Changing Our Plans Because of the Weather
By the time we reached our third day in the Faroe Islands, we had already learnt one of the most important lessons about travelling around these islands: you need a plan, but you also need to be prepared to change it.
The weather in the Faroe Islands can change remarkably quickly, and because some of the places we wanted to visit were much more dependent on visibility and conditions than others, we decided to change the order of our itinerary. Instead of following our original plan, we brought our Kirkjubøur and Tórshavn day forward and saved the northern part of the islands for the following day. It turned out to be a very good decision.
After two days of dramatic scenery, mountain roads, waterfalls and exposed viewpoints, Day 3 gave us a slightly different experience. We still had beautiful landscapes, but this time we also had history, Faroese culture and time to explore the capital.
Kirkjubøur: Stepping Back in Time
Our first major stop of the day was Kirkjubøur, one of the most historically important places in the Faroe Islands. Located on the southern part of Streymoy, the village is only around half an hour from Tórshavn, but it feels a world away from the capital.
Kirkjubøur was the medieval cultural and episcopal centre of the Faroe Islands, and today the village remains one of the best places to experience the islands’ history. The village’s main historical sights include the old farmhouse Roykstovan, Ólavskirkja and the ruins of the medieval Magnus Cathedral.
We began by exploring the village and taking in the traditional Faroese surroundings. After spending the previous two days surrounded mainly by dramatic natural scenery, it was interesting to see a completely different side of the Faroe Islands.
Kirkjubøur has a peaceful atmosphere, with traditional houses and historic buildings surrounded by open countryside and the sea. It is the sort of place where you don’t need to rush. Walking around and looking at the old buildings gives you a real sense that this is a village with centuries of history behind it.
From Kirkjubøur Towards Tórshavn
After exploring Kirkjubøur, we made our way towards Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands.
The drive itself was another reminder that even travelling between destinations can be part of the experience here. The landscape around Tórshavn is very different from the more remote mountain scenery we had experienced on Vágar, but you still get those wonderful views across the islands and sea.
As we approached the capital, we began to see more signs of everyday Faroese life, with houses becoming more numerous and the landscape gradually changing from remote countryside to a small but lively town.
Tórshavn is a fascinating place because, although it is the capital, it doesn’t feel like a traditional European capital city. With around 20,000 people, it is small, relaxed and very easy to explore.
Skansin: History Above the Harbour
After a two-hour lunch break at SMS, what is basically the only shopping mall in the Faroe Islands, we continued to Skansin, the historic fort overlooking Tórshavn harbour. The location is particularly good because it combines history with a panoramic view across the harbour and surrounding sea.
Skansin was originally established as a defensive fort and later played an important role during the Second World War, when it was used as a British Royal Navy base. Today, it is one of the places where you can combine a little Faroese history with one of the best views across the capital. We spent some time here taking photographs and enjoying the view over the harbour.
After two days of dramatic natural scenery, it was interesting to see the Faroe Islands from a more urban perspective, while still having mountains and ocean surrounding us.
Tinganes: The Most Famous Part of Tórshavn
Of course, no visit to Tórshavn would be complete without exploring Tinganes. This historic part of the city is instantly recognisable because of its traditional red wooden buildings, narrow lanes and grass-covered roofs.
Tinganes is not simply a pretty part of the city. It has enormous historical importance. The area is associated with the Faroese parliament and is recognised as one of the oldest parliamentary sites in the world, with the Faroese assembly having met here from around the ninth century.
Walking through the narrow streets was one of my favourite parts of Tórshavn. The traditional buildings are packed closely together, and the combination of black wooden houses, white windows, red buildings and grass roofs makes Tinganes feel completely different from the rest of the city.
It is also one of those places where you should take your time rather than simply walking through, because some of the most interesting details are found in the smaller lanes and corners.
Tjóðsavnið: Discovering the History of the Faroe Islands
Our final stop of the day was Tjóðsavnið, the National Museum of the Faroe Islands, in Tórshavn. After spending the day visiting historic Kirkjubøur and then exploring the streets, harbour and historic areas of the capital, the museum was a fitting way to finish because it gave us the opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and natural heritage of the islands we had been exploring for the previous few days.
Why We Changed Our Itinerary
Looking back, I am really glad that we decided to move this day forward because of the weather. Our original plan had been different, but the conditions meant that it made more sense to visit Kirkjubøur and Tórshavn while we had a suitable day for them and leave our northern island adventure for later. This turned out to be one of the best decisions of the entire trip.
The Faroe Islands are not somewhere where I would recommend following a rigid itinerary regardless of the forecast. If the weather is poor, visibility can disappear very quickly, particularly in the mountains, and some of the places you have travelled a long way to see may not be visible at all. By keeping our itinerary flexible, we were able to make the most of the conditions rather than simply following the original schedule.
And that flexibility became even more important because Day 4 would take us into the northern part of the Faroe Islands, where we wanted good visibility for the mountain scenery.
Our Favourite Parts of Day 3
Day 3 was very different from the first two days, and I think that is exactly why it worked so well. Kirkjubøur was the highlight for history and atmosphere, while Tinganes was probably my favourite part of Tórshavn itself.
There was something particularly enjoyable about walking around the narrow streets of Tinganes and seeing the traditional buildings up close after spending the previous days mainly looking at mountains, waterfalls and coastlines.
I also really enjoyed seeing Tórshavn from above at the different viewpoints. The capital is small enough that you can explore quite a lot of it in a single day, but there are enough viewpoints, historic areas and interesting corners to make it worthwhile.
Is Kirkjubøur & Tórshavn Worth Doing?
Definitely.
If your idea of a Faroe Islands trip is only mountains, waterfalls and remote villages, I would still recommend including this day. Kirkjubøur gives you an insight into the history of the Faroe Islands, while Tórshavn shows you how people actually live in the islands today. The contrast is what makes the combination so good.
You can spend the morning walking around one of the most historically important villages in the Faroes and then spend the afternoon exploring the capital, its harbour, historic buildings and viewpoints.
And because the two places are relatively close together, you don’t lose a huge amount of time travelling between them.
Our Day 3 Verdict
Day 3 was perhaps the most relaxed day of our Faroe Islands adventure, but that certainly doesn’t mean it was less interesting.
After two days packed with dramatic scenery and outdoor exploration, Kirkjubøur and Tórshavn gave us something completely different. We discovered some of the history behind the islands, explored one of the most important historic villages, visited the capital and enjoyed views across the harbour and surrounding landscape.
Most importantly, it proved that changing your itinerary because of the weather doesn’t necessarily mean compromising on your trip. In our case, it actually made the itinerary work better.
By the end of the day, we were ready for the final part of our adventure, which would take us north to Viðareiði, Kunoy and Klaksvík.
Want to see the full itinerary? Read our complete guide to 4 Days in the Faroe Islands: Our Epic Self-Drive Adventure and see how we planned our four days around the weather.
