Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands
Since the early days of viking settlement more than one thousand years ago, the Faroese have met and held their parliament or "Thing" in Tórshavn.

Tórshavn is said to be perhaps the smallest capital in the world (approx. 15,000 inhabitants), and as an administrative and political centre it may even be the oldest in Scandinavia. The old site of the Thing is on the headland in the middle of the harbour of Tórshavn. Today, the Faroese Government offices are in the old listed buildings on the very point of the promotory, while the Parliament is in an old wooden building in the centre of the town.

Tórshavn is a modern town which, owing to modern communication and infrastructure, is not at all as isolated as it used to be during the past centuries. But it retains its unique character, fascinating, small and different from any other capital in the world.

Age-old history and beautiful surroundings
A growing number of people come to the Faroe Islands every year, not because the Faroes can compete with the heat and sunshine found elsewhere, but because here visitors can enjoy beautiful and dramatic scenery and age-old history and culture. Here too, the unspoilt countryside is surrounded by the cleanest sea in the world.

Tórshavn's city centre. Photo: Alan Brockie.

The Nordic House in Tórshavn, designed by the Norwegian architect OlaSteen.
Photo: Alan Brockie.

The Museum of Faroese Art. Photo: Ewald Larsen.

Tórshavn. Photo: Alan Brockie.

Visitors interested in history can spend hours walking in the old town with its small tarred wooden houses with grass roofs, the oldest being more than 500 years old, and so close together that you wonder how they managed to build them. Towering above the harbour is the old fortress, built in 1630 to protect the market from pirates, who haunted the waters around the Faroe Islands for centuries.

Culture and leisure
Tórshavn is also the cultural centre of the islands. The beautiful Nordic House, which was opened in 1983, is the setting for many cultural events about the Faroese and the Nordic Countries. The town also has a theatre, a new museum of Faroese art, cinemas, concert halls, libraries and a museum of antiquities with a special boat museum which illustrates the history of the Faroes as seafaring folk.

The traditional Faroese dance accompanied by the old ballads, telling the stories of the vikings, their lives and their battles, is derived from its medieval heritage and has helped in the survival of the Faroese culture and language.

Though they did not use instrumental song then, a new generation of musicans and music is developing rapidly, and several music and song festivals are held during the summer.

Sport and leisure
For those who are interested in sport, Tórshavn has a lot to offer. There is an open air stadium with astro-turf football pitches, sports stadiums, covered courts for badminton, tennis courts, and an indoor swimming pool.

Being geographically the centre of the islands, Tórshavn provides good opportunities for taking trips all over the islands. Travel connections by bus and ferry are very good.

The port of Tórshavn is the main harbour in the Faroe Islands and has kept pace with the increasing demands of business activities during recent years. It can provide visitors, as well as ships and crews, with all the necessary services and help that may be required.