you to almost all significant places. Tickets for them are inexpensive.
Ferry from Copenhagen to the Faroe capital
There is a ferry service between the islands. In the Faroe Islands, this type of transport is not considered something special and is equated to ordinary buses. Therefore, ferries run regularly, and a ticket for them is cheap.
Another mode of transport for moving around the archipelago is a helicopter. If you think it's expensive, you're wrong. A helicopter flight from one island to another costs less than a taxi ride to the airport. So this is a great opportunity to fly this type of transport at least once in your life. Just don't forget to book your helicopter seat in advance.
What and where to eat in the Faroe Islands
If your route lies in some sparsely populated part of the Faroe Islands, then it is better to take food with you. Of course, even on the outskirts there are shops, but they are open only a couple of hours a day. In larger settlements, you can easily buy something tasty in supermarkets or sit in local cafes. Well, in the capital there will be no problems with food at all, restaurants and cafes are literally at every step.
Capital of the Faroe Islands - Tórshavn
So, where you can eat beautifully, tasty and inexpensively in the Faroe Islands:
- If you are in Tórshavn, be sure to visit Koks Restaurant. People in the Faroe Islands love and appreciate nature very much. This connection can be felt even in such establishments. All dishes are prepared only from those products that grow on the archipelago or are mined in the ocean.
- If you want to sit in some cozy place, you can go to fish restaurant Barbara. It is located in the historical part of Torshavn. This is a place stylized as a traditional Faroese house, the roof of which is made of straw. The dishes here are always fresh, as they are prepared from fish caught on the same day.
Video tour of the Faroe archipelago
Climate of the Faroe Islands
Despite the fact that the Faroe Islands are located in the north, the local climate is distinguished by its mildness due to the Gulf Stream. The average temperature in summer is around +13º, it can rise up to +20º. In winter, it stays above the 0º mark, there are practically no frosts here. In the summer months in these latitudes you can observe "white nights", and in winter - the northern lights.
The positive features of the local climate end there. Most of the time in the Faroe Islands it rains and a cold wind blows. Therefore, put a raincoat and high-quality waterproof boots in your suitcase. The weather is very changeable, it can change literally every few minutes. Although in winter the temperature does not drop to minus, it is still very cold here, as the humidity is quite high. Here is such a climate that is not hospitable at first glance in the Faroe Islands.
Where to stay
The Faroe Islands are steep cliffs, fogs, waterfalls, wooden houses with grass on the roof, whales, langoustines, sheep and the harsh Atlantic. The geographical location of the Faroe Islands can most easily be described by the English expression "in the middle of nowhere".
An archipelago of eighteen small and many small islands is hidden in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The easiest way to get here is from Iceland - ferries run from the land of ice to the Faroe Islands.
In the photo: the coast of Eggjarnar in the village of Vagur on the island of Suvuroy
At the beginning of the ninth century, immigrants from Scotland settled here, then the Vikings sailed here, and until the nineteenth century, the territory of the islands was divided between Norway and Denmark. Now the Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but since 1948 they have received autonomy and most issues can be resolved independently.
The name of the islands is translated as “sheep”, because with a population of 50,000 inhabitants, there are 70,000 sheep of a special Faroese breed. Few get to the Faroe Islands, but those who can will not be disappointed, because there is a harsh northern nature, traditional wooden architecture and a peculiar cuisine that includes raw seafood and fermented lamb.
HARBOR OF THORNE
Everything on the islands is very compact and rustic in a good way. The capital of the Faroe Islands, Toshavn, is located on the island of Streymoy. It is built up with low houses, there are only 3 traffic lights, and the Prime Minister's personal number can be found in the phone book.
Torshavn is a port city named after the god Thor, the main local attractions are the 15th century monastery Munkastovan, the Historical Museum, the cultural center House of Northern Peoples and the old town with houses of the 14th century.
I want to talk about local architecture separately. In the old days, houses in the Faroe Islands were built of tarred dark wood, and the roofs were covered with turf and grass. Today, the government monitors the preservation of a single architectural style and new houses are built here exactly the same. Most of the historic churches on the islands date back to the nineteenth century, all made of wood and with original carvings.
Pictured: Norðragøta dark wood church with a turf roof
And even in the cities, at every step you will meet the honorary inhabitants of these lands - sheep. It is logical that lamb is the main dish of the local cuisine, and sheep wool products are the main Faroese souvenirs. You can buy just a traditional sweater, hat or mittens, but it is better to go to the fashion brand Guðrun&Guðrun. It was founded by two Faroese young ladies, and even the main character of the famous Danish TV series “Murder” walked in the sweater of their brand.
