Tórshavn (Town)

Tórshavn has 13,628 inhabitants (2021) and has 21 merkur copyhold land. Until 1807, the village covered 8 merkur, after which 13 merkur in Álaker and Flatnahagi belonging to Kirkjubøur were assigned to the chief administrative officer. Of the 21 merkur, the 2, which are without outfield, belong to the old vicarage in Sandagerði. 8 merkur of outfields are leased by a copyhold tenant and the rest belong to Tórshavnar Kommuna. What characterises Tórshavn is the fact that most of the infield has been what is called trøð, or traðir in plural, for the last 200 years. Trøð, or traðir, is the part of the copyhold land granted to the inhabitants upon application, first as a lease and later as a purchase. The sheep herd consists of 140 animals.

The capital, Tórshavn, or Havn, has historically been and still is the centre of the Faroe Islands in all respects. Tórshavn gained the status of urban municipality in 1866 with its own municipal council. In 1978, Tórshavnar uttanbíggja Kommuna, which included the settlements of Hoyvík, Hvítanes, Argir, Syðradalur and Norðradalur, merged with Tórshavnar Kommuna, initially, however, without Argir, which continued as an independent municipality, until it also merged with Tórshavnar Kommuna in 1998. Since then, the municipalities Kirkjubøar and Velbastaður (2005), Kaldbak (1974), Kollafjørður (2001), Nólsoy (2005) and Hestur and Koltur (2005) have also merged with Tórshavnar Kommuna, which now includes all of southern Streymoy and with Kollafjørður, also a part of northern Streymoy. Today, Tórshavnar Kommuna borders Kvívíkar Kommuna and Sunda Kommuna.

The old Tórshavn

Tinganes is the old thingstead of the Faroe Islands. The headland separates the two bays of Eystaravág and Vestaravág. The Løgting was originally held out in the open on Tinganes, but eventually it was held indoors in a special Løgting House, which burned down in 1673. Until 1696, the meetings were held at the Reynagarður vicarage. The Løgting got a new house in 1696. When the old Løgting was abolished in 1814, the house was transferred to the judge of the Faroese Court of Justice who was now the sole judicial authority.

From the earliest times, Tórshavn has been the islands’ most important trading post, not least in the days of monopoly trading. Tórshavn was home to the Danish civil servants, the administrative officer, the judge of the Faroese Court of Justice, the commandant, the vicar, the trade manager and the barber, who in addition to being a barber also served as a doctor. The commandant was commander-in-chief of the Skansi redoubt and had about 30 soldiers under him. In the year 1600, Tórshavn had about 150 inhabitants, and in the year 1700 the number had increased to 330. Most of them were craftsmen, fishermen, day labourers and soldiers with their families.

The settlements on Tinganes were Heima í Havn and Úti í Havn. On the other side of the Havnará stream was the neighbourhood Á or undir Ryggi. The small urban community bordered the Húsagarður copyhold farm, whose farm and infield lay just outside the border of the town itself.

In addition to the small urban community, Tórshavn Parish has since the Reformation included the villages of Hoyvík, Syðradalur and Norðradalur. Later, Sandagerði, Álaker and Argir joined the parish. Until 1788, the parish church was in úti á Reyni on Tinganes. From 1709, the Royal Monopoly Trade helped to create stability in society in contrast to the outsourced monopoly to vassals of earlier times, but the monopoly trade was also an obstacle to business innovation.

The redoubts

The many pirates in the waters around the Faroe Islands also attacked Tórshavn. The redoubt at Stangarnestangi was built around 1580 by Magnus Heinason after a Scottish pirate attack, and it was greatly expanded in the decades after the Turkish attack in Hvalba in 1629 along with the Tinganes redoubt and Reyna redoubt. During the Scanian War 1675‑79, French warships plundered the town and destroyed all the redoubts. The Reyna redoubt was not rebuilt, while in the 1780s, the Stangarnes redoubt was greatly extended with bastions and equipped with several 18-pounder guns. The last pirate attack in Tórshavn took place in 1781. During the Napoleonic Wars, when Denmark supported France, the redoubt was destroyed by English warships.

