City Holiday in smallest capital in the world

Tórshavn is a cosy town that mainly consists of small houses in every colour. It has all that it takes to be a tiny little capital - there is something truly special about Tórshavn

The Vikings established their parliament on the Tinganes peninsula in 850, and Tórshavn was made capital of Faroe Islands and has remained so ever since. The town has grown rapidly ever since the turn of the 20th century and has now merged with its neighbours: Argir to the south and Hoyvík to the north. Tórshavn is by far the largest town in the Faroe Islands. 

Tórshavn hosts an annual civic-festival called Ólavsøka. It is held in late July. The capital is turned into a party and people flock in to Tórshavn from all of the islands. Almost all, grownups and children, are seen in the Faroese national costume. Traditional wooden rowing boats from all over the Faroe Islands are competing with eachother. The boat race at Ólavsøka is a tradition that started in the 19th century. There are lots of other arrangements as soccer, art-exhibitions, horseracing etc. In the evening and during the night people are dancing in several locations around the capital. Both the traditional chain-dance and the modern disco-dance.

The town is a charming blend of old and new. In the area around the harbour lies Tinganes. This is where the government is located. The ‘old town’ of Tórshavn  is also here. The cute and small houses have been restored over the last years and the area has turned in to a cosy place where people want to live. Skansin is located over the harbour. This is an old fortress built in 1580. It was built in order to defend Tórshavn  from pirates. Five minutes walk from the harbour is the city-centre Vaglið. Nearby are also shops, restaurants, hotels and a cinema. 5-10 minutes more walking leads to SMS, which is a modern shopping, enter with lots of shops and restaurants. This is the place where people in Tórshavn meet and exchange the latest news while shopping. It is the perfect place to start a holiday in, a wonderful introduction to the Faroe Islands. It has something for everybody.