Kirkjubøur
Kirkjubøur (Danish: Kirkebø) is the southernmost village on Streymoy, Faroe Islands. The village is located on the south-west coast of Streymoy and has a view towards the islands of Hestur and Koltur towards the west, and to Sandoy towards the south. It lies south of the new ferry port of Gamlarætt, which opened in 1993.
Kirkjubøur | |
|---|---|
Village | |
Saint Olav's Church, Kirkjubøur at the left, and the old farmhouse of Kirkjubøargarður at the centre. In the background are the islands of Sandoy and Hestur. | |
Kirkjubøur Location in the Faroe Islands | |
| Coordinates: 61°57′22″N 6°47′37″W | |
| State | Kingdom of Denmark |
| Constituent country | Faroe Islands |
| Island | Streymoy |
| Municipality | Tórshavn Municipality |
| Population (1 January 2009) | |
| • Total | 75 |
| Time zone | GMT |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (EST) |
| Postal code | FO 175 |
| Climate | Cfc |
The village is the Faroes' most important historical site, with the ruins of the Magnus Cathedral from around 1300, Saint Olav's Church (Olavskirkjan), from the 12th century and the old farmhouse of Kirkjubøargarður from the 11th century. In 1832, a runestone was found near the Magnus Cathedral in Kirkjubøur. The stone which is referred to as the Kirkjubøur stone dates back to the Viking Age.
The little islet just of the coast, Kirkjubøhólmur, contains an eiderduck colony. To the village belongs the islet of Trøllhøvdi, just 100m off the northern tip of Sandoy 9 km away from Kirkjubøur. It was given as payment to the villagers, as it was their duty to ferry people across to Sandoy in medieval times.