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Vágur meaning ''Bay'' ( da, Våg) is a town on the island of
Suðuroy Suðuroy (literally South Island, da, Suderø) is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 square kilometres (63.2 sq mi). In 2018 the population was 4,601. Suðuroy region (sýsla) comprises this island and Lítla ...
, part of 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 ...
It is situated on the east coast of the
island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
on the
Vágsfjørður Vágsfjørður is a fjord on the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. The fjord is located in the southern part and on the eastern side of the island. The distance between the east and the west coast of Suðuroy is very short from Vágsfjørð ...
fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...
, and was founded in the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the nearby town of
Nes The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
is now a suburb of Vágur. Vágur has a sports hall next to the football grounds on Eiðinum, near
Vágseiði Vágseiði is an area in Vágur, Faroe Islands, located on the west coast of Suðuroy west of the village Vágur, from which it takes its name. ''Eiði'' is the Faroese word for ''isthmus''. The distance between the east and the west coast of Vá ...
, a swimming pool by the school and a clinic which offers the services of doctors, nurses and dentists. There is also a hotel, one bank and various shops. The port area, which is 14 m in depth, is situated on the northern part of the fjord. The port authorities can offer services of piloting (lods), water and fire-fighting, and in connection with the harbour there is a modern
fish factory A fish factory, also called a fish plant, fish processing facility, is a facility where fish processing is performed. Fish factories range in the size and range of species of fish they process. Some species of fish, such as mackerel and herring, a ...
and auctioneers for fish. Salmon farming is also a part of the fish industry in Vágur, this includes salmon farm rings on the fjord and in other places near the east coast of Suðuroy and a salmon factory. The town has a slipway, a fleet of fishing vessels and a filleting factory.


