Kirkjubøreyn (351m), view southwards

Hike to Kirkjubøreyn (Faroe Islands)

The Faroe Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, boasting beside its remoteness with very erratic and unpredictable weather all year round.

So doing small hikes in the vicinity of larger settlements like the capital Tórshavn are kind of reasonable outdoor activities, but anything beyond that would be rather foolish during the winter time, especially if you’re hiking alone like myself who is also not familiar at all with the terrain around.

Kirkjubøreyn is a rocky hill of about 350 meters, located southwest of Tórshavn. It offers a splendid view over the southern tip of Streymoy, one of the two main islands, and to Nólsoy, a smaller island in the east.

A surprising fact is that there exist virtually no trees on the Faroes, and besides scores of different bird species and sheep almost no animals (I did encounter and frighten some rabbits along the way though).

So you get this lunar landscape impression wherever you pick to go on these islands, what is spellbinding and at the same time a little unsettling.

I hope I have the opportunity to come back to the Faroes during the summer, and get some stable weather then.

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