Sightseeing in Torshavn - what to see. Complete travel guide

This is a major trading city located in the eastern part of Stirrup Island. It was founded in the 10th century, and Vikings are considered its first settlers. The old Norse god of thunder Thor is known as the patron saint of Torshavn. The name of the city is the result of this fact. Beautiful countryside and rich choice of historic monuments attract tourists to the city. People come to see old buildings and enjoy an unhurried walk in spacious alleys and parks. The streets of the city are full of small residential houses of different shapes and colors. The majority of them were built in the beginning of the 19th century.

The main street of the city is named Gongin. This is also the most beautiful street of the city full of buildings of 16 - 17 centuries. Many houses are still used for living, while the others have been converted into shops and museums. Start your sightseeing from a visit to Munkastovan Monastery located in the central part of Tórshavn. This is quite a massive and heavy building, which was constructed in the 15th century. The monastery survived miraculously during a severe fire in 1673, which destroyed a third of the city. Nearby is located another prominent old building - the royal storehouse Leigubuin.

There are so many showrooms and museums in the city. The local Historical Museum exhibits a large collection of archeological and religious artifacts, models of ancient ships, agricultural implements and household items, as well as crafts and weapons of the Vikings. There is also an open air museum, which is called Kurdalsvegur. This is a small farm, on which have been carefully designed and constructed typical buildings and other facilities of 13 - 14 centuries. Fans of theater arts and music should not forget to visit the cultural center named Nordic House, which traditionally hosts classical music concerts, theatrical performances and art exhibitions. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The main religious attraction in the city is Torshavn Cathedral. It was built in the 19th century and has remained the tallest building on the archipelago since then. The height of the cathedral is 40 meters. It has a very unusual pyramidal shape. Since the cathedral is currently the permanent seat of the bishop, only a part of its premises is available for guided tours.

A very interesting historical landmark is located in the Kirkubor village, nearby. Here, you'll see the oldest wooden house in Europe, which was built over a thousand years ago. At present, it houses a small museum. You can enjoy it absolutely free of charge. The atmosphere of the past millennium has been completely restored in the old house. A massive wooden table, sleeping accommodation coated with skins of sheep, as well as chairs made of huge whale vertebrae can be seen there.

The city invites to a beautiful aquarium, which will surely be of interest for the whole family. It informs the visitors about the variety of marine species. You can see rare species of starfish and octopuses, admire beautiful jellyfish, exotic fish, and rare sea predators. The aquarium is quite small, so the tour will not be tedious.

Guests of the city will have an opportunity to see a lot of incredible natural attractions. There exists one of the world's largest colonies of petrels on the Nolsoy island. Ornithologists from around the world come to observe them. And what was interesting about it is to watch the birds at dawn. There is even a small hotel near the nature reserve for the convenience of tourists. On the island, only one small village is found, where you can admire the carefully preserved pristine nature.

Lovers of walking in historical places will be interested in visiting the ruins of the ancient Skansin fort. It was built in the 18th century. However, after the fort lost its defensive value, it has been neglected for long enough and gradually destroyed. Today, visitors can see preserved fragments of a once magnificent structure, as well as ancient cannons that were installed here in the 18th century.