Destination: Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

Old parliament buildings in Tinganes (June 2025)

Located on Streymoy Island, Tórshavn is the capital of the Faroe Islands with roots dating back over a millenium. It’s the most-inhabited city in the territory at 14,000 people, with 40% of the total Faroese population living there. My fiancée and I didn’t have much time to explore Tórshavn during our time in town, as we were busy with tours every day– however, I managed to squeeze a bit of time to check out the town after our first day tour, and I found it a small, but charming little capital.

We returned to Tórshavn by 15h30 following our day tour on Vágar Island. My fiancée was a bit tired from the tour and decided to rest back at the hotel. I decided to take the opportunity to see a bit of Tórshavn, given that it would be the only free time to explore since the next few days would be all-day excursions. And considering that the sun didn’t set until 23h00 during those summer months, I chose to maximize my limited time in the Faroese capital.

Our guesthouse was a bit outside of the city center, about 20 minutes by foot. It was a matter of descending the hill on which the guesthouse was and heading into town. Tórshavn is small and compact enough to get around and see many of the sites within an afternoon, and I did just that. Most of the cultural sites are situated within two blocks from the port, as well as on the jetty jutting out towards the sea.

The port

I started my visit in Tinganes, the historic quarter of the capital where Vikings first settled in 825 CE and established the Faroese government. I passed through Gongin, a narrow alleyway that once served as the main street, before reaching the old parliament buildings on the jetty– they’re a distinctive cherry red, contrasted with green turf roofs as seen on other parts of the Faroe Islands. Such buildings are still in used today, especially by the Faroese Prime Minister, thereby making Tinganes one of the oldest governments still in use today.

Gongin

Old parliament buildings (still in use today)!

Next was a walk over to Skansin, a historic fortress from the 16th century that was built to protect Tórshavn from pirate raids. There’s also the eponymous lighthouse that stands at the top to point ships to the capital, and overall makes for lovely views over the landscape. It was extremely windy as I made my way up to the fortress, but the ruins and views at the top were well-worth it.

Skansin fortress and lighthouse

I headed back into the center, checking out the city hall before deciding to grab some dinner to-go. I found a fish and chip shop, where I ordered (of course) fish and chips and a Danish hot dog. It was a matter of schlepping the goods uphill for 20 minutes back to the guesthouse, and soon enough, my fiancée and I had our meal. Unfortunately, the fish and chips got soggy while in transit, but still tasty enough.

Fish and chips for dinner

Overall, it was a relaxing end to our day. Even though I only had an afternoon in Tórshavn, I still saw a good amount of the sites and landmarks. It’s a quaint little capital with a long-lasting history, and I enjoyed wandering through town to see its architecture preserved from centuries back. I’m glad I got to check it out!

Thanks for reading, and more on the Faroe Islands to come soon! 🙂

— Rebecca