The commander-in-chief at the Skansi redoubt was the commandant. Under him he had three corporals, three drummers and a garrison of 30 soldiers who had been enlisted from the various districts. They moved to Tórshavn, where they usually settled and started a family. The pay was low, but in the 1790s, the soldiers were allocated a piece of the outfield for their own use, Skansatrøðin with 37 small plots of land, one for each employee of the Skansi redoubt. The function of the redoubt gradually changed, and the soldiers became commandos. In 1865, the commando unit was transformed into a police corps, which had a guardroom at the Skansi redoubt, where there was also a prison. This police force was abolished in 1902.

Niels Ryberg’s trade

In 1766, the Danish merchant Niels Ryberg was granted permission to have a warehouse and a transit trade with goods from the tropical colonies that were to be shipped to Europe. The stock consisted of rum, jenever, wine, sugar, tobacco, tea, Chinese porcelain and various other luxury goods. The goods that did not follow the normal trade routes were smuggled to England. Up to 20 ships at a time could lay in Tórshavn’s roadstead at a time, ships that came to deliver or pick up goods. In the spirit of the times, Niels Ryberg also, unsuccessfully, tried his hand at herring fishing, cod fishing and production of dried cod. Changes in the world situation also changed the basis of this transit trade, and eventually it stopped.

For the population of Tórshavn, however, it was a time of prosperity. Vágsbotnshandilin, as the trade was also called, led to the construction of bridges, pavilion, shooting range, riding ground and a social club, which still exists under the name Havnar Klubbi. Ryberg’s business existed until 1788, after which it was acquired by the Copenhagen merchant Erik Eriksen, but activity steadily declined.

These 20 years were perceived by Tórshavn’s residents as cheerful and good times. The house Quillinsgarður still stands. Quillinsgarður was the home of one of Ryberg’s leading people, Quillin, who was a cooper and came from the Isle of Man.

Tórshavn grows

Production of dried cod slowly started in the last days of the monopoly trade and continued on a larger scale after the introduction of free trade in 1856. Fishing became the town’s main industry, especially after deep-sea fishing began in Tórshavn in 1872.

After the introduction of free trade, merchants, shipowners, skippers, officials, teachers and master craftsmen, along with the already existing Danish civil services left a new mark on the town. Many jobs were also created both on land and at sea, and this provided the conditions for a growing number of fishermen and workers. Industrialisation was also gaining ground. For Swedish capital, in 1886 an oil factory was built at Rættará in Tórshavn based on maritime oil. The factory building, which goes by the name Öström, still stands, but was closed down as a factory already in 1890, and the buildings were acquired by the merchant Jacob Lützen.

Today, the old factory contains the significant graphic workshop Steinprent with associated exhibition rooms and a shop with Faroese design as well as rooms for rent. The complex also includes the DIY warehouse P/F Valdemar Lützen, which today is one of the few major trading companies left on the waterfront.

The establishment of A/S Thorshavns Mælkeforsyning og Margarinefabrik, founded in 1908, became of great importance for the town. With its so-called milk boats operating regular services to surrounding villages, it not only supplied Tórshavn with milk, but also provided regular mail and passenger transport.

The German geologist Carl Küchler, who visited Tórshavn in 1912, was amazed at the shops’ large selection of goods, where ‘even a man accustomed to the mainland range could get value for money … Even in cigar shops and especially in confectioner’s shop’ nothing was missing.

The population increased continuously, and it became necessary to include more land for development. Around the year 1900, the municipality bought all the infield that belonged to the Vestari Húsagarður copyhold farm with a view to subdividing it for new roads and residential areas. The municipality had taken over the entire farm in 1922 and Álaker in 1930.

The fact that the municipality, together with public authorities, had control over most of the municipality’s area created room for manoeuvre, which has helped Tórshavn grow relatively easily – even today.

