Unknown Europe
According to local legend, not something, namely, sunken somewhere far in the south, the mysterious Atlantis surfaced in the North Atlantic, splitting into many islands and islets. The Faroe Islands are located between Scotland and Iceland in the heart of the Gulf Stream, and therefore it seems as if there is no winter or summer, but only an eternal off-season and 280 rainy days a year. The nature here is amazingly beautiful: gorges, waterfalls, lakes, fantastic rocks and endless hills. The coastline which is cut up with a set of fjords and rocks and breaks, magnificent on beauty. It is said about the Faroes that, despite the peculiar climate, this is truly a paradise place. The nature of the islands, due to the lack of industry here, has been preserved almost in its original form. Whether you like paradise in the middle of the Gulf Stream or not is a matter of taste, but the archipelago is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the North Atlantic. Once sheep were brought to the Celtic hills here. Sheep liked endless pastures, they began to be fruitful and multiply. A small number of people lived in sheep’s paradise for a long time. Therefore, 100 years ago, sheep farming was almost the only local industry on the islands. Now for each resident there are about 2 sheep. As the population grew, the islanders had to learn industrial fishing and fish harvesting from neighbors from the Shetland Islands. The people turned out to be trained, and today 97% of the exports of the islands are fish.
The islands belong to Denmark, but a noticeable part of the small local population has Scottish and Irish roots. The inhabitants of the Faroe Islands speak a language whose ancestor was the ancient Norwegian language. As befits a small and isolated commune, the society here is rather patriarchal and recalls Old Europe that has gone into oblivion. People are religious, there are many churches on the islands. Of the 48 thousand local residents, about 20 thousand live in the capital – the town of Tórshavn or in the immediate vicinity of it. The second largest city of the islands – Klaksvuyk has almost 5 thousand inhabitants. In addition to sheep, there is an innumerable population of birds on the islands. Although edible, but not suitable for direct profit, thousands of tourists from all over the rich world are attracted. The Faroe Islands – a real paradise for birdwatchers – is home to a completely incredible number of birds with all the accompanying mess, bazaar and balagana for real bird life. The Faroese, politically dependent on Norway or Denmark, have always sought independence. Today they have their own flag, coat of arms, football association and quite decent team. Anyone who is ready to make an independent trip to the Faroe Islands, where people are friendly and fluent in English, brings unforgettable experiences, a mountain of photos and something else that is difficult to describe in words. We need to go and try.
“The Faroe Islands are not part of the Schengen zone, but at the same time are part of the Northern Passport Union. Citizens of this union have the right to enter the islands without passing passport control. This right does not apply to citizens of third countries, including EU citizens. ” It is likely to get a combined visa with Danish, which will allow you to decently save.
Nordic spirit of Tórshavn, green expanses, clean air with a taste of the sea, the smell of freshly worn hay, delicious meals and seafood dinners, well, what is not a northern paradise?
Skerpikjøt
The inhabitants of the Faroe Islands, due to their distance from the mainland, feeling a shortage of products, cook a lot of lamb dishes. Moreover, it is curious that they eat sheep completely, leaving only bile and the contents of the stomach. Sheep are the main “supplier” of meat for Faroese. More than 100,000 individuals live on the archipelago, and this despite the fact that there are exactly half as many people there – only 50,000. Due to the ease of preparation, one of the main Faroese lamb dishes is “skerpikjøt.” Sheep are slaughtered in the fall. Pieces of lamb are stretched, knitted and dried in the wind for six to nine months. All this affects the taste and smell of meat. Sliced thin slices of meat along with bread are served on the table.
Saltfiskur
Despite the fact that now traditional fish dishes among the youth of the archipelago are not very popular, fish consumption in the country is still at a high level. The most popular fish is halibut, herring, cod, flounder. They are dried just as mutton is dried. By the way, despite the fact that there is no shortage of fish on the islands, it is quite difficult to find fish markets traditional in our understanding: this is because local residents, to cook fish, it is enough to go to sea and catch it. Therefore, all fish sold in shops and supermarkets of Tórshavn are intended mainly for tourists. From fish dishes you can taste “Saltfiskur.” It’s nothing but salty cod. This is one of the main products of the country that are produced for export
Grind og Spik
Whale hunting is a very important element in the culture of the Faroe Islands. This tradition is more than a thousand years old, and the Faroese have been doing this for 400 years. It is important to understand that whaling here does not pursue commercial purposes. Whale meat is distributed for free to everyone. The export of whale meat is prohibited at the state level, and it is unrealistic to buy it even in the archipelago. The only chance to try grind meat is to participate in the traditional slaughter. By the way, meat itself is a Faroese delicacy. A popular dish is Grind og spik. It is served as steak along with potatoes in a uniform and fish oil. This dish is very nutritious and rich in vitamins.
Dishes from paffin
One of the favorite treats of local residents is dishes from paffin (or dead end), the country’s favorite bird. Atlantic dead ends nest in large quantities on the archipelago (in particular on Michines) and every summer, starting in July, after the breeding season, the Faroese begin to catch them. There are several dishes using dead end meat: firstly, they are boiled, before removing the skin, legs, wings and internal organs; secondly, grilled, and thirdly, made pie, adding potatoes, rhubarb and forest berries.
Veðrur
As for the national drink, there is only one brewery in the Faroe Islands, called “Föroya Bjór.” It was founded in 1888 and became the second brewery in the country after Restorffs Bryggjarí, but after the bankruptcy of the latter in 1997 it remained the only such company. The brewery produces several brands of drink, the most popular of which is Veðrur. This is a light dry golden beer with a hop and malt flavor of 4.6%.
One of the most exotic things travelers can bring home on tours to the Faroe Islands is… prediction! Here they guess, reading the so-called “traces of Norn” (Scandinavian goddesses of fate) – white dots on the nails.
In translation, “Faroese” means “sheep,” since there are twice as many sheep on the islands as people. And it is quite logical that, first of all, they buy first-class yarn for knitting as a souvenir to their beloved grandmothers.
Fishing is by no means an empty sound for the Faroese. There is even a monument to the fishing hook. The local seed is tasteless in any form – from dried to smoked.
Local people consider their pride in decorating this metal, because they kind of complement the climate of the islands in terms of the color of this metal.
As you have already understood the climate here is not very warm, and if you think about the crazy rains it is not at all good, but the Faroese found a way out through various sweaters and scarves, and if you take into account the quality of the yarn and the experience of the local masters, then we will get some of the best products of this kind in the world.
Can’t you take the beautiful scenery of the place with you? No problem all this is captured on various ceramic products, and the next time you wake up drinking tea at home, you will definitely have something to remember!
77
nationalities
3
traffic light
1990
year
97
%
30
million years
Population
The population of the islands includes 77 nationalities.
Traffic lights
In a small, densely populated city, you cannot pass the intersection so as not to stumble upon a traffic light. In the Faroe Islands, traffic lights… three. All of them are located in the capital city of Tórshavn
Football
The Faroe Islands has a football team whose status is recognized by FIFA. This team has never participated in either the World Cup or the European Championship, but in 1990 it defeated the Austrian team, which the inhabitants of the islands are still proud of.
Fisheries
Fisheries, the most important sector of the country’s economy, provide more than 97% of total exports. The second largest industry, surprisingly, is tourism.
History
Faroe Islands formed as a result of volcanic activity 30 million years ago