Tórshavn
Tor-shawn
Usage
Capital city of the Faroe Islands
Grammar Note
Named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder
Sørvágsvatn
Sor-vogs-vatn
Lake Sørvágsvatn
Usage
Famous for the "floating lake" optical illusion above the sea
Grammar Note
Famous for a photographic optical illusion where the lake appears above the ocean
Gásadalur
Gaw-sa-da-lur
Usage
One of the Faroe Islands' most beautiful villages, famous for its waterfall and cliffs
Grammar Note
Means "valley of geese", known for a waterfall plunging directly into the sea
Vestmanna
Vest-man-a
Usage
A harbour town famous for dramatic sea cliffs and seabird watching
Grammar Note
Known for boat tours through spectacular sea caves and cliff formations
Gjógv
Djogv
Usage
A beautiful gorge village in the northern Faroe Islands
Grammar Note
Means "gorge" in Faroese; the natural cleft was used as a harbour
Kirkjubøur
Kir-chu-bo-ur
Usage
One of the oldest settlements in the Faroe Islands, a medieval religious centre
Grammar Note
Combines "kirkja" (church) and "bøur" (farm); the ruins of St Magnus Cathedral stand here
Klaksvík
Klak-svik
Usage
The second largest town in the Faroe Islands and the hub of the northern islands
Grammar Note
Famous for fishing and home to Föroya Bjór, the Faroese national brewery
Eiðið
Ay-did
Eiði
Usage
A village on a narrow isthmus in northern Faroe Islands, known for spectacular views
Grammar Note
"eiði" means "isthmus"; the village sits on a narrow strip of land between two seas
Sumba
Sum-ba
Usage
The southernmost village in the Faroe Islands, known for preserving traditional Faroese culture
Grammar Note
Located at the southern tip of Suðuroy island, known for traditional bird-hunting (fuglaveitur) culture
Mykines
My-ki-nes
Usage
The westernmost island of the Faroe Islands, famous for puffins and remote wilderness
Grammar Note
Famous as a breeding ground for Atlantic puffins; often called the "puffin island"
Føroyar
The Faroe Islands
Usage
The name of the country itself: 18 islands with about 54,000 people. A self-governing nation within the Kingdom of Denmark; the currency is the Faroese króna, at par with the Danish krone. Not part of the EU
Streymoy
Usage
The largest island and home to the capital Tórshavn. Linked by sub-sea tunnel to Vágar, by bridge and sub-sea tunnel to Eysturoy, and by sub-sea tunnel to Sandoy, so travel here is by road all year
Eysturoy
Usage
The second-largest island, with the highest peak Slættaratindur and the villages of Gjógv and Funningur. Reached from Streymoy by two routes: the Streymin bridge or the Eysturoy sub-sea tunnel
Vágar
Usage
The island with the country's only airport. It has Lake Sørvágsvatn, Gásadalur, and Sørvágur where the Mykines ferry leaves from. Connected to Streymoy by the tolled Vágar sub-sea tunnel
Suðuroy
Usage
The large southernmost island. No bridge or tunnel reaches it: the only scheduled link is the roughly two-hour ferry from Tórshavn to Tvøroyri, which can be cancelled in rough weather, so a day trip depends on the forecast
Sandoy
Usage
An island known for sandy beaches and gentler terrain. Since the Sandoy sub-sea tunnel opened in December 2023 you can drive there instead of taking the ferry
Borðoy
Usage
The main island of the northern group, with Klaksvík, the country's second town. Reached from Leirvík on Eysturoy through the tolled Norðoyar sub-sea tunnel
Viðoy
Usage
The northernmost inhabited island, with the village of Viðareiði and the Enniberg cliff. You can drive across on the causeway from Norðdepil on Borðoy
Kunoy
Usage
A long, steep island. Drive from Borðoy over the causeway to Haraldssund, then through a mountain tunnel to Kunoy village. No ferry needed
Kalsoy
Usage
A narrow island known for the Kallur lighthouse and the Seal Woman statue. Reachable only by ferry from Klaksvík, and its road runs through single-lane tunnels. Sailings are few, so check the return time before you go
Svínoy
Usage
A small island with only a few dozen residents. Served only by the ferry from Hvannasund and by helicopter, both easily cancelled in bad weather — go prepared to be stranded
Fugloy
Usage
The easternmost island, with just two villages, Kirkja and Hattarvík. Only the Hvannasund ferry and the helicopter serve it, and landing depends on the swell. The name means "bird island"
Nólsoy
Usage
The island lying straight across from Tórshavn harbour, about 20 minutes by ferry — the easiest island trip. It holds one of the world's largest storm petrel colonies, seen at night with a guide
Hestur
Usage
An island of about 20 residents, reached only by ferry from the Gamlarætt pier on Streymoy. The name means "horse"; it is known for boat trips to its cliffs and sea caves