History

*In 1350 Vágur is mentioned for the first time in historical documents, when it was mentioned in the
Dog Letter The Dog Letter ( Faroese: ''hundabrævið'') is a Faroese document concerning keeping dogs on the isles. It was written between AD 1350–1400. The document mentions several Faroese villages and islands. The text References 14th-century doc ...
that several dog owners were in Vágur. *People from the village were found not guilty in trading with a ship from the Netherlands. The reason that they were found not guilty was because the court found that they had been forced to trade because of hunger in the island of Suðuroy. *In 1538 the former priest Andrass gives his first
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
speech in the Faroe Islands in the church of Vágur. Because of this the church of Vágur was held in high esteem and regarded as one of the most sacred of the churches in the Faroe Islands. *In 1584 according to the books from the
Løgting The Løgting (pronounced ; da, Lagtinget) is the unicameral parliament of the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory within the Danish Realm. The name literally means "''Law Thing''"—that is, a law assembly—and derives from Old Norse ''l ...
, 17 people were living in Vágur. *In 1804
Nólsoyar Páll Nólsoyar Páll (originally, Poul Poulsen Nolsøe) (11 October 1766 – 1808 or 1809) is a Faroese national hero. He was a seaman, trader, poet, farmer and boat builder who tried to develop direct trade between the Faroes and the rest of Eu ...
bought a shipwreck (the English ''Sally & Polly'') at an auction in
Hvalba Hvalba ( da, Kvalbø) is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík. The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy. Population Hv ...
together with Jákup í Toftum (from Vágur) and Per í Gjørðum (from
Porkeri Porkeri ( da, Porkere) is a village in the Faroe Islands, situated northeast of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast. As of 2020 it had a population of 318, and it has been inhabited at least as early as the 14th century. History Tradition says that ...
). They rebuilt the ship on Fløtan Fríða in Vágur and named it ''Royndin Fríða''. By building ''Royndin Fríða'', Nólsoyar-Páll and his crew from Vágur and
Porkeri Porkeri ( da, Porkere) is a village in the Faroe Islands, situated northeast of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast. As of 2020 it had a population of 318, and it has been inhabited at least as early as the 14th century. History Tradition says that ...
were the first Faroese people who broke the Danish monopoly to sail to and from the Faroe Islands. *In 1860 Jacob Dahl founded his company J. Dahl Ltd., which soon was to become one of the largest trading companies of the Faroe Islands and some years later also one of the biggest shipping companies. The company was located in the western part of the village in the neighbourhood of á Gørðunum (a Gordunum). *In 1870 William Askham built a storage house in Marknoyri in the eastern part of Vágur. He bought fish from British smacks and processed it to
clipfish Dried and salted cod, sometimes referred to as salt cod or saltfish or salt dolly, is cod which has been preserved by drying after salting. Cod which has been dried without the addition of salt is stockfish. Salt cod was long a major export o ...
(literally 'cliff fish', i.e. dried and salted cod), which was exported. *From the 1870s Vágur and
Tvøroyri Tvøroyri is a village on the north side of the Trongisvágsfjørður on the east coast of Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands. Together with Froðba, Trongisvágur, Líðin and Øravík it forms Tvøroyri Municipality. The village is considered ...
(also in
Suðuroy Suðuroy (literally South Island, da, Suderø) is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 square kilometres (63.2 sq mi). In 2018 the population was 4,601. Suðuroy region (sýsla) comprises this island and Lítla ...
) became the main harbours for the large-scale fishery by
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
and
Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
; Vágur was for many years one of the fastest growing settlements of the Faroe Islands. *In 1905
Vágs Bóltfelag Vágs Bóltfelag (VB) is a Faroese handball club. It started as a football club, which was founded on 5 June 1905, but later the sport handball became a part of the club. The handball club is based in Vágur in Suðuroy. They play their home ...
, VB (football and
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
club) was founded on 6 June. The handball club is still called VB, the football club changed its name to FC Suðuroy on 1 January 2010. *In 1906 an aerial cableway (''tráðbani'' in Faroese) was built on Vágseiði (Vágur is located where the island is narrow, at an isthmus, the better and more quiet harbour is inside the fjord, but in older days they also used the coast of Vágseiði west of the village as a harbour to go fishing, if the weather didn't permit to go fishing towards the east, but the sea is mostly rough and dangerous on Vágseiði, therefore they wished to land in the more sheltered Múlagjógv). The cableway was built from Múlagjógv towards east to the shore of Vágseiði. The cableway made it easier and safer to land the boats. They had boat-houses there. They could transport both fish and boats this way. In 1906 there was no electricity so the cableway was hand-powered until they got electricity. *In 1921 Vágur Municipality built the first power plant of the Faroe Islands, when they built the hydro-electric power plant in Botnur, north-west of Vágur. *In 1939 the new Church of Vágur was built, the building took several years, and the church was finally consecrated in 1939. *1939-1945: Vágur lost 9 ships during World War II. Among them were: ''Aldan'' TG25 went missing on its way to Aberdeen, Scotland with iced fish on ca. 25 July 1940 (6 men died, all from Vágur), ''Cheerful'' TG321 exploded near
