Faroe Islands: interesting places. School encyclopedia Weather conditions in the Faroe Islands
In the North Atlantic, about halfway between Norway and Iceland, are Faroe islands- a treeless archipelago inhabited by more than 50,000 people.
The unique landscape and location attracts with its fantastic play of light from the Sun, clouds, green meadows, rocks and Atlantic Ocean photographers from all over the world.
Let's go on a short trip to the Faroe Islands - the most unique islands in the world according to National Geographic Traveler.
The Faroe Islands archipelago has a total area of about 1,400 sq. km. and consists of 18 islands, 17 of which are inhabited. The distance to Iceland is 450 km, to Norway - 675 km.
There are 120 towns and villages in the Faroe Islands. This is the City of Funningur.
Until the mid-19th century, sheep farming was the main source of income for the Faroes. Currently, the sheep population numbers about 80,000 heads.
Traditional Faroese wool sweater made from sheep's wool.
The Faroe Islands were formed by basaltic eruptions (lavas and tuffs) on the seafloor during the Cenozoic era.
The group consists of rocky islands, the tops of the underwater rift ridge of the central Atlantic. The height of the islands is up to 882 m.
Along with sheep farming, the main sectors of the Faroese economy are light industry and fishing. The main products exported are fish, astrakhan fur, wool products, eider down and petrel down.
The capital and main port of the islands is the city of Tórshavn (population approximately 19,200 in 2005), located on the southeast coast of the island of Streymoy. June 23, 2008.
The islands, for the most part, are treeless due to constant strong winds, although conifers, maple, and mountain ash are sometimes found. Mosses and lichens are common.
The Faroe Islands are parts of the underwater Wyville Thomson Ridge that jut out from the ocean.
Vagar Island, May 25, 2007. The area it occupies is 177.6 sq. km. The population is 2,782 people. Located on the island international Airport, connecting the Faroe Islands with the outside world.
Thanks to the tropical Gulf Stream, the water around the islands has a temperature of about +10 Celsius all year round, which provides ideal conditions for the life of fish and plankton.
These are boats on Suvuroy (literally South Island) - the very south island Faroe Archipelago. The area of the island is 163.7 sq. km. In 2004, the island's population was 5,041.
On the Faroe Islands there are small rivers that resemble mountain streams; There are practically no natural watercourses, but there are quite a lot of artificial lakes and small swamps. October 13, 2012.
However, not everything is so beautiful and cloudless in the Faroe Islands. An annual event called Grindadrap - whale hunting - is held here. Sailors drive the whales into the bay or to the bottom of the fjord, in shallow water, after which they kill the animals with axes and knives. This action has no commercial purposes; the meat of the animals cannot be sold and is divided equally among members of the local community. Most Faroese consider whaling an important part of their culture and history.
Whaling in the Faroe Islands has existed since at least the tenth century. There is an opinion that the Faroese regulate the number of whales in this way, always killing a strictly defined number of individuals, and if they do not regulate, the whales will eat all the fish in the area. Around 950 pilot whales (Black Dolphins) are slaughtered each year and Faroese men often say that participating in whaling makes them feel like real Faroese. Be that as it may, the sight is not pleasant: the water turns red, and at these moments the inhabitants of the Faroe Islands look more like savages, November 22, 2011.
The Faroe Islands are a treeless archipelago; there are no forested areas, but several species of trees can be found. Nothing grows on the rocks except mosses and lichens. The typical landscape of the archipelago is emerald meadows, swamps overgrown with reeds, and heather heaths.
The second largest settlement in the Faroe Islands is Klaksvik (4,770 people), March 30, 2010.
There are no snakes or other reptiles or amphibians on the Faroe Islands. Mammals arrived on the islands with the help of humans.
But the composition of birds is quite rich and diverse: about 227 species of birds live here.
One would think that some exotic sport would be popular in the Faroe Islands. But no, most popular view The sport here is football. The football field near the Atlantic Ocean looks especially impressive. Since 1988, the Faroe Islands have been a member of FIFA.