The smallholders in Tórshavn

The opportunities of self-sufficiency in the villages that agriculture provided did not exist for Tórshavn’s inhabitants, apart from fishing. In Tórshavn, the monopoly trade, and for 20 years also Rybergs Trade, were the largest employers. At the end of the 18th century, landless inhabitants were given the opportunity to rent a trøð (cultivated plot of land, smallholding), and from 1863 it was also possible to own the trøð by fulfilling certain conditions. The area was usually just large enough to grow enough grass for a cow’s winter feed, potatoes and vegetables and to keep sheep, goats and poultry.

Many smallholdings were established in Tórshavn, and they were given special names that can be found today as addresses in Tórshavn. Several inhabitants settled at the smallholding. The allocation of smallholdings to Tórshavn’s inhabitants was a clear social measure which continued in the crisis years of the 1930s. They gradually lost their importance as a means of living and for most people, they became a leisure activity that can be compared to Danish allotments.

As Tórshavn grew, the smallholdings became very valuable, as they were registered as private property and sold for large sums. Several of the old smallholdings have been densely built over, but some still remain as green enclaves in Tórshavn.

Tórshavn after World War II

Tórshavn, like the Faroe Islands in general, was marked by the British occupation during World War II. However, the town’s growth did not stagnate during these years, but continued at a steady pace.

During the British occupation of the Faroe Islands in 1940‑1945, the redoubt in Tórshavn became useful again, as the occupying power fortified it with new heavy coast defence artillery and anti-aircraft artillery. The redoubt is now protected as a historical monument, and the guns from World War II and earlier can still be seen.

A new fishing port was built in 1954, and the new waterfront gave way to several new businesses related to fishing and shipping, such as a barrel factory, which was important to the herring fishery in the 1950s, an oil depot, a salt silo and an ice machine for cooling fish. The company Bacalao, which produced both dried cod and frozen fish fillets, became an important employer, but had to close when the economic crisis hit in 1992.

Tórshavn initially developed around the waterfront, but the expansion of the road network and car transport meant that the outskirts of town also became attractive for establishing companies. The port and waterfront developed into an area from which goods were shipped in containers to passenger ships and to the ferry connections to Nólsoy and Suðuroy.

Urban planning and the most important buildings

Tórshavn is the country’s administrative centre, and the various public institutions create many jobs at all levels and in many different professional areas.

The residence of the high commissioner of the Faroe Islands, which was built as a chief administrative officer’s residence in 1880‑81, is very visible in the townscape. This small villa-style castle with a pyramidal spire is built of Faroese basalt according to drawings by H.C. Amberg, and the building is surrounded by a garden. The other state institutions blend in with the rest of the buildings, but they are all gathered in the neighbourhood around the residence of the high commissioner of the Faroe Islands.

When the Løgting was re-established as a county council in 1852, a new Løgting House was built, which was inaugurated in 1854. The house, which at the time was outside the town, was built of timber on a boulder base and with a turf roof and painted black. Since then, it has been expanded and rebuilt several times.

In 1907, it was extended, given a new roof and cladding of corrugated iron and painted white. During a renovation in the period 1978‑80, the house regained its original appearance with cladding of black-painted woodwork and a turf roof. A proposal to build a completely new Løgting house in 1997 was shelved in 1999 after some discussion. The old house was kept as a chamber, and with an intermediate building, the house was merged with the former telephone switchboard for the Løgting’s administration, committee offices and common rooms. The Løgting House itself was now painted white again and got a slate roof. Prior to this, the Løgting had taken over the old pharmacy Tjaldurs Apotek in 1977 for its administration. Since 1997, the old pharmacy has been left to political parties.

The Løgting is an important part of the capital’s image, because every year on the day of the national festival ólavsøka on 29 July, the entire Løgting, together with the ministers and the country’s clergy, walk in a procession from the Løgting House to church service in Havnar Kirkja and back again.

When Home Rule was introduced in 1948, the Faroese Government was housed in the old buildings on Tinganes. The Faroese government acquired the entire complex of historic buildings in 1957, and they have since been renovated. When the space became too cramped, parts of the central administration moved to other premises in the towns in 1995.

