Viðareiði (, literally: ''Wood-Isthmus'', ) is the northernmost settlement in the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

and lies on the Island of

Viðoy Viðoy (, ) is the northernmost island in the Faroe Islands, located east of Borðoy to which it is linked via a causeway. The name means ''wood island,'' despite the fact that no trees grow on the island; the name relates to the driftwood that f ...

, which belongs to the

Norðoyar The six islands in the northeast of the Faroe Islands are together referred to as Norðoyar, i.e. the Northern Isles (). These Islands from west to east are Kalsoy, Kunoy, Borðoy, Viðoy, Svínoy and Fugloy. Klaksvík Klaksvík () is the s ...

Region.

Geography

It lies on an

isthmus An isthmus (; : isthmuses or isthmi) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea count ...

with high mountains to both the north and south. The community is linked overland by a

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...

and tunnel system to the regional centre of

Klaksvík Klaksvík () is the second largest town of the Faroe Islands behind Tórshavn. The town is located on Borðoy, which is one of the northernmost islands (the Norðoyar). It is the administrative centre of Klaksvík municipality. History The fir ...

to the south on

Borðoy Borðoy (, ) is an island in the north-east of the Faroe Islands. Its name means 'headland island'. There are eight settlements: Klaksvík (the second largest town in the Faroes), Norðoyri, Ánir, Árnafjørður, Strond, Norðtoftir, Depil and ...

. The road to Viðareiði goes along the west coast of Viðoy, through the town, and then along the island's east coast to the uninhabited Miðdalur Valley with its typical small waterfall. Vidareidi

To the north, Mount Villingdalsfjall rises over from the water. It is the highest mountain in the North Islands and the third-largest in the entire Faroese archipelago. The north coast is marked by Cape Enniberg, the second-highest sea cliff in Europe at and the highest promontory in the world. Looking to the west from Viðareiði, one has a view of the mighty northern peaks on

and

Kunoy Kunoy (, ) is an island located in the north-east of the Faroe Islands between Kalsoy to the west (with which there is no physical link) and Borðoy to the east (to which it is linked via a causeway). Settlements and transport There are two set ...

. Turning around, one can see through the

crag and tail A crag (sometimes spelled cragg, or in Scotland craig) is a rocky hill or mountain, generally isolated from other high ground. Origin Crags are formed when a glacier or ice sheet passes over an area that contains a particularly resistant r ...

s of the isthmus to the eastern Island of

Fugloy Fugloy (pronounced �fʊglɪ , ) is the easternmost island in the Faroe Islands. The name means ''bird island,'' and refers to the large number of birds that nest on the island's cliffs. Geography There are two settlements: *Kirkja on the ...

. Finally, to the south of the town, the high cone-shaped mountain of Malinsfjall can be seen during good weather. Viðareiði is a departure point for a vast area of hiking. In the community, there is not only a small grocery store, but also the Hotel Norð with its restaurant that serves traditional cuisine.

History

In the 17th century, the old church was destroyed in a storm. It is said that a part of the cemetery was washed away by the sea and that coffins from the cemetery were recovered in

Hvannasund Hvannasund (, older spelling: ''Quannesund'') is a village and municipality in the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Hvannasund is located on the west coast of the island of Viðoy. It faces Norðdepil on Bo ...

and reburied in Viðareiði. The current church was built in 1892. The church silver is a gift from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

government, thanking Viðareiði's citizens for the rescue of the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

''Marwood'', which was shipwrecked near Viðareiði during a winter storm in 1847.

Transportation

Strandfaraskip Landsins Strandfaraskip Landsins is the government agency for public transport in the Faroe Islands. It is owned by the Faroese national government under the Ministry of Finance (''Fíggjamálaráðið'') and runs seven ferry routes and a number of bu ...

route 500 buses connect the village with

several times daily, from where onward connections are available.

References

* The information in this article is based on that in its German equivalent.
Faroeislands.dk: Vidareidi

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vidareidi Municipalities of the Faroe Islands Populated places in the Faroe Islands Populated coastal places in the Faroe Islands

Geography

History

Transportation

See also

References

External links