The Faroese government works in these houses, more like dugouts. All that remains is to cut the grass on the roof! There are also as many as six political parties here. August 13, 2009.
Due to the location of the islands, the main transport is by sea. Although there are also automobile transport roads, and one airport on the island of Vagar. Of 458 kilometers highways In the archipelago, a significant part is located on mountain serpentines, which is explained by the mountainous terrain. October 14, 2012.
In terms of the number of workers, the fishing industry is surpassed only by the service sector, which includes the banking sector, insurance, transport and, of course, tourism. The landscapes here are truly fabulous. Just look at the village of Gasadalur, located on the island of Vagar.
The village of Gasadalur, Vagar island, view from another angle:
According to a study conducted by National Geographic Traveler, the Faroe Islands are recognized as the best in the world: 522 tourism experts unanimously recognized their uniqueness. Experts note the perfectly preserved nature, the good nature of the local residents, delicious cuisine, as well as the rich cultural heritage. October 13, 2012.
The Faroe Islands are a little-known archipelago located in the North Atlantic in the Norwegian Sea, approximately between Iceland and the Scottish Islands.
The archipelago includes 18 islands of volcanic origin, total area of which is 1399 m². The main islands are: Streymoy, Esturoy, Suduroy, Voar, Sandoy, Bordoy.
Officially, the Faroe Islands belong to Denmark, but they are autonomously administered (with the exception of matters relating to defense and foreign policy). The capital of the archipelago is located on the island of Streymoy - the city of Tórshavn.
The results of the latest census, conducted in 2016, showed that the Faroe Islands are home to more than 49,000 people. About 20,000 people live in the capital of the Faroe Islands and its suburbs, while the second largest city of Klaksvik has almost 5,000 inhabitants. Only 1 person permanently lives on the island of Koltur, and 1 island is completely uninhabited.
The Faroese, considered descendants of the first settlers, make up approximately 92% of the islands' total population. Another 6% consider themselves Danish.
The majority of residents of the autonomy speak the rare Faroese language (mixed Western-Scandinavian dialects), although Danish is recognized as the official language.
Sights of the Faroe Islands
People who have not lost the ability to be surprised and impressed will not be bored in the Faroe Islands. The main reason people go to these islands is the feeling of being at the end of the world. And the amazing fantastic landscapes that the Faroe Islands are rich in help you feel this: lakes hanging above the ocean, numerous fjords, mysterious gorges, noisy waterfalls, coastal cliffs covered with a foggy haze. Each Faroe Island is unique and can be considered a separate natural attraction.
But in the Faroe Islands you can not only admire nature, there are also city attractions. For example, the rather picturesque and specific city of Tórshavn definitely deserves attention.
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Island cuisine - what do Faroese eat?
Smørrebrod The national dishes of the Faroes are to some extent a reflection of the harsh local climate. They are simple, dense, quite interesting, but they can hardly be called healthy.
Faroese often cook fish dishes, but they prefer fatty and unsalted meat, as well as potatoes. Popular are smørrebrøds, huge sandwiches with big amount ingredients (meat, fish, butter, etc.) that are eaten with a knife and fork.
Rastkoyot People here love rastkoyot - small pieces of lamb that have been dried in the wind for 6-9 months. Fish is also usually dried, then various dishes are prepared from it, for example, soups. Small puffin birds live on the islands - their meat, along with rhubarb and potatoes, is used to fill pies, and whole carcasses are stuffed with sweet dough and served with berries and potatoes. Whale meat is very popular in the Faroe Islands - it is harvested during fisheries and kept for themselves without being exported.
It must be mentioned that in local cuisine They don’t use a lot of spices and salt, and they don’t recognize flavor enhancers at all, thanks to which all dishes have their own real taste.
