Tórshavn

Tórshavn  (lit. Thor's Haven) is the capital of the Faroe Islands. At the foot of a mountain range, the archipelago's largest city has a long history dating back as far as 850 AD.

Understand
The city was founded in the 10th century and named after Thor, the god of thunder and lightning in Norse mythology. In the early history of the Faroes, Tórshavn became the political centre of the Faroes, and it still is today. The first settlers established their own parliament called "ting" around 800 AD. The main ting was established on Tinganes in Tórshavn and local tings were established in different parts of the islands. Tinganes drew people to trade, to attend court meetings, etc. In 2023, the city had a population of around 14,000, with about 21,000 in the metro area.


 * Town website

Get in
For most visitors Tórshavn will be the point of entry to the Faroe Islands. Practically everything in that article's Get in section also applies to Tórshavn.

By ferry
Smyril Line sails from Hirtshals in Denmark and Seyðisfjörður on Iceland to Tórshavn. If you are travelling with a car from Iceland to Denmark or vice versa, it is in principle possible to take off your car during the several hours long stopover in Tórshavn for a little island ride. It is, however, necessary to consider this option in advance when getting your car on board and have it parked in the correct queue.

By car
You can take the car with you on the ferry mentioned above. It is also possible to rent a car at the airport.

By bus
From elsewhere on the Faroe Islands.

Get around
City buses operate 4 routes which reach most of the city. You can pay per ride or get a 4 or 7 day pass. They run every 30 minutes from the city centre on weekdays, hourly on Sunday and Saturday and weekday evenings. There is no bus service during Saturday or Sunday evenings. 

See
The National Historical Museum and the Outdoor Museum are both in the northern suburb Hoyvik, and are covered by a single ticket. Both are worth seeing.

Do

 * Football: Tórsvøllur (aka Gundadalur) is the sports complex 1 km north of town centre, with stadium capacity 5000. The Faroes men's national soccer team play here. It's also the home ground of Havnar Bóltfelag (HB) and B36 Tórshavn who both play in Premier League, the islands' top tier. The domestic playing season is April-Oct.
 * Football: Tórsvøllur (aka Gundadalur) is the sports complex 1 km north of town centre, with stadium capacity 5000. The Faroes men's national soccer team play here. It's also the home ground of Havnar Bóltfelag (HB) and B36 Tórshavn who both play in Premier League, the islands' top tier. The domestic playing season is April-Oct.

Buy
There are many shops in Tórshavn, especially in the centre and in the shopping mall SMS.

The supermarket chain Mylnan has several locations around the town which are open daily 07:00-23:00.

Mid-range
Most of these places are popular with the locals, reserving a table is highly recommended

Budget
Prices vary slightly – dkk250-300 per night/person for adults.