NATURE OBSERVATION
And yet, for the most part, travelers go to the Faroe Islands to admire the harsh beauty of the local nature. It is wild, northern, harsh, similar species can be observed in Iceland, because, like the Faroe Islands, they are treeless, like the country of ice. But there are rocky cliffs, fjords and waterfalls - the most famous Bosdalafossur is located on the island of Voar, which resembles a dog's head in its shape.
In the photo: Bosdalafossur waterfall on the island of Voar
It does not matter which islands you visit, everywhere you can see the impressive landscapes of the Atlantic, rocks and sheep. The largest islands of the archipelago are Streymoy, Esturoy, Voar, Suduroy, Sanda and Borda. We recommend hiking as the main entertainment - 23 spectacular routes have been developed here.
In the photo: lighthouse at Cape Akraberg, Suvuroy island
But no matter where you go, after 5 kilometers you will still find yourself at the Atlantic Ocean - this is the maximum distance to it from anywhere on any island.
Pictured: Puffins arrive in the Faroe Islands to nest
Add to this private fogs, lighthouses, concentrated sea air and bird trills - about 110 native species of birds live on the islands, plus the territory is a migratory place for birds, and the symbol of the Faroe Islands is the sandpiper.
MYSTERIES OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
Be sure to go fishing. Fishing is the main industry for the Faroese, and 90% of local exports are seafood. Here they catch langoustines, mussels, sea urchins, cod, herring, halibut, flounder, catfish, squid, monk fish, whales and sharks. By the way, despite the low water temperature, diving in the Faroe Islands is not only possible, but every year it becomes more and more popular. And this is not surprising, because in the underwater depths near the islands you can observe starfish and urchins, sea cucumbers, hermit crab and huge mussels.
The Faroe Islands are located in the north of the Atlantic, in the open ocean, significantly north of Scotland. Officially, they belong to Denmark, but in fact life in the Faroe Islands is subject not so much to the Danish crown as to its own laws and rules. Tourists are not waiting here for azure waters, chic hotels and well-trained bartenders serving colorful cocktails to vacationers on the beach. The nearest inhabited coast is Icelandic, and it is located 450 km. But if you are looking for a place to escape from everything, then the Faroe Islands are the perfect place for this.
In one of its publications, National Geographic magazine called the Faroe Islands the best islands in the world. It seems that even their inhabitants themselves more than agree with this characterization.
How to get to the Faroe Islands
By plane to Torshavn with a transfer through Denmark (Copenhagen) or Norway (Bergen or Stavanger). The most popular local transport in the Faroe Islands is, of course, water, and you need to travel between the islands by ferry. In the summer, you can also take a ferry from Bergen to Tórshavn.
Visa
The Faroe Islands are not part of the Schengen area. To visit these territories, it is necessary to obtain a national Danish visa, valid for entry into the Faroe Islands, in addition to the regular Danish Schengen visa. If the tourist already has a valid Schengen visa of another country, it is enough to apply for a national Danish visa with a note about entering the Faroe Islands. The list of required documents and the process of obtaining a visa to the Faroe Islands is identical to the process of obtaining a Schengen visa to Denmark.
Search for flights to Copenhagen (nearest airport to Faroe Islands)
A bit of history
In total, the Faroe Islands include 18 islands, and people live on all but the last, Small Dimun. The first inhabitants appeared on the islands around the 8th-9th centuries; then the islands saw the Vikings and for some time served as a staging post in their sea expeditions. Once the Faroe Islands were divided between Norway and Denmark, but at the beginning of the 19th century they were completely taken over by the Danes. During the Second World War, the islands were occupied by Great Britain in response to the capture of Denmark by the Germans (this did not affect the course of the war in any way). The next year after the end of the war, the Faroe Islands were about to secede from the Kingdom of Denmark, but it was not there: the maximum that the islanders achieved was partial sovereignty.
In one of its publications, National Geographic magazine named the Faroe Islands the best islands in the world (this is a consolidated expert assessment of half a thousand specialists in the tourism industry). It seems that even their inhabitants themselves more than agree with this characterization. Despite the fact that the economy of the islands rests, figuratively speaking, on sheep and herring, the weather is gloomy, and fuel and other essential items have to be purchased on the mainland for five hundred kilometers, the standard of living in the Faroe Islands is one of the highest in the world. And almost all the islanders are ardent patriots who optimistically paint their houses in different colors in spite of gloomy weather and gray skies.
Due to unacceptable fishing taxes for local residents, the Faroe Islands have not yet entered the European Union.