Koks Restaurant Recently, international cuisine has become increasingly widespread on the islands of the archipelago, which makes it difficult to find an establishment where you can try local culinary delights. Although, in general, there are no difficulties with food in the capital: there are relatively many restaurants and cafes here. For example, at the Koks Restaurant, dishes are prepared only from local products - obtained from the ocean or grown in agricultural lands.
In the historical part of Tórshavn there is a cozy fish restaurant “Barbara”, stylized as a traditional Faroese house - the food here is always fresh, prepared from fish caught that day. If the route runs through a sparsely populated part of the Faroe Islands, then it is better to take food with you, since shops are usually open for several hours a day, and there may not be a cafe at all.
Barbara If we talk about prices, in the Faroe Islands they are higher than on the mainland, and tourists are unlikely to be able to save on anything, including food. Below are approximate prices:
- lunch at inexpensive restaurant 13-17 €;
- 3-course meal for two in a mid-price restaurant 55-87 €;
- McMeal at McDonalds 11 €, a slice of pizza at fast food 6-7 €, burger from 3.6 €;
- a cup of cappuccino 4-5 €;
- glass of beer 6.0 €.
Weather conditions in the Faroe Islands
Although the Faroe Islands are located in the north, the local climate is quite mild thanks to the warm Gulf Stream.
The average summer temperature is +14ºC, sometimes rising to +20ºC. In winter there is practically no frost (temperatures range from 0ºC to +4ºC), but it is still very cold due to high humidity.
It rains very often in the Faroe Islands, about 280 days a year. The rainy season occurs from September to the end of January, and then the islands are covered for a long time by a cap of thick fog, almost blocking out the sun. The cold, sharp wind almost never stops here.
The Gulf Stream, washing the Faroe archipelago, does not allow the coastal waters to freeze even in winter, maintaining their temperature unchanged throughout the year: +10 º C. Winter, when there are no tourists and the water is especially clear, is an ideal time for diving enthusiasts.
Visa information
Since the Faroe Islands are not part of the Schengen zone, a separate visa is required to visit them. In addition to the standard Danish Schengen, a national Danish visa is required to allow entry into the Faroe Islands.
It is quite easy to obtain such a visa. An application to receive it must be submitted to the Danish Consulate. The set of documents required for this is identical to the set of documents required to obtain a Schengen visa to Denmark.
If you have a valid Schengen visa from another country, you only need to apply for a national Danish visa permitting entry into the Faroe Islands.
How to get to the Faroe Islands
There are two ways to get to the Faroe Islands.
Between the settlements of the Faroe Islands there is a well-established transport connection. The most popular local transport on the islands remains water - travel between the islands is possible by ferries. To replace the old roads along mountain serpentines underground tunnels are gradually coming.
What to see on the island of Kos?The Faroe Islands have been dubbed by travelers as an introvert's paradise and the friendliest island community in the world. As of June 2019, 51,783 thousand residents live here, representing more than 70 nationalities. There are only three traffic lights on the 18 islands, which are located in the capital. Let's tell you more about this unusual place.
Faroe Islands: how to get there, history, weather
The Faroe Islands are an archipelago with an area of more than 1.4 thousand km², located in the Norwegian Sea. Consists of 18 large and several small islands. Of these, only 17 are inhabited.
Here are the most important information about this region:
- History of the Faroe Islands.
Vikings from Norway settled here since ancient times. Archaeologists have identified two " Norwegian period» - 400–600 and 600–800 AD. Recent discoveries have allowed historians to claim that people settled on the islands even before the arrival of the Vikings.
One of the first written mentions of the island is found in “The Voyage of St. Brendan the Navigator,” a legendary Irish monk who lived at the end of the 5th and beginning of the 6th centuries. A source that appeared several centuries after Brendan's death tells how the saint visited the "Isle of Sheep."
This name is still associated with the Faroes. Here, according to approximate data, 80 thousand sheep live, which is almost 30 thousand more than the registered population. In Faroese schools, classes still teach how to cut up the carcasses of these animals, and sheep's head is one of the national dishes.