Skopun Skopun (pronounced ; da, Skopen) is a town in the Faroe Islands situated on the northern coast of Sandoy. Skopun is the second-largest town on the island. Skopun Municipality consists only of the town of Skopun. History Although the area has be ...
on 17 October 1940 (7 men died, from Vágur, Hvalba and Nólsoy), ''Gracie'' TG630 went missing on its way to Vestmanna Islands in Iceland on ca. 16 February 1943 (7 men died, from Vágur and Haldarsvík). ''Milly'' TG755 went missing on its way from
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
to the Faroe Islands on ca. 23 March 1941 (7 men died, from Vágur,
Porkeri Porkeri ( da, Porkere) is a village in the Faroe Islands, situated northeast of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast. As of 2020 it had a population of 318, and it has been inhabited at least as early as the 14th century. History Tradition says that ...
,
Hvalba Hvalba ( da, Kvalbø) is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík. The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy. Population Hv ...
,
Kirkja Kirkja ( da, Kirke) is a village on the island of Fugloy, Faroe Islands. It is located on the south-tip of the island, and its land is stretching all over the western side of the island, including a small enclave in the now uninhabited ''Skarðsv ...
and
Víkarbyrgi Víkarbyrgi is a former village on the Faroese island of Suðuroy, Faroe Islands. It no longer has a population. It retains a postal code (FO 928) and is located at N 61° 26' 34 W 6° 43' 28. The etymology of its name is reputed to be connected ...
). ''Heimdalur'' TG338 had an accident in Iceland, not due to war reasons, there was an iceberg and the weather was bad, all men were saved. ''Poulina'' TG340 was also lost. *In 1951 a new school was built just east of the church. The school opened in 1951. *Around 1967 the fish factory Suðurfisk was built and opened. *In 1977 Jákup Joensen from Lopra (born in Sumba) and others arranged to build a modern and large fish factory named Polarfrost. It was built in the harbour on the northern side of the fjord, near the school and church. The same owners also owned several trawlers which were fishing for the new fish factory. The names of these ships ended with borg. Some of these were ''Polarborg'' I and II, ''Akraborg'', ''Brimborg'', ''Nýborg'', ''Nesborg'' and ''Varðborg''. *In 1979 the School of Vágur (Vágs Skúli) was now too small for all the children, the population had increased since the school was built, so they built two extensions plus a new swimming pool which was 25m long, this was the first swimming pool in Vágur, before that people had to swim outdoors if they wished to learn how to swim. One of the new buildings was being used already in 1978, but the rest was not finished until 1979, when the new school opened officially on 2 September 1979. The new school was connected with the older one. *In 2001 the Stóra Pakkhús (the Large Storage House) on Garðarnar (á Gørðunum) in Vágur, where the J. Dahl inc. was earlier, was now restored and opened officially on 19 October as a cultural house. It was Stóra Pakkhús Association with Dennis Holm, Búi Dahl and others who bought the building from the new owners of the buildings of the former J. Dahl company, DJ Vilhelm, who had bought all the building. The Stóra Pakkhús Association was manned by people from local associations:
Vágs Kappróðrarfelag Vágs Kappróðrarfelag (Vágur Rowing Club) is a Faroe Islands, Faroese rowing club from Vágur in Suðuroy, which was founded in July 1943. Boats for Rowing Competitions Every summer there are several rowing competitions around the islands, ...
(rowing club of Vágur), Vágs Sóknar Bygdasavn (The Museum of Vágur), Johanna TG 326 (the smack Johanna), Felagið Garðabrúgv, Grindabátafelagið and Nýggjársnevndin (The New Year's Committee). A few craftsmen were paid for their work, but some 70 people worked without pay in restoring the Large Storage House. *In 2007 Susvim (Suðuroyar Svimjifelag / Suduroy Swimming Club) was founded on 6 September. The former swimming clubs in Vágur and Tvøroyri, Vágs Svimjifelag and Tvøroyrar Svimjifelag (founded on 6 March 1964), merged. File:Nolsoyar Pall Memorial in Vagur Faroe Islands.JPG, Memorial in memory of ''Royndin Fríða'', which was built here in 1804, the first Faroese ship since the Middle Ages File:Vágur.Suðuroy.1.jpg, The old school, houses and boat-houses in Vágur File:FaroeBoats Grindabatar from Vagur.JPG, Wooden row boats from Vágur on Vágseiði, the oldest one was built in 1872 File:Vágur.20..jpg, Dryfish work in Vágur 1907 File:Vagur, Faroe Islands, in the winter, sunlight on slope.JPG, Typical dramatic light scenery in the Faroe Islands: the town of Vágur, winter 2004


