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Faroe Islands

Runavik, Faroe Islands

Runavík, Faroe Islands: King's Harbour on Eysturoy's Long Fjord

Runavík is the largest village on Eysturoy, the second-largest of the 18 Faroe Islands, a self-governing North Atlantic archipelago of about 54,000 people. Euros are not accepted in Faroese shops, so bring a card or Danish kroner.

Good to know

What Cruise Travelers Should Know

Cruise ships tie up at King's Harbour in Runavík, where tourist information and welcome staff are on hand. Runavík lies on the Skálafjørður, in the south of Eysturoy, and the Eysturoy Tunnel links it with Tórshavn, the capital.

  • Ships berth at quays 2, 3 and 4, which together run 567 meters, and the harbor takes ships up to 321 meters long.
  • Some small expedition ships anchor instead off remote villages such as Elduvík and Funningur, which also belong to the Port of Runavík, and bring passengers ashore by tender.
  • The weather changes quickly here, from sunshine to hill fog and showers, and summer fog is common, so bring layers and a waterproof jacket.
  • The Faroe Islands belong to the Kingdom of Denmark but are outside the European Union and the Schengen Area.
  • The currency is the Danish krone (kr), in Faroese or Danish notes.

Runavík on Your Own

Runavík is a working fishing and supply port, so plan a visit to the tourist office and one ride out. Tórshavn is through the undersea tunnel, and the lake of Toftavatn and the villages of Eysturoy are a taxi or bus ride away.

  • Visit Runavík: The tourist office for Eysturoy is at Heiðavegur 13 in Saltangará, next to Runavík, and its opening hours change with the season; check before you go.
  • Toftavatn: The islands' biggest heathland covers the low hills around this lake, in the south of Eysturoy on the east side of the fjord.
  • Tórshavn: The Eysturoy Tunnel, opened in December 2020, runs under the sea to the capital; go by taxi or by bus, and ask at the tourist office for bus times.
  • Hiking: Keep to marked trails, and expect to pay a fee on some of the well-known hikes. Fog can close in quickly, so check the forecast and ask locally about farming activity before you set out.
  • Ship's time and local time: The Faroe Islands keep Western European Time, an hour behind Denmark. If your ship has come from Denmark, check whether its clocks match local time.
  • Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, your ship posts the exact time, and a ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.

Getting Around the Faroe Islands

Buses, taxis and rental cars use a road network of bridges and tunnels. Eysturoy is joined to Streymoy, the island with Tórshavn, by a bridge as well as by the Eysturoy Tunnel under the sea.

  • Buses: The blue intercity buses serve every village on Eysturoy daily. Timetables are available from the tourist office.
  • Taxis: Several taxi firms work on Eysturoy, one of them based in Runavík.
  • Driving: The undersea tunnels charge a toll. Pay at any petrol station or online within three days, or a rental car company may add a large fee.
  • The tunnel: The Eysturoy Tunnel has three branches, 11 kilometers in all, that meet at an undersea roundabout.

What to Eat in the Faroe Islands

Traditional Faroese food is built on lamb and fish, often dried or matured in the wind. The old dishes are rare on menus, though some hotels and restaurants serve them.

  • Skerpikjøt: Mutton hung to dry in a shed open to the wind, then eaten uncooked in thin slices on rye bread.
  • Ræst meat and fish: Meat or fish hung for a shorter time to mature before it is cooked.
  • Faroese beer: Føroya Bjór is the older of the islands' two breweries, and Okkara has made craft beer since 2010.
  • Buying alcohol: Light beer is sold in shops, but stronger beer, wine and spirits come only from the state monopoly stores, called Rúsdrekkasøla, and from licensed restaurants and bars.

Culture and Sights Near Runavík

Faroese life still runs on the sea and the sheep: about 70,000 sheep graze the islands, and fishing is the main industry. The language, the chain dance and the summer festivals carry Faroese traditions forward.