Koltur
Usage
A small island west of Hestur with essentially no permanent population. There is no scheduled ferry; landing is only by helicopter or chartered boat
Skúvoy
Usage
A small island southwest of Sandoy, reached by ferry from Sandur and by helicopter. Known for its seabird cliffs and its links to the Faroese sagas
Stóra Dímun
Usage
A cliff-ringed island inhabited by a single farming family. It has no usable harbour, so the scheduled helicopter is effectively the only way in, and a visit needs arranging in advance
Lítla Dímun
Usage
The only uninhabited one of the 18 islands and the smallest. Often capped by a lens of cloud, it is seen from the deck of the Suðuroy ferry; there is no landing route
Norðoyar
Norðoyar (the Northern Isles)
Usage
The collective name for the six northern islands: Borðoy, Viðoy, Kunoy, Kalsoy, Svínoy and Fugloy. Signs and timetables use it as a regional name; Klaksvík is the hub
Vága Floghavn
Vágar Airport (FAE)
Usage
The country's only airport, on Vágar near Sørvágur, about 45 minutes by car from Tórshavn through the sub-sea tunnel. Bus route 300 links the terminal with Tórshavn
Vágatunnilin
The Vágar Tunnel
Usage
A 4.9 km sub-sea tunnel opened in 2002, joining Vágar (the airport island) to Streymoy (the capital island). It is tolled; rental cars are billed later by number-plate reading
Norðoyatunnilin
The Norðoyar Tunnel
Usage
A 6.2 km sub-sea tunnel opened in 2006 between Leirvík on Eysturoy and Klaksvík, replacing the ferry that used to run there. Tolled
Eysturoyartunnilin
The Eysturoy Tunnel
Usage
Opened in December 2020, a Y-shaped tunnel containing the world's first roundabout under the sea. It runs from Hvítanes on Streymoy and splits toward Strendur and Rituvík on Eysturoy, cutting Tórshavn–Runavík from about an hour to under 20 minutes. Tolled
Sandoyartunnilin
The Sandoy Tunnel
Usage
Opened in December 2023 and, at about 10.8 km, the country's longest sub-sea tunnel. It links southern Streymoy with Skopun on Sandoy and ended the Gamlarætt–Skopun ferry route. Tolled
Hvalbiartunnilin
The Hvalba Tunnel
Usage
Opened in 1963 as the first road tunnel in the Faroes, linking Trongisvágur and Hvalba on Suðuroy. It is single-lane with passing bays, so watch for oncoming cars
Strandfaraskip Landsins
Strandfaraskip Landsins (SSL, national transport operator)
Usage
The state company running the country's ferries, long-distance buses and the helicopter service. All timetables and tickets carry this name (SSL); island trips are planned around its schedule
Farstøðin í Tórshavn
Tórshavn bus terminal
Usage
The transport terminal on Tórshavn's eastern harbour (Eystaravág). All long-distance buses (Bygdaleiðir) start here, and the ferry berths for Suðuroy and Nólsoy are alongside
Bygdaleiðir
Bygdaleiðir (the national bus network)
Usage
The name of the blue long-distance bus network linking the villages. Services run on numbered routes, are infrequent, and thin out further on Sundays. "Bygdaleiðir" on a timetable means these buses
Bussleiðin
Bussleiðin (Tórshavn city buses)
Usage
The red buses inside Tórshavn, run by the municipality and free to ride. They are a separate system from the blue long-distance buses, so do not confuse the two
Tyrlan
The helicopter service
Usage
The subsidised scheduled helicopter that links islands the boats struggle to reach — Mykines, Skúvoy, Stóra Dímun, Koltur, Svínoy and Fugloy. It flies only a few days a week, must be booked by phone the day before, and is often grounded by fog or wind
Gamlarætt
Usage
The ferry pier on southwest Streymoy near Velbastaður, from which the boat to Hestur sails. The former route to Skopun on Sandoy ended when the tunnel opened
Sørvágur
Usage
A village in western Vágar right beside the airport. The Mykines ferry leaves from here, but only in summer and only when the swell allows; landing on Mykines also requires paying a visitor fee
Hvannasund
Usage
A village on Viðoy joined to Norðdepil on Borðoy by a causeway. The ferry to Svínoy and Fugloy departs here; both crossings are often cancelled in bad weather
Leirvík
Usage
A village in northeastern Eysturoy at the mouth of the Norðoyar sub-sea tunnel to Klaksvík; every car heading for the northern islands passes through it
Hvítanes
Usage
A settlement on the east coast of Streymoy north of Tórshavn; the Streymoy portal of the Eysturoy sub-sea tunnel is here
Strendur
Usage
A village on the west side of Eysturoy facing Skálafjørður, and the western exit of the Eysturoy sub-sea tunnel — the quickest point to reach from Tórshavn
Rituvík
Usage
