Hvalvík ( da, Kvalvig) is a village in the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
, located in a valley on the east coast of the island of
Streymoy
Streymoy ( da, Strømø) is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn, is located on its southeast coast. The name means "island of currents". It also refers to the largest region of the country that also i ...
.
It is the southern half of a twin-village situated on both sides of the valley. The villages are divided by the river Stórá. The northern half which is approximately the same size is called
Streymnes
Streymnes ( da, Strømnæs) is a village on the eastern coast of the Faroese island of Streymoy in Sunda Municipality.
The 2015 population was 270. Its postal code is FO 435. It is near the site of a former Norwegian whaling station active from ...
. Together the two villages have a population of more than 400 inhabitants.
Hvalvík-Streymnes is a village that has grown rapidly during the past years, mainly because of its proximity to the capital
Tórshavn
Tórshavn (; lit. " Thor's harbour"), usually locally referred to as simply ''Havn'', is the capital and largest city of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the northwest of the city lies the ...
.
Hvalvík Church
The Church in Hvalvík is a traditional wooden church dating from 1829, built because the old Church from 1700 was ruined in a storm. It is the third oldest Church in the Faroe Islands, though the oldest of the traditional wooden black churches. The Church is built with wood bought from a ship that ran aground in
Saksun in 1828. The architecture is typically Faroese, with no stone foundations. The
pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, acces ...
dates back to 1609 and was originally in the Church in Tórshavn.
The famous Bishop Alexander was raised in Hvalvík, in a place called Frammi við Kráir. Legend has it, that he was the first to import knives and forks.
The Church was featured on Faroese stamps issued in 1997:
Image:Faroe_stamp_318_church_of_hvalvik.jpg, Stamp FR 318
Image:Faroe_stamp_319_church_of_hvalvik_-_inside.jpg, Stamp FR 319
Image:Faroe Islands, Streymoy, Hvalvík (05).jpg, Hvalvík, with the church on the extreme right
Hvalvík means "Whale Bay", for it is a good place for whaling.
See also
*
List of towns in the Faroe Islands
This is a list of villages (and towns) of the Faroe Islands. :fo:Býir í Føroyum :de:Liste der Städte und Orte auf den Färöern
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Towns In The Faroe Islands
Towns
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Isl ...
References
External links
Faroeislands.dk: HvalvíkImages and description of all cities on the Faroe Islands.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hvalvik
Populated places in the Faroe Islands