STREYMOY NORTH
#tjørnuvík
Photo: Lars Bisgaard
Surfing in Tjørnuvík
Streymoy – northern Part
Beyond the bustling city centre of Tórshavn, and through the tunnel to Kollafjørður, lies northern Streymoy, a broad and mountainous part of the main island of the Faroe Islands. UNFORGETTABLE OYGGJARVEGUR ■ From Tórshavn two roads head out of town to northern Streymoy. The old route to and from the capital is Oyggjarvegur, which winds its way up and over the mountains forming a dramatic scenery. The route is one long sightseeing tour along mountain sides and down into the valley of the fjord beyond – a reason why it is one of the Sólju routes (see page 10 for information about the Sóljuleiðir).Alternatively, the other road north is the low-lying Kaldbaksvegur, which weaves along the coast. From here you can travel to northern Streymoy via the Kollafjørður tunnel. SALMON AND TROUT FISHING ■ Steep moun tains surround the beautiful lake of Leynavatn. During the summer months you can fish for both salmon and trout here, as well as in the nearby lakes Mjáuvøtn. In periods of heavy rain, the fish swim up the river and up the “salmon ladder” located near by the old village of Leynar. You can get the fishing license you need to fish here from the nearby petrol station or at the tourist office in Tórshavn. SUN AND SWIMMING IN THE SEA ■ The combination of sea and mountain can result in localised thick fog, whilst elsewhere in the country there can 66
be bright sunshine. On such a day, the beach at Leynar is often bathed in sunshine too, making it a real magnet for local people, armed with their picnic baskets, who come to soak up the sun and swim in the sea with the sand between their toes. VIKING HOUSES ■ The old houses in the charming village of Kvívík huddle eave-to-eave either side of the river Stórá, which flows through the valley, past the white painted church and rectory, out into the sea. Archaeologists have found the remains of two Viking longhouses by the harbour. Toys, ornaments and other artefacts that were discovered in and around the houses have been preserved in the National Museum in Tórshavn. BIRD CLIFFS FROM THE SEA ■ There can be no sight as fantastic and awe-inspiring as that of one of Europe’s mightiest bird cliffs seen from the sea. That’s why you’d be unfortunate to miss a boat trip off the west coast of northern Streymoy from Vestmanna. With a safety helmet firmly on your head, you sail in close under the steep mountainsides and enormous rock columns that rise several hundred metres above sea level. As the small boats ply their way through the grottoes of the soaring cliffs, with
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