In 2008, a plan was adopted for Tinganes, taking into account culturalhistorical, conservation and functional considerations. The Prime Minister’s office is on Tinganes and also contains the Faroese Government’s reception and meeting rooms. Varying ráð or ministries also have offices on Tinganes.

Tórshavn gained the status of urban municipality with a town council in 1866. It consisted of five elected representatives and the administrative officer as a permanent member. At that time, the right to vote was limited and the election was not secret. The administrative officer undoubtedly had a relatively large influence, because most meetings were held at his place. With the Municipal Act from 1908, all the members of the town council were elected by secret ballot, where everyone over a certain age was entitled to vote, including women. In the same year, Tórshavn was also given the status of market town.

From 1909, the town council meetings were held in the house Sloans Salur, which used to belong to the Brethren congregation. In the same year, the municipality bought Arnes Minde which used to belong to the shipowner and skipper Napoleon Andreassen. The house was designed by Niclas J. Niclasen á Bø, who had been a student at Vallekilde Højskole (Vallekilde Folk High School). However, the town council did not move in until 1918, and in 1926 the police were housed on the lower floor until a new police station was completed in 1967.

Tórshavn did not have an actual town hall until 1974 when the old municipal school from 1894 was converted for the purpose. The old parish hall above the town hall was converted into a spacious town council chamber in 1983.

Since 1866, the municipality has been responsible for town planning, building permits, the fire brigade and infrastructure as well as servicing in areas such as sewerage systems, refuse collection, care and schooling.

From 1867, the houses along the new Tinghúsvegur, the road in front of the Løgting House, were built according to a fixed building line. The lower, relatively large and fine houses had gardens in front, while the houses further up the street did not have gardens. The same order applied to the new quarter úti í Bø along the streets Tróndargøta and Magnus Heinasonargøta. Population growth and the lack of housing meant that for some periods, the urban planning was less successful. At some point, it was considered demolishing most of the buildings in old Tórshavn and replacing them with new ones, but this was stopped with the building regulations from 1972, under which the old Tórshavn was covered by special rules. As a result, this part of town has been preserved. The urban plan was revised in 1982 and a few times since, and the town has grown explosively in all directions with new suburbs. The increasing number of cars has also required the construction of both private and public parking spaces.

The municipal fire brigade Tórshavnar Sløkilið, which today covers all of the Faroe Island, has roots dating back to the Ryberg era. Today, the fire station is located at one of the town’s approach roads with a view of the town, while the town’s oldest fire station, Sproytuhúsið from 1822, can still be seen in úti á Reyni.

Tórshavn had its first modest water reservoir in 1866, a dam called Ovasti Dammur in the Havnará stream. Later, water pipes were established to water pumps in the town, from which water could be tapped. Water pipes with running water were installed in the individual houses in 1898. Today, the town is supplied with drinking water from two large dammed water reservoirs with associated treatment plants in Havnardalur and Villingardalur, respectively. In addition, there are several smaller local facilities in the municipality’s other villages.

Former open waste sites in outfields and by the beach have long since been replaced by incineration plants. The first was built in Havnadalur in 1968 and closed again in 1987, when the new incineration plant Brennistøðin á Sandvíkarhjalla was built. The waste is now also sorted at the plant.

The municipality has become involved energy, and together with the energy company SEV, it has founded P/F Fjarhitafelagið with the aim of utilising excess heat from the incineration plant and from Sundsverkið, SEV’s power plant, for district heating. P/F Bakkafrost built the biogas plant FÖRKA at the incineration plant in 2020. It is designed to be able to receive 100,000 tonnes of organic material annually, and the excess energy is used for electricity production. In the outfield outside Tórshavn, a large wind farm has also been built that produces electricity, and an expansion of the park has been initiated.

Health and care

Dronning Alexandrines Hospital, built 1921‑23, was extended in 1962, and Landssjúkrahúsið, as it is called today, is still being expanded. With its 900 employees, it is the country’s largest hospital, and it collaborates with the two smaller hospitals in Klaksvík and Tvøroyri. Landssjúkrahúsið also collaborates with Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen and other Danish hospitals.

