Around Tórshavn
The villages and city in the municipality of Tórshavn offer easy access to areas of natural beauty, wildlife, historic buildings and places, leisure and sport facilities, modern and traditional dining experiences, and a vibrant cultural scene.
Tórshavn is the centre for business and shopping in the Faroe Islands, and the surrounding villages and islands each have their own atmosphere, from important historical artifacts to agroecological living, unspoiled bird colonies and remote farmlife. Mountains, lakes and ocean surround the municipality, and residents and guests are avid users of the nature right outside their doorsteps.
Tórshavn is easily accessible from the rest of the country, and public transport connects the municipality of Tórshavn with the entire country and with the transatlantic ferry, Norrøna. If you are looking for someone or something in the Faroe Islands, the chances are you can find it in the municipality of Tórshavn.
Main Services of the Municipality
The main services that the Municipality of Tórshavn offers its residents include:
- Childcare facilities for children under the age of 7
- Public schools for children aged 7-17
- Public housing
- Libraries, leisure and sports facilities, and other cultural activities such as evening classes
- Retirement homes and in-home care for elderly people
- Integration services for refugees and immigrants
- Public utilities and emergency services
The Town Hall is situated in the centre of Tórshavn across from the Faroese Parliament, Løgtingið.
The capital Tórshavn
The headland of Tinganes, the home of the turf-roofed black houses in the old city Úti á Reyni and the red building complex including the Prime Minister’s office, was the historical centre of the Faroe Islands. Because of its central location, the boats would row from their villages all over the country in late summer and congregate in Tórshavn to trade and to hold the annual court to settle internal disputes. This tradition has survived and is now the Faroe Islands’ national holiday, ólavsøka.
In addition to the historical buildings and boat harbour, Tórshavn offers a rich cultural scene, museums and art exhibitions, modern and traditional dining experiences, high street and boutique shops, hotels and accommodation for every budget, sports facilities and business opportunities all surrounded by beautiful landscape.
Young people gather to Tórshavn for their high school and university degrees, and the city hosts the parliament, the central governmental administration and multiple agencies.
Tórshavn is a place where history lives side by side with modernity, and shops offer everything from the newest fashion and food from across the globe to handmade knitwear and locally sourced produce. The citizens of Tórshavn embody this apparent juxtaposition and are the living proof of a people embracing a modern lifestyle with the newest available technology while being grounded in a deep understanding of our history and a willingness to pass it on for generations to come.
City Council
The Municipality of Tórshavn is administered by Mayor Heðin Mortensen and 13 elected council members.
Municipal elections are held every four years. The City Council generally holds public meetings once a month.
A candidate must be at least 18 years old and hold a Faroese citizenship to run for office to the City Council. The candidate must also be registered as a resident in the Municipality of Tórshavn no later than two weeks before the day of the election and must continuously be registered as a resident in the municipality until the day of the election.
Non-Faroese citizens who have been permanent residents of the Faroe Islands for at least three years prior to the election are eligible to vote in the election and to run for office to the City Council.
Candidates for the City Council usually run as affiliated with a political party, and the City Council usually forms a partisan majority coalition after the election. The individual political parties hold public meetings prior to the nomination deadlines where candidates are instructed in how to run for election.