Hike from Tórshavn to Kirkjubøur

In Dutch we say, “After rain, sunshine comes”, and that is exactly what happened to the Faroe Islands. We were lucky to have two sunny days in a row, so we decided this would be a great time for some hiking. The first day we went from Tórshavn to Kirkjubøur, the second day from Leirvik to the top of the mountain, ending with a roadtrip through some of the northern islands. This will be all about our first day.

A beautiful day for hiking

When we first arrived to the capital Tórshavn, it appeared like a little village to us. It’s only after spending some time in the other parts of the country that you realise it’s the largest and most important city in the country. We broke our laptop charger and found out that there are only two places in the whole country where we could buy an new one, so we headed to Tórshavn.

Arial view over Tórshavn

From there we decided to take the 7km hike over the nearby mountains to Kirkjubøur, famous for it’s medieval Magnus cathedral. The hike took us over the mountain, passing two lakes and brought us to a pile of rocks that form a chair and two circles made out of rocks. This place has been a meeting place for Faroese people for more than 120 years. People gathered here with Faroese flags and patriotic songs, while listening to a speaker sitting in the chair.

Speaker chair on the hike

From the hike, you can see the islands Sandoy, Hestur, Koltur and Vágar.

View over Hestur, Koltur and Vágar

Read: OUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF THE FAROE ISLANDS

Horses on the walk came to say hey

After about two hours, we arrived in Kirkjubøur. Kirkjubøur has three spots that are really worth visiting, and the most impressive one is the ancient Magnus cathedral. The cathedral is built around 1300, and it was the first Christian structure built on these islands. The church walls are made of stone that was carried down from the nearby mountains, and it does not have a roof over it. We heard two different stories about the reason for this: one story says the people of Kirkjubøur didn’t like the bishop and his taxes and a bloody uprising stopped the construction. Another story tells us that the village became very poor after the Black Death had struck the city. Either way, they believe that part of the roof had been built, but collapsed in 1772 by an avalanche.

The Magnus cathedral

Other things to see in Kirkjubøur are the Roykstovan farmhouse (the oldest uninhabited wooden house in Europe) and the Ólavskirkjan church (the oldest church still in use in the Faroe Islands).

Arial view over Kirkjubøur

From Kirkjubøur you can take a free bus back to Tórshavn, so we didn’t have to take the walk back which would have ended in darkness. Definitely worth the walk so you can see the lakes and many beautiful views but even if you don’t feel like walking, the road is gorgeous and Kirkjubøur is very alluring.

Stay tuned for a story about our other hikes in the near future.

If you would like to find out more information about hiking trails on the Faroe Islands, there is a handy document here.