Name: |
Nólsoy |
Municipality: |
Tórshavnar (list of municipalities) |
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Population |
252 (01.01.06) |
Football team: |
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Zip: |
FO 270 |
Rowing Club: |
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Location: |
N62°00'33 W6°40'7 |
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Nólsoy is the beautiful island that dominates the view from Tórshavn.
Nólsoy is also the name of the only village on that island.
It takes 20 minutes to reach Nólsoy from Tórshavn by boat. From the little harbour one enters the village by passing through a portal that is made of the cheekbones of a huge sperm whale.
Soon one is in the middle of the village surrounded by the small and colourful wooden houses. The cosy small houses are placed extremely close to each other and one can imagine how they will shelter each other from the cold and salty winter storms.
As many as 40 people that live in Nólsoy go to work in Tórshavn each morning. In recent years many young families have moved from Tórshavn to Nólsoy where the houses are cheaper than in Tórshavn .
This way it is possible to live ‘in the country’ and still be only 20 minutes from the capital.
The mountain that gives Nólsoy its characteristic look is green and lush on the side that faces Tórshavn . On the other side it consists of impressive vertical bird-cliffs. The sea has eaten huge caves and tunnels under the cliffs. This area can be visited on boat-trips that are arranged from Tórshavn .
Nólsoyar Páll came from Nólsoy. He is recognized as a kind of freedom fighter and national hero. He fought to end the Royal Trade Monopoly in the beginning of 19th century. The Royal Trade Monopoly was exhausting and impoverishing the people of the Faroe Islands from 1271 to 1856. Nólsoyar Páll carried trade between Denmark and Faroe Islands in his ship ‘Royndin Frida’. His ship was the first Faeroese ocean-going vessel since the early Middle Ages.
Nólsoy has an annual civic festival called Ovastevna. The festival is in the beginning of August. Ovastevna is similar to Ólavsøka in Tórshavn only smaller. Ovastevna is held to commemorate Ove Joensen from Nólsoy. He rowed from Faroe Islands to Denmark in a traditional Faeroese boat in 1986. In 1987 Ove drowned in Skálafjørður-inlet where he fell over board.
The profit from the festival is used to build a swimming pool for the children in Nólsoy. Ove originally started this project after his row to Denmark.
On the south tip of Nólsoy a natural tunnel goes through the island. If the weather is nice it is possible to sail through the tunnel in a small boat.
Tradition says that a troll wanted to move Nólsoy to Sandoy. It tied a rope to the tunnel on Nólsoy and to a similar tunnel on Sandoy and started dragging. It dragged so hard that its head popped of and formed the mountain Trollhovdi on the northern tip of Sandoy. Trollhovdi means ‘Head of the Troll’ in Faeroese. |
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