The village – walks and experiences

Would you like to experience the best of Faroese nature? Then Gjógv is the place to visit, because Gjógv is surrounded by many of the hallmarks of Faroese nature; Gjógv’s nearest neighbours are the highest mountains in the Faroes Slættaratindur (882 m) and Gráfelli (857), and to the west of the village off the coast of the beautiful Ambadalur is the highest sea stack in the Faroes, Búgvin (188 m).

The church in Gjógv has a history of its own. It was built in 1929 and was the first church to be inaugurated in Faroese. Its altarpiece is of a particular interest; it shows Jesus walking on water – not the lake of Genesareth, but “í Djúpunum” which is the name for the waters off Gjógv. Next to the church is a memorial monument raised in memory of those who lost their lives at sea – a sign that reveals what harsh circumstances a small village like Gjógv has had.

The gorge, which is one of the main attractions of Gjógv, is in the northern part of the village. A flight of steps enables you to walk down to the landing place for boats. If you take a walk along the bank of the gorge, you will get a first-hand look at puffins in and around the cliffs. A bench has been erected at the tip to which the trail along the bank will lead you in memory of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary’s visit in Gjógv in 2005. The bench is named “Mary’s bænk” – in English Mary’s Bench after Crown Princess Mary.

A stroll in the village on a summer’s day when the villagers are working outside and the children are playing amongst the ducks in the pond is truly revitalizing.

The forces of nature also play its part in the life of Gjógv. It is impressive to watch the forces of nature when gale storms rage the islands, the sea runs high and the waves break in the gorge. To take a walk in the village or to sit on Mary’s Bench observing these forces is an invigorating and breathtaking experience not easily forgotten.

Walks
If you really want to get the Faroese nature under your skin, you should take a walk in the mountains surrounding Gjógv. The mountain walk opportunities around Gjógv are endless!
 

You can take a walk along the bank of the gorge, out to “Ovara Nasa”, then uphill along the coastline until you reach a sheep house at the top. From here you have a spectacular view of the bird cliffs before and below you so close that you can almost reach out and touch the fulmars nesting there. This walk only takes about 45 minutes and will boost your blood circulation.
 

Another walk you can take is the walk up to “Ambadal” and to “Búgvin”. This is a walk in spectacular scenery that takes about 3-4 hours. You follow the walk described above, then you continue uphill to “Hálsin”, which is in about 400 metres altitude, then you walk downhill to “Ambadal” via “Festirstein”. While walking you will experience a multitude of birds e.g. oyster catchers, common snipes, curlews and great skuas. When you have reached the cliff, the most spectacular view welcomes you; you can see the highest sea stack in the Faroes “Búgvin” which stands erect 188 metres in the air from sea level. Here you can also see a lot of sea birds, e.g. fulmars, guillemot and puffin. If you move westwards from “Búgvin” you will see in the west “Risin” and “Kellingin” – the Giant and the Witch, and further away you can see “Mýlingur” on Streymoy.

If you wish to climb the highest mountain in the Faroes, “Slættaratindur”, you can either drive to “Eiðisskarð” and from there walk the rest of the way, about 500 metres uphill to the top, or you can make a day out of it and walk from Gjógv. This walk begins in the village from where you climb “Gráfelli” (857metres), and from there you climb “Slættaratindur”. This is a long and physically demanding walk. But once on top of “Slættaratindur” you can on a clear day see most of the Faroe Islands. This view from the hilltop is breathtaking - almost the Faroese equivalent to the Himalayas. Many people like to climb “Slættaratindur” at the height of summer to see the sun set and rise only a couple of hours later. This is an experience for life.