A village in southeastern Eysturoy and the other exit of the Eysturoy sub-sea tunnel; take this branch for Runavík and Fuglafjørður
Skopun
Usage
The village at the northern tip of Sandoy. Long the island's ferry gateway, it became the road entrance when the Sandoy tunnel opened in 2023
Tvøroyri
Usage
The main town on Suðuroy and the port where the ferry from Tórshavn arrives, a crossing of about two hours. Book ahead if you are taking a car; sailings are cancelled in rough weather
Norrøna
MS Norröna (international ferry)
Usage
The international ferry between Hirtshals in Denmark and Seyðisfjörður in Iceland, calling at Tórshavn on the way. It is the only way to bring your own car, and it runs roughly weekly
Streymin brúgv
Streymin Bridge
Usage
The bridge over Sundini, the strait between Streymoy and Eysturoy. Opened in 1973 and called "the only bridge across the Atlantic"; take it if you want to avoid the tunnel toll
Tinganes
Usage
The rocky headland that splits Tórshavn harbour in two. Assemblies (ting) have met here since Viking times and the government offices still stand on it — red timber buildings with turf roofs, and lanes you can walk freely
Skansin
Skansin fort
Usage
A fort built in 1580 against pirates, on the rise above the eastern harbour. British forces used it as their headquarters in the Second World War and their guns are still in place; there is a lighthouse and a harbour view. Free to enter
Vaglið
Vaglið square
Usage
The central square of Tórshavn, fronting the parliament building. Festivals and the Ólavsøka national holiday events take place here; it is the natural starting point for a walk around town
Løgtingið
The Løgting (Faroese parliament)
Usage
The parliament of the Faroe Islands, in the building on Vaglið square and reckoned one of the oldest parliaments in the world. It originally met out on Tinganes
Havnar kirkja
Tórshavn Cathedral
Usage
A white timber church from 1788, one of the oldest in the country, just north of Tinganes in the old town. Opening hours are limited, so check before you plan to go inside
Niels Finsens gøta
Usage
Tórshavn's pedestrianised main street, lined with shops and cafés. It is named after Niels Ryberg Finsen, the Nobel laureate in medicine who was born in the town
Norðurlandahúsið
The Nordic House
Usage
A cultural centre opened in 1983, a turf-roofed building hosting concerts, exhibitions and film screenings. It sits north of the centre near the town park
Listasavn Føroya
The National Gallery of the Faroe Islands
Usage
The national art museum, holding Faroese painting and sculpture. It stands inside the Viðarlundin park in Tórshavn and makes a good rainy-day stop. Admission is charged
Viðarlundin
Viðarlundin park
Usage
The wooded park on the north side of central Tórshavn — a rarity in a country where almost no trees grow, and the locals' walking ground. The National Gallery stands inside it
Tjóðsavnið
The National Museum of the Faroe Islands
Usage
The national museum, in the Hoyvík district of northern Tórshavn. It holds Viking-age finds and the medieval carved church benches brought from Kirkjubøur. Admission is charged
Hoyvík
Usage
The residential district in northern Tórshavn, with the National Museum and sports facilities, linked to the centre by city bus. Out-of-centre accommodation is often here
Argir
Usage
The district running south from Tórshavn, once a separate village and now part of the town. From its shoreline path Nólsoy lies straight ahead
Eystaravág
Eystaravág (the eastern harbour)
Usage
Tórshavn's harbour on the east side of Tinganes. The international ferry Norröna and the domestic ferries berth here and the bus terminal faces it — boat departures are nearly all on this side
Saksun
Usage
A tiny village at the head of a mountain-ringed tidal lagoon in northwest Streymoy, with a turf-roofed church and the old Dúvugarðar farm. The path down to the lagoon crosses private land and a fee is charged; stay on the marked route, and note the lagoon can only be walked at low tide
Tjørnuvík
Usage
The northernmost village on Streymoy, with a black-sand beach that draws surfers and a head-on view of the Risin og Kellingin sea stacks. The road in is narrow, with passing places
Risin og Kellingin
Risin og Kellingin (the Giant and the Witch)
Usage
Two sea stacks off the northern tip of Eysturoy. Legend says they were a giant and a witch sent to drag the islands to Iceland, turned to stone at daybreak. Best seen from Tjørnuvík or Eiði
Kvívík
Usage
A village on the west coast of Streymoy where the excavated stone foundations of a Viking-age longhouse and byre stand right by the shore, open to look at freely