Another source about the early history of the Faroe Islands is the Icelandic Faroese Saga, dating from the 13th century. It contains a story about the settlement of the island.
Until the 14th century, the island was part of the Kingdom of Norway. Then, after the unification of Norway with Denmark, it was under the joint administration of the two states. In the Treaty of Kiel in 1814, Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden but retained jurisdiction over the Faroes. They became a county in the Danish kingdom.
In 1940, the Nazis occupied Denmark and Norway as a result of Operation Weserubung. The British occupied the strategically important Faroe Islands. Thanks to the British occupation, the only airport appeared on the islands.
In 1946, residents of the islands voted for independence in a referendum, but Denmark did not recognize the results, citing violations of regulations. In 1948, the Faroe Islands Act was passed, according to which they became autonomous within Denmark. Denmark subsequently joined the European Union, but the Faroe Islands refused to join the EU.
- Weather.
The Faroe Islands, where the weather, according to the locals themselves, changes every five minutes, is located not far from the Arctic Circle. But thanks to the Gulf Stream, which washes almost all the islands of the archipelago, the temperature here in winter does not fall below +3–4 °C, and in summer it does not rise above +10 °C. Precipitation falls here more than 200 days a year.
- Transport.
For the query “Faroe Islands how to get there,” Google returns 275 thousand results. Tourism is one of the main sources of income for the local economy. Therefore, the islands have an established air service system with dozens of countries. The only airport is located on the island of Voar. Regular flights operated by two airlines - Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Faroese Atlantic Airways.
Those wishing to travel to the Faroe Islands are advised to do so through Denmark. Planes fly from Copenhagen to Voar three times a day. In addition, Smyrill Line operates ferry services to the islands from Hirsthals, Denmark.
The islands themselves have been linked by a single road network from highways, bridges and tunnels. In addition, a ferry service is organized between the islands. Also, the government of the islands, in order to save the environment and force residents to use cars less, organized free buses between populated areas.
- Peculiarities.
Having found the Faroe Islands on the map, a tourist is surprised at how diverse they are and how unevenly populated they are. For example, on the island of Voar, where the only international airport is located, 2.8 thousand people live, and on the most populated island - Streymoy - 23.6 thousand. The city of Tórshavn, the capital of Faroe Islands, is also located here. It is home to 19 thousand people. Only one person and 160 sheep live on the island of Koltur.
The island of Stora Duimun, which is approximately the same area as Koltur, is home to 10 people. According to 2018 data, 10 people lived on the island of Mycines, which is almost five times larger in area than Stora Duimun and Koltur.
While generally sparsely populated, the Faroe Islands have one of the highest fertility rates in Europe - 2.4 children per woman.
The Faroe Islands are islands where the locals don't know what it means to lock your house. There is peace here and there is not a single prison. Those who have committed offenses are sent to Denmark for trial.
Faroe Islands: attractions
The Faroe Islands, whose photos attract tourists from all over the world, are not a place for spontaneous tourism. It is advisable to plan your trip carefully. It is quite developed here public transport, But experienced tourists It is recommended to rent a car.
Here, payment cards are accepted in many places, but difficulties may arise when converting currencies.
Among the attractions that experienced tourists recommend seeing are the most common:
- Mycines is a bird island.
Half of the island's population, which is five people, are employed in the tourism sector. The island attracts bird watchers from all over the world. Here you can find more than 300 species of birds, or 90% of those that fly across the Atlantic for the winter.
You can get to the island by helicopter or ferry. Tourists are warned that the terrain here is difficult and are advised not to walk alone.
On neighboring island A pedestrian bridge 35 meters long has been laid. After crossing it, you can see another local attraction - the lighthouse.
- "Lake over the ocean" on the island of Voar.
Having arrived at Voar, the only airport in the Faroe Islands, tourists are advised not to immediately move to other islands. The island is home to Lake Sørvågsvatn, which seems to hang above the ocean at an altitude of more than 100 m. This visual effect is created due to the difference in height between the ocean and the surface of the lake.
