Múlafossur

Múlafossur is perhaps the most famous image of the Faroe Islands; a 30-meter plume of freshwater dropping directly into the North Atlantic. For travelers, however, its most compelling history isn't the view, but the fact that until very recently, it was one of the most isolated spots in Europe.

The village of Gásadalur, which sits just behind the falls, was historically unreachable by road. Hemmed in by two mountains exceeding 700 meters, residents had only two options for contact with the outside world: a treacherous boat landing at the base of the cliffs or a grueling hike over the 400-meter-high mountain pass to the town of Bøur.

This mountain trail was the official Postman’s Route. Until the tunnel was blasted in 2004, the village postman would make the trek over the peaks three times a week, carrying mail and supplies on his back. By the early 2000s, this extreme isolation had nearly turned Gásadalur into a ghost town, with the population dwindling to just over a dozen residents as younger generations left for easier lives.

Economically, building a multi-million dollar mountain tunnel for 16 people is almost impossible to justify. However, Múlafossur had become the international face of the Faroe Islands. Its image was being used globally to promote tourism, yet it was one of the most difficult places in the country to actually reach. The waterfall's fame provided the political and economic leverage needed to justify building a tunnel, providing access to three waterfall and saving the town.Read more