Funningur is traditionally recognized as the oldest settlement in the Faroe Islands. According to the Færeyinga Saga, the Viking explorer Grímur Kamban landed here around 825 AD. While archaeological evidence suggests some Celtic monks may have arrived earlier, Kamban is credited as the first Norse settler and is commemorated as such with a sculpture by the church. The name Funningur translates to finding, commemorating the moment the Vikings discovered the sheltered bay at the base of the mountains.
The village is positioned in a deep valley beneath Slættaratindur, which is the highest peak in the archipelago at 880 meters (2887 feet). Because of its location in a narrow fjord on the northern coast of Eysturoy, the village experiences significant shifts in light and wind. The steep terrain surrounding the settlement made flat land for farming extremely scarce, forcing generations of residents to rely almost exclusively on the sea for sustenance.
The village church was built in 1847 and is one of the ten traditional wooden churches remaining in the islands. It features a distinctive grass roof and black tarred walls constructed to withstand the salt spray and gale force winds of the North Atlantic.Read more
March 26 in Faroe Islands ⋅ 🌬 2 °C