The chief medical officer in Tórshavn is a state institution under the high commissioner of the Faroe Islands. Tórshavnar Kommuna has 12 medical practices. The Faroe Islands’ central pharmacy, Tjaldurs Apotek, is located in the town.

The municipality has 14 daycare centres, and of these, one is located in the village of Velbastaður and two in Kollafjørður. Nine after-school facilities are distributed between the town and the villages in the municipality. In addition, Margarinfabrikkin, a former margarine factory, has been converted into an activity centre for children and young people aged three to 17.

Tórshavn’s first old-age home, Ellisheimið, opened in 1935. Since then, more have been added: Láargarður in 1987, Tjarnargarður, set up in the former naval station in 2004, Heimið við Vallalíð for people with dementia in 2005 and Boðanesheimið in 2012. Moreover, there are several senior co-housing facilities and respite care homes. Like the only orphanage, Føroya Barnaheim, established in 1936, the nursing home Hvíldarheimið Naina from the same year, accepts people from all over the Faroe Islands.

Churches and religious meeting houses

The current Havnar Kirkja from 1788 was built a little outside the town and has been the Faroe Islands’ cathedral since 1990. It was rebuilt, expanded and renovated several times, and in 2016, the church was allocated the neighbouring house Arnes Minde for its other activities.

In 1974, another parish church was built in Tórshavn. It has 800 seats and was designed by designed by Holm & Grut. The shape is inspired by a ship with sails, and the 42 m high tower is shaped like a halved pyramid. Inside, the Jacob’s Ladder goes up into the church spire. In front of the church is a statue of Sigmundur Brestisson, made by the artist Hans Pauli Olsen and unveiled in 2006.

With its simple design both inside and outside, Argja Kirkja from 1978 combines a Christian meeting house and a church that was built by the local congregation.

Hoyvíkar Kirkja with about 600 seats was inaugurated in 2007 and was designed by Albert Isfeldt & Gudmund Hansen.

The first Catholic church after the Reformation was Bauers Kirkja from 1860, named after the priest Bauer. The church was located at Rættará, but it was closed down relatively quickly. When the Catholic school Sankta Frans Skúli was built in 1930, a church was part of the complex. A modern Catholic church, designed by Árni Winther, was built in 1987. The mosaic at the entrance was done by the Danish artist Sven Havsteen-Mikkelsen, and the church’s stained glass windows were done by Tróndur Patursson.

The Seventh-day Adventists’ small church Bethel from 1930 was replaced in 1978 by a new church, built on the same land as the congregation’s private school from 1966.

In 1963, the Brethren congregation’s meeting house Ebenezer from 1905 gave way to the new Ebenezer, designed by J.P. Gregoriussen and Kristoffer Kristoffersen and built in concrete. The Brethren congregation also has meeting houses elsewhere in the municipality. A branch of the Brethren congregation Lívdin inaugurated an meeting house or cultural centre in Hoyvík in 2021, designed by SNA Arkitekter.

The Pentecostal congregation has two meeting houses in Tórshavn, City Church and Filadelfia, as well as meeting houses in other villages in the municipality. The Salvation Army has its meeting room in the centre of Tórshavn, and the congregation Oasan í Hoyvík is a free church founded on Lutheran land in 2002. Jehovah’s Witnesses have a Kingdom Hall in Tórshavn.

Cemeteries

The oldest, long since abandoned cemetery was at Tinganes. In 1782, Kirkjugarðurin við Landavegin, also called The Old Cemetery, was established outside the town á Svínaryggi and expanded in 1922. A smaller cemetery was also built around Havnar Kirkja in 1788, but no one has been buried there for the last 150 years.

Established in 1935, Kirkjugarðurin við Velbastaðvegin has been expanded several times. The cemetery has a section with British soldiers’ graves from World War II. In 1951, a chapel was built, designed by H.C.W. Tórgarð.

The newest cemetery in Tórshavnar Kommuna is the cemetery in Hoyvík, which was inaugurated on 28 August 2019.