Vestmannabjørgini
The Vestmanna bird cliffs
Usage
Hundreds of metres of sheer sea cliff along the northwest coast of Streymoy, visited by boat tour from Vestmanna harbour, which noses into the caves. Trips are called off in heavy swell, so keep a spare day
Slættaratindur
Usage
At 880 m the highest mountain in the Faroes. The walk starts from the pass road between Eiði and Funningur on Eysturoy and takes about three hours return. Fog rolls in fast — do not go up on a low-visibility day
Funningur
Usage
A village in an inlet at the foot of Slættaratindur in northwestern Eysturoy, held by tradition to be the first Norse settlement in the islands. It has a turf-roofed wooden church
Oyndarfjørður
Usage
A village in northeastern Eysturoy known for the Rinkusteinar, boulders lying just offshore that rock endlessly with the swell. You watch them from the shore path
Fuglafjørður
Usage
A fishing town in northeastern Eysturoy. Just outside it lies Varmakelda, the only warm spring in the country — a spring to look at, not a bathing facility
Runavík
Usage
A town on Skálafjørður in eastern Eysturoy, the largest built-up area on that side and a place with hotels and shops. Since the sub-sea tunnel opened it is about 20 minutes by car from Tórshavn
Norðragøta
Usage
A village in the Gøta area on the east coast of Eysturoy, with the Blásastova open-air museum of preserved turf-roofed houses. The G! Festival is held each summer at neighbouring Syðrugøta
Viðareiði
Usage
The northernmost village in the country, on Viðoy, set on an isthmus with sea on both sides and having a hotel and a church. It is the base for the Enniberg cliff; the road reaches it but is narrow
Enniberg
Usage
The sea cliff at the northern end of Viðoy, about 754 m high and among the highest vertical sea cliffs in Europe. The route is faint and exposed; a local guide is required, so do not attempt it alone
Mikladalur
Usage
A village on Kalsoy where the bronze Seal Woman (Kópakonan) statue stands at the water's edge, reached down a long stairway. It is within reach of the spray, so keep away on rough days
Trøllanes
Usage
The northernmost village on Kalsoy and the end of the island road; the walk to the Kallur lighthouse starts here. Four single-lane tunnels lead up to it
Kallurin
Kallur lighthouse
Usage
The lighthouse on the northern tip of Kalsoy, standing on a narrow ridge that drops away on both sides, about 40 minutes on foot from Trøllanes. The path crosses private land and the landowner charges a fee; stay off the ridge in strong wind
Múlafossur
Múlafossur waterfall
Usage
The waterfall that drops straight into the sea at the edge of Gásadalur village — the most photographed view in the Faroes, a few minutes' walk from the village car park. On windy days the water blows back upward
Bøur
Usage
A small village in western Vágar on the way to Gásadalur, looking straight out at the islets of Tindhólmur and Gáshólmur
Tindhólmur
Usage
The uninhabited islet off Bøur, known for its row of five jagged peaks. There is no scheduled service; getting close or landing is only possible on an arranged boat trip
Drangarnir
Usage
The pierced sea stack standing between Vágar and Tindhólmur. The overland hike crosses private land and can only be done with a paid guide — going on your own is not permitted — but it can also be seen from a boat trip
Trælanípan
Usage
The cliff from which the famous shot of Lake Sørvágsvatn appearing to float above the sea is taken, about an hour's walk each way from Miðvágur. It is private land and an access fee is charged, paid at the gate or to an attendant
Miðvágur
Usage
The largest village on Vágar, about ten minutes by car from the airport. The walk to Lake Sørvágsvatn and Trælanípan starts here, where the car park and the access gate are
Sandur
Usage
The main village of Sandoy, with the broad sandy beach its name refers to and Viking-age remains excavated beneath its church. The ferry to Skúvoy also leaves from here
Fámjin
Usage
A village on the west coast of Suðuroy whose church keeps the original Faroese flag, the Merkið, making it the birthplace of the national flag. The road there crosses a mountain pass
Vágur
Usage
A town in the south of Suðuroy, the island's second largest, with shops and places to stay. It is about 20 minutes' drive south of Tvøroyri, where the ferry arrives
Beinisvørð
Usage
A sea cliff on the west coast of Suðuroy, about 470 m high, seen a few steps from the car at the pass on the road between Lopra and Sumba. There is no railing at the viewpoint, so keep back from the edge
More Faroese phrases
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