The lake is almost 60 m deep and stretches 6 km from south to north. In the south, water flows from the lake into the ocean, forming the Bösdealafossur waterfall. To get to it, a tourist needs to walk more than 2.5 km.
The island is also home to the picturesque village of Gasadalur. A mountain separates it from the rest of the island. To get to the outside world, residents had to walk 400 m along mountain paths. In 2004, the authorities built a road tunnel, and the village became a more attractive tourist destination.
- Streymoy Island and the capital of the islands.
Almost 50% of the Faroese population lives on the island of Streymoy. The capital Tórshavn is located here. Translated from Faroese - ‘city of Thor’.
The city has the only three traffic lights in the Faroe Islands. The main attractions are also located here: the harbor, the largest cathedral and church on the islands, a museum, as well as the historical center, where you can see traditional Faroese houses with turf roofs.
The village of Chednuvuk is also located on Streymoy, surrounded by rocks that resemble columns. Not far from the village is the Fossa waterfall.
Also 5 km from Tórshavn is the village of Kirkjubor, where tourists will see one of the main attractions of the islands - a thousand-year-old house. It was built in the 11th century. There is a museum of folk life here. Since the 16th century, the house has been owned by one family, the Paturssons, for 17 generations. There is also the medieval church of St. Olav in the village.
The Faroe Islands are not an easy place to get to. This is a unique part of the world where there is precipitation more than 200 days a year. It's incredible here beautiful nature and very few local residents. The islands are ideal for those seeking tranquility and unity with nature.
A month ago we returned from perhaps one of the most impressive trips in the last couple of years. Having gathered the will and money into a fist, it was decided not to fly to the Faroe Islands. When many people hear the word island, their imagination pictures the azure waters of the ocean, palm trees and White sand, but the Faroe Islands are not from this series. A pile of stones in the water, blown by a wind that makes your eyes water, silence, a tangible dark gray fog - all this is a unique Danish autonomy with a population of 50 thousand people, located on an archipelago of 18 islands in the dark waters of the Atlantic, an hour and a half flight from continental Europe.
1. It is impossible to describe these islands unambiguously. For the vast majority, they will seem too boring, the way of life monotonous, the landscapes the same... But it is in such places that the sense of the scale of time in relation to you is especially strong. While humanity was born, empires fell and were created, these rocks drifted in the fog. If humanity leaves these places one day, the islands will cleanse themselves in a couple of years, the winds will blow away the buildings, the rains will wash away the roads, and the Faroe Islands will continue to stand in their original form as they did a thousand years ago.
4. In 2007, National Geographic magazine named the Faroe Islands the best islands. And I agree with the opinion of the editors.
5. Traveling around the Faroe Islands is a fairly spontaneous action; there are usually no sensible guides to such places, so take a map and select villages and settlements where your intuition tells you to go. In fact, we visited almost all the villages and they all look the same. 10-20 houses, church, small pier (if there is access to the ocean), local history museum and not a single person, all this resembles not villages, but scenery, freshly painted houses, cleanliness and silence.
6. 17 of the 18 islands of the archipelago are inhabited; they are connected by long tunnels, bridges and ferry crossings, which run frequently and are cheap. Traffic on the islands is extremely small; far from the capital, you are often alone on the roads. In areas where there is little traffic, they make one lane for both directions of traffic with pockets for passing; due to the abundance of blind turns and climbs, driving on such roads is quite scary. Speed limit in populated areas- 50 km/h on the highway - 80 km/h. There is nothing to do on the islands without a car.
8. Business card Faroe - this waterfall on the island of Vágar.
9. The second largest city in the Faroe Islands is Klaksvik. Population 5000 people. View from above.
10. View from the ground.
11. Even an unprepared tourist Big city how Klaksvik can make you feel despondent.
12. According to local residents, the Faroe Islands are slowly aging; young people do not want to stay on the islands and engage in agricultural activities. Many people move to Denmark first to study and then stay to work.