Schools and educational institutions

The old grammar school was formally closed in 1804, and the school, Almueskolen, from 1632 was taken over by the Faroe County School Board in 1824. The middle and secondary school, Færøernes Mellem- og Realskole, was established in 1861 as an independent school. In 1916, the building was taken over by the bookshop H.N. Jacobsens Bókahandil when the school moved to new buildings further up town.

A municipal school was built in basalt by Faroese craftsmen in 1894. It was in use until 1956, when a new, larger school, built by Lamhauge & Waagstein, was commissioned. It was next door to the middle and secondary school, which became an integrated part of the municipal school in 1962. Today, the buildings house the Finsen hall of residence, named after the Nobel laureate Niels R. Finsen, who was from Tórshavn.

The Catholic school, Sankta Frans Skúli, designed by H.C.W. Tórgarð and built in 1930, was taken over by the municipality in 1985.

In 1968, the practice school Venjingarskúlin was built in the same complex as the teachers’ school, Føroya Læraraskúli. Another large primary school, Eysturskúlin, was inaugurated in 1980.

Population growth and the expansion of the town with several new residential areas have resulted in the closure of schools and the construction of new ones elsewhere in the municipality. The biggest new school is Skúlin á Fløtum from 2020. Of the older schools in Tórshavn, only Eysturskúlin and Sankta Frans Skúli remain. In Argir, the rapidly growing suburb of Tórshavn, Skúlin á Argjahamri was inaugurated in 2011. Hoyvík has a school from 1977 which has been expanded a few times, and Hoyvík Skúlin við Løgmannabreyt which was completed in 2008.

There are two private independent schools in the municipality. One, Lítliskúli við Hoyvíkstjørn, has rented the Adventists’ former school building, and Tórshavnar Frískúli is located in the village of Velbastaður.

The Skúlin á Trøðni special school was established in 1962 as a Danish institution under the name Statens Skole for Høre- og Talelidende (the state school for hearing and speechhandicapped pupils). It has since been taken over by the Faroese authorities and is today the only special school for pupils with special needs. The Sernám institution is housed in the same building. It offers nationwide consultancy to schools, daycare centres and parents on special education in collaboration with the municipalities.

Tórshavn is home to the country’s largest and most important educational institutions at both youth and higher education levels. These include Glasir – Tórshavn College, which is home to a high school, higher preparatory examination course (HF), technical college and business college. The town is also home to the teachers’ school, which was established in 1870 and merged with the university in 2008.

Following the initiative of the scientific society Føroya Fróðskaparfelag, Føroya Fróðskaparsetur, with the subtitle Academia Færoensis, was established in 1965, and in 1967, it moved into a modest building. In 1987, Føroya Fróðskaparsetur was given the status of a university, and today it is an important part of the town, especially after residence halls for the students have also been built.

Folk high school and leisure-time education

The folk high school, Føroya Fólkaháskúli, moved from the deserted area of Føgrulíð on Borðoy to Tórshavn in 1909, where it has been ever since. A stay at a folk high school was the first step for many who wanted to pursue further education. Today, the folk high school mostly teaches creative subjects and organises various courses.

Tórshavnar Musikskúli, the local music school, moved into a contemporary building, the Hátún concert hall, in 2020.

Tórshavn has offered evening classes since 1882. This type of leisure- time education is currently provided by Tórshavnar kvøld-, ungdómsog listaskúli, Tórshavn’s evening, youth and art school, and the school offers a wide range of subjects, e.g. Faroese classes for immigrants.

Cultural and sports institutions

Norðurlandahúsið (the Nordic House) was built in 1983 and belongs to the Nordic Council. It is the town’s most versatile cultural centre and is used for concerts, music festivals, theatre performances, art exhibitions, conferences, etc. The Nordic House also forms the setting for the New Year’s concert of the Faroese Symphony Orchestra, Føroya Symfoniorkestur. The house is next door to Kringvarp Føroya (Broadcasting Service of the Faroe Islands).

Sjónleikarhúsið, the theatre house from 1926, is owned by the amateur actors association Tórshavnar Sjónleikarafelag and since its construction, it has been home to both amateur theatre and professional productions. In 2005, Tjóðpallur Føroya was given the status of national theatre. It is housed in the old dairy premises of Thorshavns Mejeri og Mælkeforsyning, but plans are made to build a new national theatre in Tórshavn.

