Country- og Bluesfestivalurin
THE 6 REGIONS: VÁGAR AND MYKINES
One of the residents in the summer is the puffin, a delightful creature and one of the islands main attractions. Its brightly coloured bill and its willingness to remain posed with fish in its beak, makes the puffin the ideal photo opportunity for any budding ornithologist. Yet it is the splendid hiking that makes Mykines the destination of choice for many visitors. Because of the quick changes in the weather, the visitor is advised to visit Mykines whenever favourable weather is predicted. Most people opt for spending several days on Mykines for there is too much to see in just one day. Apart from the excursion to the stone forest in the valley Korkadalur, the towering summit of 560 metre Knúkur awaits the hiker. It is only some three kilometres away from the village, but the climb can be difficult. Less strenuous is the delightful trek out to Mykineshólmur, a small islet on the western side of Mykines. Guided tours can be arranged from the guesthouse. A footbridge connects Mykineshólmur with the island of Mykines over a 35-metre deep gorge. The sea stacks surrounding the lighthouse at the far end of the cape are a sight of striking beauty. The most singular experience on Mykineshólmur, however, is the colony of gannets. These majestic birds have chosen this western outpost of the Faroes
for their home, the only one in the islands, and from a long distance you can see the birds sitting on top of the stacks with their young ones. Vágar, or the bays, has its name from the three bays of Sandavágur, Miðvágur, and Sørvágur with their villages of the same names. Sandavágur, voted the most well-kept village in the Faroes in 1997, 2003 and 2008, has an ancient history. A stone has been found covered with thirteenth century runes indicating that the Viking, Torkil Onundarson, was the first to settle in Sandavágur. The rune stone is on display in the picturesque village church. Á Steig in Sandavágur was the residence of the Lagman, the chief judge and leader of the Faroese parliament. Here V. U. Hammers haimb, the founder of the written Faroese language, was born in 1816. On the hillside overlooking Miðvágur is the museum of Kálvalíð, one of the oldest buildings in the Faroes and once the home of Beinte Christine Broberg, wife of the priest of Vágur. She was the inspiration for Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen’s novel, Barbara, which was recently made into a film. Kálvalíð is built into the hillside with only one window facing the bay below. From afar the house blends into the landscape because the roof is covered in turf and the front of the house and the side to the north are built with large stones taken from the fields
Summer events and festivals The Vestanstevna is part of the FM challenge in rowing. The villages on the island take turns in hosting the festival and the programme closely follows that of the other festivals around the country, with the nights still light for the midnight speeches and community singing. The festival is held at the weekend, there are plenty of exhibitions, concerts and sports competitions to see and in the evening there is dancing to while the night away. In 2012, Sørvágur held a Country and Blues Festival with well-known international and local names. It was a great success drawing many visitors to Sørvágur. The festival is held in the beginning of June.
Entertainment for the children at the Country and Blues Festival in Sørvágur. 72