Kirkjubøur

Kirkjubøur was the religious and cultural center of the Faroe Islands during the Middle Ages. The village overlooks the islands of Hestur and Koltur and is home to three major historical landmarks. The Magnus Cathedral, also known as Múrurin, was commissioned by Bishop Erlendur around 1300. It stands as a roofless basalt ruin with walls over 1.5 meters (5 feet) thick. While it was never officially completed, it remains the largest medieval building in the archipelago.

Adjacent to the cathedral is Saint Olav's Church which dates back to the 12th century and is the oldest church in the Faroe Islands still in active use. The village is also famous for Kirkjubøargarður, a 900 year old farmhouse that is considered one of the oldest inhabited wooden buildings globally. The Patursson family has lived in the farmhouse for 17 generations and maintains the traditional smoke room which dates back to the 11th century.

The village was the seat of the Diocese of the Faroe Islands until the Reformation in the 16th century when the church power was diminished.Read more