Nólsoyar Páll Memorial

There is a memorial near the main road through Vágur commemorating the efforts of
Nólsoyar Páll Nólsoyar Páll (originally, Poul Poulsen Nolsøe) (11 October 1766 – 1808 or 1809) is a Faroese national hero. He was a seaman, trader, poet, farmer and boat builder who tried to develop direct trade between the Faroes and the rest of Eu ...
, the nineteenth-century poet and captain of ''Royndin Fríða'' (Beautiful Trial). He believed that the monopoly trading scheme was seriously restricting the economic potential of 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 ...
and set about organising opposition and resistance to it. Although he failed to abolish the monopolies, his actions were the start of a process which eventually led to the abolition of monopoly trading in 1856. The memorial was erected in memory of the fact that in 1804 on this spot, now called Fløtan Fríða, the first Faroese ship since the Middle Ages was built. The text on the memorial says: "Her á Fløtuni Fríðu bygdu Nólsoyar Páll, Jákup bóndi í Toftum, Per bóndi í Gjørðum og aðrir í 1804 Føroya fyrsta skip Royndina Fríðu." - "Here on Fløtan Fríða Nólsoyar Páll, Jákup bóndi í Toftum (a farmer from Toftir in Vágur), Per bóndi í Gjørðum (a farmer from Gjørðum in
Porkeri Porkeri ( da, Porkere) is a village in the Faroe Islands, situated northeast of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast. As of 2020 it had a population of 318, and it has been inhabited at least as early as the 14th century. History Tradition says that ...
) and others built the first Faroese ship, ''Royndin Fríða''."


First Faroese hydroelectric power plant

The first hydroelectric power station in the Faroe Islands was built in Botni northwest of Vágur in 1921, partly to power the ship cableway in
Vágseiði Vágseiði is an area in Vágur, Faroe Islands, located on the west coast of Suðuroy west of the village Vágur, from which it takes its name. ''Eiði'' is the Faroese word for ''isthmus''. The distance between the east and the west coast of Vá ...
. It is now supplemented by a modern diesel power station on the south side of the fjord.


Tourism

The tourist attractions include a wide variety of excursions during the summer. Amongst other things on offer is a boat trip on the old fishing boat, Jóhanna TG 326, west around the island to an area where birds flock and nest by the thousand, close to the world's steepest cliff,
Beinisvørð Beinisvørð (Beinisvord) is a high sea cliff in Suðuroy, Faroe Islands, the highest sea cliff in Suðuroy.Ruth Smith Art Museum in Vágur. It doesn't have regular opening hours, but there are phone number which visitors can call to. The Ruth Smith Art Gallery is situated in the western part of the village of Vágur in a yellow building on the mainstreet Vágsvegur 101. For visitors arriving by boat, Vágur is situated 61° 21' north and 06° 49' west.


Notable landmarks


Eggjarnar

Eggjarnar Eggjarnar (also called Skúvanes) is a place to the south of the village of Vágur on Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands, which is known for its scenic viewpoint to the sea-cliffs of the southern part of Suðuroy all the way to Beinisvørð in ...
is high up in the mountains south west of Vágur. A road leads all the way up there because a
Loran C Loran-C is a hyperbolic radio navigation system that allows a receiver to determine its position by listening to low frequency radio signals that are transmitted by fixed land-based radio beacons. Loran-C combined two different techniques to p ...
radio navigation station was built there during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.


Vágseiði

Vágseiði Vágseiði is an area in Vágur, Faroe Islands, located on the west coast of Suðuroy west of the village Vágur, from which it takes its name. ''Eiði'' is the Faroese word for ''isthmus''. The distance between the east and the west coast of Vá ...
was used as a second harbor for the men of Vágur, when the wind came from east and the eastern harbor could not be used. Vágseiði has also been used to dump garbage into the sea, but that stopped many years ago. Now all garbage is gathered and burnt by IRF.


Porkeri Mountains

Porkeri Mountains The Porkeri Mountains are a mountain range near the village of Porkeri in the Faroe Islands near the Porkeri Mountains, just north of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast. Mountains of the Faroe Islands {{Faroes-geo-stub ...
are the hills north of Vágur, named after the village of
Porkeri Porkeri ( da, Porkere) is a village in the Faroe Islands, situated northeast of Vágur on Suðuroy's east coast. As of 2020 it had a population of 318, and it has been inhabited at least as early as the 14th century. History Tradition says that ...
.