Previously, Sjónleikarhúsið, together with Havnar Bio, whose current building dates from 1962, were the two cinemas in the town. Of these, only Havnar Bio exists today.

Havnar Hornorkestur was established in 1901 (first under the name Hornorkestret Tjaldur) and Harmoniorkestrið GHM in 1922. These two bands are still active and visible in the townscape on special occasions. In 2014, the municipality had an old dry cleaner converted into the Reinsaríið venue as part of the plan to turn the Tórsgøta street into a cultural street for both young and old. There are several other music venues. At the waterfront in Vágsbotn, the music festival Voxbotn takes place every summer.

The Gundadalur area has formed the framework for sporting life in Tórshavn since 1909. Tórsvøllur, the town’s 6,040-seat stadium, was completed in 2021, but the pitch itself was in use before. In addition to Tórsvøllur, there are two other pitches and several sports halls. A large indoor swimming complex was built in 1982, and a new and larger one is under construction. Tórsbreyt, a modern running track, was built near Gundadalur in 2008. Several sports clubs have clubhouses in Gundadalur; the oldest football club is HB, Havnar Bóltfelag from 1904. Smaller sports facilities can be found in Argir and Hoyvík.

Public workplaces and private companies

With a few exceptions, the many institutions within the Faroese Government’s various ministerial areas are located in the capital, and together with the two large banks Bank Nordik and Betri Banki, they are some of the town’s major employers.

Most businesses and small shops as well as large and small companies were previously located in the town centre, but have now moved out to the industrial areas on the outskirts of the town with better space and parking facilities. The SMS shopping centre was built in 1977 under the same roof as the new pharmacy, Tjaldurs Apotek. SMS has been expanded several times, and the parking area includes a large underground car park. SMS has 25 different shops in addition to the Miklagarður supermarket, where the bakery Mylnan has a shop. The SMS group also includes the food chain Bónus, which has established several supermarkets in the town’s new outskirts with extensive new residential areas.

Føroya Keypsamtøka (Faroe Islands consumer cooperative) has a large store in the centre of Tórshavn and a large supermarket in Hoyvík. Several other grocery stores are connected to foreign retail chains, which supply the stores with goods, and are also located in the new residential areas.

In Tórshavn there are still two large wholesalers in the food industry: P/F Poul Hansen, established in 1927, including P/F Krás, and P/F Poul Michelsen, established in 1974, including P/F Kjøtbúðin. The major Faroese player in milk and milk production is MBM, Mjólkarvirki Búnaðarmanna in Hoyvík, which buys milk from the 18 dairy farmers. The Faroese International Shipping Register (FAS) is headquartered in Tórshavn, as are several shipping companies.

The liberalised alcohol legislation in 1992 has contributed to significant growth in the restaurant and hotel industry. This has proved favourable for tourism, which has grown considerably in recent years. Two new major hotels were opened in 2020 and other hotels have been expanded with several new rooms. Moreover, Tórshavn has smaller guesthouses, hostels and private accommodation. Tourism has also resulted in an increased number of busses and rental cars.

The public sector, the service sector and the liberal professions have grown a lot in the capital. Until the 1990s, the capital still had jobs in the fishing industry, but they no longer exist.

In the port area at Vestara Bryggja is Vónin P/F which develops and manufactures fishing gear and material for both deep-sea fishing and salmon farming as well as other equipment for offshore activities. This is also where the shipyard that began as Tórshavnar Skipasmiðja in 1936 and is now called MEST is located. The shipyard is owned by MEST Shipyard, which is the result of a merger in 2008 between the three shipyards Skála Skipasmiðja, Vestmanna Skipasmiðja and Tórshavnar Skipasmiðja. MEST, which stands for Machine, Electricity, Steel and Timber, has 250 employees and has been responsible for building the ship Jákup Sverri from 2020. At the other port area, Eystara Bryggja, is a terminal for arriving liners and the Norrøna car ferry.