Faroese cuisine
The traditional dishes of the Faroes, dense and simple, are all rather curious, but by modern standards they cannot be called healthy. Although local dishes, for obvious reasons, are often prepared from fish, the Faroese themselves prefer fatty and unsalted meat, in particular lamb, and potatoes from vegetables. However, more and more European establishments have recently been opened in large settlements. So you need to look specifically for traditional restaurants to try smorrebrod for breakfast (a sandwich with butter and meat eaten with cutlery), for lunch - dried cod and mutton kidney soup, and for dinner - puffin meat pie, rhubarb and potatoes.
Weather in the Faroe Islands
The climate here cannot be called mild: in summer it usually does not get warmer than +15 ° C, it rains about 280 days a year, and the winds blow almost constantly. Therefore, there are few trees on the islands - solid rocks and moss, but there are a lot of carved picturesque fjords, bays, bays and mountains.
In winter, the islands are very wet and particularly cold. But the Gulf Stream washing them does not allow coastal waters to freeze and even maintains their temperature at about +10 ° C. This season, when there are no people around, and the water is especially clear, is considered ideal for diving enthusiasts.
3 things to do in the Faroe Islands:
- Buy and bring home to your grandmother a few hanks of local first-class sheep's wool for knitting. This can be done in almost any grocery store.
- Get to the town of Skopun on the island of Sandoy, where the largest mailbox in the world is located. This is a huge blue building of several human heights, against which you should definitely take a picture (alas, the box is non-functional).
- Try local meat and fish dried-cured snacks: whale meat and lamb in the Faroe Islands are dried in a dozen different ways, sometimes for a year.
Entertainment and attractions of the Faroe Islands
The main city of the Faroe Islands is Torshavn on the island of Streymoy, and it is quite picturesque and specific. But, of course, those who travel to the Faroe Islands do not come for city sightseeing. The main thing for which people come to the Faroe Islands is the amazing nature, solitude and the feeling that you are on the edge of the earth.
Torshavn
The capital of the islands, Tórshavn, has a mixed atmosphere: part port, part metropolitan, part even some kind of rural. Here it is worth visiting, first of all, the ancient Munkastovan Monastery, built in the 15th century and surrounded by a stone wall. In the 17th century, a major fire raged in the city, but the monastery escaped destruction. The main museum on the islands is also curious - the historical one, which contains a variety of examples of applied art and worship, traditional household utensils and household items of villagers, fishermen and sailors. The main cultural center of Tórshavn is the Nordic House, where a conference hall, a concert hall, a library and an art gallery are open. On summer nights, special introductory events for tourists are organized here.
Faroe Islands: Fugloy, Kalsoy, Sandoy
Attractions Faroe Islands is each island separately, each with its own special nature, pretty rural houses under colorful roofs (and often covered with turf and grass), coastal cliffs in a foggy haze. On some you will find old Lutheran churches, on most - numerous flocks of sheep in green meadows, and on all - the purest air and cold blue skies, not polluted by industrial enterprises, which are not here.
Many of the islands have earned special fame due to the peculiarities of the landscape, climate, flora or fauna. So, for example, on the island of Fugloy (“Bird Island”), sea birds nest in huge numbers. Here, high, more than half a kilometer cliffs, favored by millions of birds, crash into the water. The even more mountainous Kalsoy (“pipe-island”) is surprising, however, not with mountains, but quite the contrary - with underground passages and caves. And the most “flat” of all Sandoy is famous for others: here you can admire wide sand dunes near the coast, and two beautiful lakes are located on a hill.
Faroe islands
Leisure
On the island of Vioy is one of the highest cliffs in Europe, Enniberg, which climbers have been unsuccessfully trying to conquer for many decades. And to the north of Skarvanes, on the island of Kalsoy, the cape ends with a sharp prong sticking up - Tretlkonufingur, "Troll's Finger". Amateur fishermen should go to the island of Streymoy, where the most fertile lake Pollur in terms of fishing is located: there you can fish not only banal salmon, but also large halibut and eels. Vagar Island is famous for the Slave rock with a lake located high in the mountains: the water from it spills over a rocky cliff near the village of Gasadapur and breaks straight into the ocean, and together with a rocky ridge in the background and a village in the middle, all this is such a sight that is certainly worth see. And on the island of Nolsoy there are large seal rookeries - also an incredible picture.
Vagar Island is famous for the Slave rock with a lake located high in the mountains: water from it overflows over a rocky cliff near the village of Gasadapur and breaks straight into the ocean.
