What to do in Tórshavn - Faroe Islands

What to do in Torshavn faroe islands old town liquid grain liquidgrain

Tórshavn is the world's smallest capital city!  In a country of under 50,000 people, Tórshavn is home to 13,000.  This means that Tórshavn is pretty compact and you can have a good explore in just one day and on foot. 

In terms of parking, if you aren't staying locally we noticed several 8 hour car parks right in the centre of the tourist area or the "shopping area" as it is marked on the tourist maps.  You can find these mostly down by the harbour.


What to do in Torshavn faroe islands old town liquid grain liquidgrain

As you might have spotted in my itinerary post (here if you missed it) we drove into town on our arrival night, but didn't explore until the next day.  On our way into town we passed this lighthouse, which we explored first thing on Saturday. 

It turns out this is Skansin, which is a historic fortress from 1580 which was also used by British military in the second world war as a base.


What to do in Torshavn faroe islands old town liquid grain liquidgrain

One of the most iconic areas of Tórshavn is the old town - where the houses have been around for hundreds of years!  We were lucky enough to stay in one of only two dozen houses in Old Town (number 15 you can see in this photo). 

Regardless of whether you are staying in one them you'll probably want a photo, you can find them near the harbour in pedestrian only streets such as Undir Ryggi.


What to do in Torshavn faroe islands old town liquid grain liquidgrainWhat to do in Torshavn faroe islands old town liquid grain liquidgrain

While you are down there you can explore the harbour and get some great shots of the sea front.  

There are shops and cafes dotted around the town, although there aren't that many so don't expect a typically European shopping experience when you visit.  

What to do in Torshavn faroe islands old town liquid grain liquidgrain

The bright red buildings at the waterfront are the Parliament buildings, which you can easily walk around and between.  You can even see the Prime Minister's Office! 

What to do in Torshavn faroe islands old town liquid grain liquidgrain
What to do in Torshavn faroe islands old town liquid grain liquidgrain

Walking around Tórshavn was a chilled out experience, we saw the sights as well as checking out a few shops although we didn't buy anything.  It was great to stay in the city - and something that stopped us from having to spend extra on eating out.  However, I think there are free buses that go around the town if you are staying a little further out. 

What do you think of tiny Tórshavn?  Somewhere you would visit?

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