18 interesting facts about the Faroe Islands

18 interesting facts about the Faroe Islands

We share the most interesting facts about the Faroe Islands that we collected on our short but tiring trip to these wild Atlantic islands

The Faroe Islands lie in the heart of the Gulf Stream, floating at 62° North in the North Atlantic, northwest of Scotland - about halfway between Norway and Iceland.

The remote archipelago consists of 18 rocky islands connected by a series of tunnels, bridges and ferries. Just a stone's throw from the UK via Edinburgh, the islands are a paradise for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.

We spent four days in the Faroe Islands and thanks to the strangely long days (sunset was around 11:30 p.m.) we were able to pack in a lot, from spotting puffins in Mykines to hiking at Lake Sørvágsvatn, where the largest lake in the Faroe Islands stretches out to sea.

We share the most interesting facts about the Faroe Islands that we picked up on our trip.

Interesting facts about the Faroe Islands

1. Viele Häuser auf den Färöern haben Rasendächer, eine Tradition, die mehr als tausend Jahre zurückreicht. Sie sehen nicht nur charmant aus, sondern bieten Wärmedämmung und Schutz vor Regen. (Quelle: CNN)

alt=“Lawn roofs on the Faroe Islands”>Atlas & BootsTurf roof houses in Kirkjubøur

1. Irische Mönche, die im 6. Jahrhundert ankamen, besiedelten ursprünglich die Färöer-Inseln. Die ersten nordischen Siedler waren Bauern, die etwa 200 Jahre später ankamen. (Quelle: BBC)
2. Wikinger besiedelten dann im 9. Jahrhundert die Färöer-Inseln. (Quelle: The Independent)
3. Die Telefonnummer des Premierministers finden Sie im Telefonbuch. (Quelle: The Telegraph)

4. The turf-roof 'Parliamentary Walkway' of Tinganes (translated as 'The Thing') is considered one of the oldest parliamentary meeting places in the world, dating back to 825 AD (Source: The Independent)

alt="Tinganes is one of the most interesting facts about the Faroe Islands">Atlas & BootsThe peat roof “Parliamentary Bridge” of Tinganes

1. Etwa 50 % der Elektrizität auf den Färöern stammt derzeit aus erneuerbaren Quellen. Die Nation will es bis 2030 zu 100 % schaffen. (Quelle: State of Green)

2. There are no official prisons in the Faroe Islands. Mjørkadalur is home to a grass-roofed short-term prison used for non-violent offenders serving short sentences. Prisoners held for more than a year and a half are sent to Danish prisons. (Source: Faroe Islands Tourism Association)

3. There are only three traffic lights in the entire Faroe Islands - all in the capital Tórshavn. Find out more in our tips for driving in the Faroe Islands. (Source: National Geographic)

4. One of the most interesting facts about the Faroe Islands is that no trees grow naturally on the islands. There are a handful of small plantations scattered throughout, but there are no native trees. (Source: Belfast Telegraph)

alt="Beautiful but treeless view of the Faroe Islands">Atlas & BootsThe beautiful but treeless Faroe Islands

1. Im April 2019 schlossen die Färinger vorübergehend Teile des Landes, um beliebte Touristenattraktionen zu reparieren. Rund 100 „Voluntouristen“ arbeiteten im Rahmen einer Kampagne zur Förderung von Tourismus und Nachhaltigkeit mit Einheimischen zusammen. (Quelle: The Guardian)

2. There is a shortage of women on the Faroe Islands, which is why men are increasingly finding women from countries in Southeast Asia. With a population of just 50,000, more than 300 women from Thailand and the Philippines now live on the islands, making up the largest ethnic minority in the Faroe Islands. (Source: BBC)

3. On the Faroe Islands you are never more than 5 km from the sea. (Source: Google Maps)

alt=“Interesting facts about the Faroe Islands The sea is never far away in the Faroe Islands”>Atlas & BootsIn the Faroe Islands the sea is never far away

1. Zusammen mit Norwegen gehörten die Färöer-Inseln ab 1380 zum Königreich Dänemark. 1948 wurde das Home Rule Act verabschiedet und die Inseln wurden zu einer autonomen, selbstverwalteten Region des Königreichs Dänemark. (Quelle: BBC)

2. The Faroe Islands are one of the few nations that continue to fish for whales. Because it is not about profit, it does not violate the global ban on commercial whaling that has been in place since the 1980s. The Faroese government describes whaling as a “natural part of Faroese life” and residents continue to hunt pilot whales, which are not in danger of extinction. (Source: CNN)

3. In 2006, National Geographic Traveler selected the Faroe Islands as the world's most attractive island destination from a select list of 111 islands and archipelagos. (Source: Original not available)

4. The largest lake in the Faroe Islands, Lake Sørvágsvatn, is located very close to the ocean. It is famous for its view of “the lake over the ocean.” Photographed from a certain angle, it appears as if the lake is perched on the cliffs high above the ocean. In reality it lies behind the cliff, only 30-40 m higher than the sea. (Source: National Geographic)

alt=“Hiking by Lake Sørvágsvatn”>ShutterstockThe famous view of “the lake over the ocean”

1. The fishing sector accounts for about 97% of all exports and half of the national GDP. The second largest industry is tourism. (Source: CIA World Factbook)

2. Niels Ryberg Finsen, a Faroese physician, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1903 "in recognition of his contribution to the treatment of diseases, particularly lupus vulgaris, with concentrated light radiation." (Source: The Nobel Prize)

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