Culture and customs of the Faroe Islands
The own culture of the Faroe Islands developed far from European civilization and therefore has largely retained its exclusivity to this day. This is a bizarre interweaving of Danish and its own cultural heritage, which is well reflected in local folk festivals. For example, Faroese round dances are a very special phenomenon, without which not a single entertainment event can do. You can look at them, for example, at the festival of St. Olaf (Oulafsek), who once baptized Norway, at the end of July, as well as at traditional rowing competitions between villages, horse competitions, and painting exhibitions. Oulavsjoka embraces all the islands with fun, without exception, but other parts of the archipelago also host other festivals throughout the year - July Vestanstevna in the west, Noriyastevna in the north, Jouansjoka in the south.
One of the specific traditions of the islanders, which causes at least an ambivalent attitude among the guests of the Faroe Islands, is the summer slaughter of whales.
Whaling
For more than a millennium, the inhabitants of the Faroe Islands have been fed to a fair extent by whaling. Having found a flock of whales (or rather, dolphins) that have entered the bay, they are surrounded by boats, driven to the shore and there, in the literal sense of the word, they are slaughtered with knives, which is why all the water near the shore changes color. The tradition is resented by animal rights activists, but it is as characteristic of the local culture as dances, and at the same time much more urgent for the region, whose only sources of income are in fact fishing, sheep breeding and agriculture. Whale meat - a traditional and very favorite dish on the islands - is neither exported nor sold: it is eaten by the miners themselves, as in prehistoric times.
With a flight, in principle, everything is clear to you: there are no direct flights from Russia and it is best to fly through one of the Scandinavian countries. How to make it more profitable will depend on when you plan your trip and how long before departure you start looking for tickets. But if we talk about daily flights, they are operated only from the airport of the Danish capital of Copenhagen, and not once, but two or three times a day. From other countries, flights are made only a few times a week, and for the winter period they are almost completely stopped.
With accommodation, the situation is ambiguous. Please note that the country does not have the usual star rating for many hotels, instead the following categories are used: "Deluxe", "Superior" and "Standard". This feature is a consequence of the fact that hotels are located on small islands and are buildings that are no more than two floors high, while the service provided in them can be described as limited. Therefore, before booking a hotel, you need to pay attention not only to its appearance, but also to the list of services provided. As already correctly noted, the cost depends on the season. The lowest prices can be found in winter, but this is far from the best period to visit the islands, both in terms of transport accessibility and in terms of accessibility of attractions. Small hostels and guest houses offer a minimum of services at reasonable prices, but such accommodation is suitable only for unpretentious tourists who plan to spend most of their time traveling and on excursions.
Food will be more difficult due to harsh climatic conditions. The country is rich in fish, so you can take a fishing rod with you and solve the problem of food on your own. But before fishing, you need to clarify whether fishing is allowed there on a particular reservoir on a free basis or you need to purchase a special license (it can be purchased at any tourist center). Alcoholic drinks are sold only to persons over 18 years of age. Light beer is sold in any shops, cafes and restaurants, and for stronger drinks you will have to go to specialized stores that are in relatively large settlements. You can find such stores by the Government Monopoly sign. Also strong drinks can be found in other places (cafes, restaurants, nightclubs) that have the appropriate license for this.
If you are going on a trip with friends, then you should think about renting a car, and if you are alone or together, then it is better not to even consider this option and limit yourself to traveling by public transport (you can get all the necessary information in the same tourist centers).
Be very serious about packing for your trip, as if you forget something, it will be much more expensive to buy on the spot. Regardless of the season, it is worth taking a waterproof jacket with you, which will come in handy at any time of the year. A warm sweater, comfortable, waterproof shoes, hats, scarves and sunglasses will not be superfluous.
When traveling around the islands in a small backpack, it is advisable to have hot drinks, regular drinking water and some high-calorie foods like chocolate or dried fruit. If you plan to visit remote areas, then be sure to notify the tourist office, so that in which case they can promptly start searching or provide some kind of assistance.
If you need to be constantly in touch, then the best option would be to buy a local SIM card. There are two main mobile operators in the Faroe Islands: Kall P / F and Foroya Tele, which offer approximately the same conditions. Conditions for domestic operators are extremely unfavorable. You can buy a local SIM card in hotels, gas stations, post offices. Those who do not need a connection, but only periodically need the Internet, can use an Internet cafe. Many hostels, guesthouses and hotels provide free wi-fi, but not everywhere.
It is not customary to leave additional tips on the islands, usually they are already included in the bill and when ordering, immediately add 5 to 15% to it.
For purchases over $48, you can count on a VAT refund. To do this, such purchases must be made in stores that have Tax Free notice signs (usually they are located at the entrance to the store or at the checkout). All you have to do is keep your receipt and show it at the appropriate counter at the airport.
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