Torshavn Vacation Packages and Tours

Overview

Torshavn is the capital and the largest town in the Faroe Islands. It was named after the Norse god Thor (the god of thunder) and has a population of 13,000, which is over a third of the Faroese population. The greater urban area has a population of 21,000. On trips to the Faroe Islands, the town comes to life on summer weekend nights, as it is nestled within an inspiringly barren ring of moorland hills. 

Tinganes is the historic district of Torshavn. The name means "parliament jetty" or "parliament point" in Faroese. It is a little peninsula with pretty turf-roofed cottages and historic timber buildings, most of which date from after a devastating fire in 1673. Walk around and explore the ancient buildings with markers and plaques installed throughout the area, explaining the town's history. There is a well-preserved 1920s farmstead complete with a bell telephone, a grandfather clock, and a set of turf-roofed outhouses where the parliament met for the first time during the Viking ages. It is one of the oldest parliamentary meeting places in the world. The building on the outermost point of the small peninsula currently serves as the government's main building, and many of the 16th and 17th century Tinganes houses are still in use today.