Green areas and memorials

Since the end of the 19th century, several gardens with trees, such as maple and rowan, have been landscaped, and these are still part of the townscape. Attempts were made to plant spruce trees outside Tórshavn in the 1870s, but they did not grow.

Det Danske Hedeselskab (the Danish Heath Society) helped landscape Viðarlundin in 1904. Since then, the plantation has become Tórshavn’s urban park. There are also several green areas in the town, including Debesartrøð which has become a university park. In recent years, the municipality has built several footpaths in green areas inside the town and in the countryside around the town, where people can run or walk.

Several memorials have been erected in the urban space. Kongaminnið was erected in 1882 to commemorate the first royal visit to the Faroe Islands in 1874. A monument for the dean and linguist V.U. Hammershaimb can be seen in Debesartrøð. Under the tree crowns in front of the residence of the high commissioner of the Faroe Islands is a commemorative plaque for Niels R. Finsen, who received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1903 for his invention of light therapy for skin tuberculosis. On the grass in front of Løgting House is a bust of the poet Rasmus Effersøe. Two small-scale statues of the poet brothers J.H.O. Djurhuus and H.A. Djurhuus have been erected in front of their childhood home at Áarstova, and at Sjónleikarhúsið, there is a fullsize statue of H.A. Djurhuus. In Viðarlundin is a statue of a sailor erected in 1956. It is an established tradition that every year on 1 November, the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands lays a wreath in front of the statue in memory of Faroese sailors who have died at sea.

At Vágsbotnur, the western part of the port, is a statue of the sailor and national hero Nólsoyar-Páll made in 1995 by Hans Pauli Olsen. There are also several statues of a more symbolic nature such as Fiskakonan on Høgukei in Vestaruvág, Traðarmaðurin in front of the town hall, Myndin by the old savings bank and Bóndin and bóndakonan on Glaðsheyggur.

The waterfront

Tórshavn has always been the central port of the Faroe Islands, although it is not a good natural harbour. Goods and passengers were previously ferried ashore from the ships that lay in the roadstead. The arm crane at Vippan, where goods were unloaded, no longer exists, but the tread plank is still there. Jetties and berths were gradually built. Kongabrúgvin, the king’s bridge, was built for the king’s visit in 1874. The first pier and quay for large ships was completed in 1929, and in 1948‑54, the quay Eystara Bryggja on the east side of Eystaruvág was built. In 2020, the new port facility for large ships was completed and constitutes the Faroe Islands’ largest commercial port. To this should be added the commercial ports at Sund and in Kollafjørður, as well as several marinas in the municipality.

Many jobs at the waterfront related to fishing disappeared before the year 2000, e.g. Bacalao with its salt silo, and the demolition has made way for Sjóvinnuhúsið (the shipping house), which, despite its name, houses companies engaging in entrepreneurship, innovation and film production, as well as departments of Fróðskaparsetur Føroya (University of the Faroe Islands) and the restaurant Silo.

Today, most of the port area is closed to the capital’s population due to international agreements regarding the ports.

Further reading

• Haldórsvík (Settlement)
• Hósvík (Settlement)
• Hvalvík (Settlement)
• Kaldbak (Settlement)
• Kaldbaksbotnur (Settlement)
• Kirkjubøur (Settlement)
• Kollafjørður (Settlement)
• Kvívík (Settlement) and Kvívíkar Municipality
• Langasandur (Settlement)
• Leynar (Settlement)
• Nesvík (Settlement)
• Norðradalur (Settlement)
• Saksun (Settlement)
• Skælingur (Settlement)
• Streymnes (Settlement)
• Streymoy (Island)
• Stykkið (Settlement)
• Sund (Settlement)
• Syðradalur (Settlement)
• Tinganes (District of Tórshavn)
• Tjørnuvík (Settlement)
• Útí á Bø (Settlement)
• Válur and Nes (Settlements)
• Velbastaður (Settlement)
• Vestmanna (Settlement) and Vestmanna Municipality
• Við Áir

Read more about The islands, towns and settlements