Sports

Vágur had a football club, which was called VB, it was founded in 1905. In 2005 VB merged with
Sumba ÍF Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...
to VB/Sumba and in 2010 they founded a new
football club A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...
, which is called FC Suðuroy. But VB is not completely history yet, the VB women still play handball using the name VB. VB is short for Vágs Bóltfelag. Vágur has a famous swimmer,
Pál Joensen Pál Joensen (born 10 December 1990) is a Faroese elite swimmer. He was born in Vágur, Suðuroy, Faroe Islands. He has won World and European Championship medals. His bronze medal in the men's 1500 metre freestyle at the 2012 FINA World Swim ...
, a
Freestyle Freestyle may refer to: Brands * Reebok Freestyle, a women's athletic shoe * Ford Freestyle, an SUV automobile * Coca-Cola Freestyle, a vending machine * ICD Freestyle, a paintball marker * Abbott FreeStyle, a blood glucose monitor by Abbott La ...
swimmer, won 3 gold medals at the
2008 European Junior Swimming Championships The 2008 European Junior Swimming Championships were held from July 30 to August 3, 2008, in Belgrade, Serbia. The age groups for this event are girls born in 1992 or 1993 and boys born in 1990 and 1991. The tournament is held in a 50 m pool. ...
. He has also won gold later, swimming with the adults in 2009 in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
and 2010 in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. In August 2010 he won silver at the European Swimming Championships on long course. Pál Joensen is swimming with Susvim, which is a swimming club for
Suðuroy Suðuroy (literally South Island, da, Suderø) is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 square kilometres (63.2 sq mi). In 2018 the population was 4,601. Suðuroy region (sýsla) comprises this island and Lítla ...
. There is a rowing club in Vágur, which is called
Vágs Kappróðrarfelag Vágs Kappróðrarfelag (Vágur Rowing Club) is a Faroe Islands, Faroese rowing club from Vágur in Suðuroy, which was founded in July 1943. Boats for Rowing Competitions Every summer there are several rowing competitions around the islands, ...
. They have wooden rowing boats in all sizes: Vágbingur is a 10-mannafar, Toftaregin is an 8-mannafar, Smyril is a 6-mannafar and Royndin Fríða is a 5-mannafar.Facebook.com, Vágs Kappróðrarfelag
/ref>


Politics


Municipal council

Vágur's municipal council consists of 9 members, elected every four years.


Photos from Vágur

File:Vágur.Suðuroy.2.jpg, Vágseiði Image:Vágur Faroe Islands, Vágsfjørður, The Harbour and Rávan Mountain.JPG, Vágur and the fjord
Vágsfjørður Vágsfjørður is a fjord on the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. The fjord is located in the southern part and on the eastern side of the island. The distance between the east and the west coast of Suðuroy is very short from Vágsfjørð ...
Image:View from Eggjarnar towards Westcoast of Suduroy and Beinisvord.JPG, View from
Eggjarnar Eggjarnar (also called Skúvanes) is a place to the south of the village of Vágur on Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands, which is known for its scenic viewpoint to the sea-cliffs of the southern part of Suðuroy all the way to Beinisvørð in ...
, south of Vágur towards
Beinisvørð Beinisvørð (Beinisvord) is a high sea cliff in Suðuroy, Faroe Islands, the highest sea cliff in Suðuroy.FC Suðuroy Image:2010 Rowing Competition on Jóansøka in Vágur Faroe Islands.JPG, Rowing competition in Vágur at the Jóansøka Festival 2010.


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 Isla ...


References


External links


The Tourist Information Center of Vágur and Suðuroy

Suðurrás - The News Portal of Suðuroy
(In Faroese)
Municipality of Vágur



Flickr photos from Vágur

Photo gallery

Irf.fo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vagur Municipalities of the Faroe Islands Populated places in the Faroe Islands Populated coastal places in the Faroe Islands Ports and harbours of the Faroe Islands Suðuroy