Kirkjubøur

Understand

It has a view towards the islands of Hestur and Koltur towards the west, and to Sandoy towards the south. In 1832, a runestone was found near the Magnus Cathedral in Kirkjubøur. The stone which is referred to as the Kirkjubøur stone dates back to the Viking Age.

The mountain Kirkjubøkambur is 308 m high and is Streymoy's southernmost mountain. The southern tip of Streymoy is called Kirkjubønes. The other mountain at Kirkjubø is called Kirkjubøreyn and is 351 m high. In 2025, it had 74 residents.

Getting there

It lies south of the ferry port of Gamlarætt. You can take a 2-hr hike from Tórshavn. Depart from Við Sandá road in southwest Tórshavn and follow the cairns and red posts. Somewhat surprisingly, this village has regular (and free!) bus service from Tórshavn on M-Sa (Route 1 on M-F, Route 7 on Sa) and drops you off right next to St Olav's church. The bus runs every few hours, perfect to explore Kirkjubøur and leave by the next bus.

Getting around

Road no. 54 connects Kirkjubøur with Velbastaður and Tórshavn. From Tórshavn city centre to Kirkjubøur it is 12 km. The bus runs here, and the road is also suitable for cyclists.

See

1 Magnus Cathedral. Never completed, its walls are being dried out for restoration as of February 2020. The cathedral, less roof and tower, was built when Kirkjubøur was the most important place in the islands. It's hardly surprising that it should have been overtaken by Torshavn with its better anchorage but quite astonishing that the cathedral could ever have progressed as far as it did in this tiny community.

2 St Olav's church (Faroese: Ólavskirkjan, Danish: Olavskirken). The last of several churches to occupy this site. Its gates suggest something grander within but it is very plain, though far from unpleasant. Wonderfully carved pew ends from an earlier building can now be seen in Torshavn Museum. 3 Roykstovan/Kirkjubøargarður. A museum using part of a farmhouse, with the owners living in the other part. It is one of the oldest and still inhabited wooden houses in the world. The little islet just off the coast, Kirkjubøhólmur, contains an eider duck colony.

Do

Between the two mountains, a cairn trail leads to Argir, the current southern part of the capital. Another hiking trail leads to the north around Kirkjubøreynen. The hike is easy without any difficult climbs.

Buy

It is a small village. There are no shops here.

Sleep

There are no hotels or accommodations here. You need to head back to Tórshavn for hotels.