  • Language: Faroese grew from Old Norse and is partly understood by Icelanders; Danish is also an official language.
  • The chain dance: Dancers hold hands in a long ring and step in time to kvæði, old Faroese ballads, acting out the story as it is sung.
  • Village festivals: Eysturoy's summer festivals, held between mid-June and early July, include rowing races in the national championship.
  • Gøta: The village of Norðragøta, on Eysturoy's east coast, was home to Tróndur í Gøtu, the heathen chief of the Færeyinga saga, and today hosts the G! Festival, one of the islands' biggest music festivals.

History of the Faroe Islands

Irish hermits may have lived on the Faroes before the Norse arrived in the 9th or 10th century. The islands then passed from Norway to Denmark, won home rule in 1948, and Runavík itself dates only from 1916.

  • Before the Vikings: Burnt barley from as early as the 4th to 6th centuries, and sheep DNA from around 500, show that people reached the islands before the Norse.
  • About 825: The Irish monk Dicuil wrote of northern islands where Irish hermits had lived until Norse raiders drove them out.
  • Around 1000: Sigmundur Brestisson brought Christianity to the islands for the king of Norway; in the saga his great opponent is Tróndur í Gøtu.
  • 1035 and 1380: The Faroes became part of the Kingdom of Norway in 1035 and in 1380 passed, with Norway, into union with Denmark.
  • 1814 and 1856: Denmark kept the islands when the union with Norway ended in 1814, and the royal trading monopoly was abolished on 1 January 1856.
  • 1916: The first houses were built at Runavík, the youngest village on the fjord, and its harbor grew into one of the main fishing ports in the Faroes.
  • 1940 to 1945: British forces occupied the islands after Germany occupied Denmark, and there was a British military installation at Nes, on Eysturoy.
  • 1948: The Home Rule Act gave the Faroes self-government in most matters except foreign affairs and defense.
  • Late 1990s to 2020: Runavík's harbor was rebuilt to take cruise ships, and in December 2020 the Eysturoy Tunnel opened.
  • To learn more ashore: Blásastova, the museum at Tróndargøta 29 in Norðragøta, is open from May to August, Tuesday to Saturday afternoons, with guided tours; check before you go.

Family Experiences in the Faroe Islands

A Faroese day with children is about weather, sheep and wide views rather than attractions. Keep plans flexible, carry waterproofs, and choose short walks over long hikes when the fog is down.

  • Younger children: Watch for sheep, which graze freely even beside the main roads. A ride through the Eysturoy Tunnel passes the undersea roundabout, lit with sculptures and colored light.
  • School age: In the far north of Eysturoy, the village of Gjógv takes its name from a 200-meter sea-filled gorge that runs from the village out to the sea.
  • Teenagers: Slættaratindur, in the north of Eysturoy, is the highest mountain in the Faroes at 880 meters, and the tourist offices run guided hikes up it. The summit is often in fog, so ask how long the hike takes before you plan it around an all-aboard time.
  • Good to know: Fog can roll over the hills quickly, so stay together on walks and turn back if it thickens.

Accessibility at Runavík

Large ships berth at the quay in Runavík, so there is no tender to manage, but beyond the harbor the Faroes are rugged and wind-swept. The south of Eysturoy, around Runavík, is gentler than the steep north.

  • Ask at the tourist information point on the quay about accessible taxis or tours before you go far.
  • Calls at the outlying expedition villages land passengers by tender.

Shopping in the Faroe Islands

Faroese wool is the thing to bring home: sweaters, hats, shawls and gloves. Shop early in your day, because many smaller shops close early on Saturdays and nearly everything is shut on Sundays.

  • Snældan: This Faroese wool clothing brand makes its clothes at its factory at Langanes 6 in Strendur, across the fjord, and has a shop in Tórshavn; check opening hours before you go.
  • Tøting: The spinning mill in Syðrugøta has a shop selling Faroese sweaters, and a coffee shop.
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