13. The Faroes brew their own good beer.
15. Previously, life on the islands was quite complicated and harsh, there was no paint and houses were often painted with tar. Nowadays, many pay tribute to traditions and paint houses black, and the heat is preserved a little better. Grass roofs are a separate attraction of the Faroe Islands. There is a joke among tourists on the islands that a couple of sheep are let onto the roof to cut the grass.
16. The fate of the Faroe Islands is quite complicated. The Faroe Islands were part of Norwayuntil the end of the 14th century, after which the islands of Norwayco-owned with Denmark, which in 1814 became the sole owner of the islands. The inhabitants of the islands have Scandinavian roots, and Faroese language is a descendant of Old Norse. During the Second World War, Churchill took the Faroe Islands under military control, which actually meant occupation.
17. In 1946, the islands' parliament held a referendum on independence among the population and announced about the Faroe Islands secession from Denmark.This decision was ratified by parliament, which voted 12 votes in favor and 11 votes against. The Danish government declared the referendum results invalid and temporarily suspended the Faroese parliament. Re-elections to parliament revealed a slight preponderance of parties in favor of not secession from Denmark, and the parliamentary delegation was invited to Copenhagen for further negotiations. On April 1, 1948, an agreement was reached under which the Faroe Islands received limited sovereignty. Today the Faroe Islands resolve all issues except foreign policy and defense independently.
20. Unique places unique people. The Faroese sounds at least proud, a descendant of the Vikings, strongly built, stern and strong-armed. The population of the Faroe Islands is comparable in size to the population of the average Moscow microdistrict. At the same time, the Faroese are a full-fledged people with their own language, external distinctive features, national dances, songs and national cuisine. The islands have their own very beautiful banknotes, which depict watercolor landscapes native land. The Faroese are fishermen and herders who live in harmony with nature.
21. The Faroese are mainly Lutheran. You arrive along a winding road to another town, there is no one on the streets, clouds touch the roof ridges, dim lights are on in the church - the entire population is at a sermon. There are many unique old churches preserved on the islands that are still functioning. Near the church there is always a cemetery, formal graves, often just a stone with a name, on the stone there is a porcelain dove - a symbol of grief.
22. The weather here changes very often. The entire palette can be seen in one day. For September we were very lucky with the weather, there was often sun and almost no rain. It rains here about 280 days a year, in winter average temperature-2 degrees, in summer +15. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the water around the islands has a temperature of about +10 all year round.
29. Tórshavn is the capital. In the very center of the town there are authentic old houses, families live in them, clothes are dried on the street, you walk into such a neighborhood as if you were entering a museum. Almost half the population of the entire autonomy lives in the capital. Tórshavn is familiar to Russians first-hand, as it is a traditional place of entry, unloading and bunkering for the Russian fishing fleet in recent decades.
30. The Faroe Islands attract everyone's attention Once a year, when the Faroese drive pilot whale dolphins into the bays and kill them using improvised means, a bunch of activists flock, a resonance is created, the bays are painted red. I talked about this topic with local resident, as he said, the slaughter of pilot whales is a long-standing trade on the islands, and this is not done for the sake of entertainment or, as some sources write, “a ritual for young people to enter into maturity.” All prey is used for food, not a single carcass is wasted. If a village realizes that it has slaughtered more than it can eat, another community is called in to help and the spoils are divided. Whale oil tastes disgusting.
32. Not everyone will understand the beauty of a holiday in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands are definitely a place to get away from people. The Faroe Islands make you think and immerse yourself.
33. The Sheep Islands end here, it is difficult to convey the atmosphere of these places with text and photographs, you need to come here full of strength and thirst for discovery, then the islands will open up to you.
"Faroese sheep, as a rule, have a very weak herding instinct and usually do not gather in large groups when grazing..."
For those who missed it, travel notes on the Faroe Islands.
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