12 Unique Faroe Islands Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

Tucked away in the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands are often described as magical, remote, and otherworldly. But beyond their green cliffs and puffin-covered coasts, the Faroes are home to traditions, places, and stories that truly defy belief. Here are 12 of the wildest facts about the Faroe Islands.

1. Sheep Did Their Street View Mapping

When Google hadn't yet mapped the Faroe Islands, a creative local solution was born: “Sheep View 360.” Locals attached cameras to sheep and captured panoramic images of the landscape. The project gained international fame and eventually convinced Google to support the initiative.

2. No McDonald’s — But There is a Fermented Sheep Burger Truck

There are no McDonald’s, KFC, or Starbucks in the Faroe Islands. But you can find a food truck selling fermented sheep meat burgers — a taste of Faroese culinary history, bold and unapologetic.

3. The Prime Minister Picking Up Hitchhikers

In 2013, a backpacker hitchhiking across the islands got a ride from the sitting Prime Minister, Kaj Leo Johannesen. He casually picked up the traveler and drove him across the country. This story isn’t rare — just another day in the Faroes, where politicians are often as accessible as neighbors. it reflects the accessible and humble nature of Faroese society, where leaders are not separated by security or protocol.

4. The Upcoming Suðuroyartunnilin — The Most Extreme Tunnel Project in the World

This 22km undersea tunnel will cost 5.4 billion DKK (€720 million) to connect Suðuroy to the rest of the islands. That may already sound outrageous… but more so when you realize there are only about 54,000 people in the entire Faroe Islands.That’s roughly 100,000 DKK (€13,400) per person.If the U.S. matched that per capita, it’d be like spending 35 trillion DKK (€4.7 trillion) on a single tunnel. Or for China, it’d be 140 trillion DKK (€18.8 trillion).It will be one of the longest undersea road tunnels in the world — and without a doubt the largest infrastructure project per person ever attempted by any country or territory.

5. The Faroese Language Was Illegal until the 20th Century

From the Reformation in 1538 until the early 20th century, Faroese was banned in schools, churches, and official documents in favor of Danish. For hundreds of years, locals had to preserve their language through oral storytelling, songs, and poetry. It wasn’t until 1938 that Faroese was allowed in churches, and it finally became official in 1948 when the islands gained Home Rule.

6. No Traffic Lights Until 2002

For decades, there wasn’t a single traffic light in the Faroe Islands. Even today, there are only a few, all in Tórshavn. Most villages still rely on simple intersections or yield signs. The calm pace of traffic makes stoplights nearly unnecessary.

7. The Country Shuts Down Once a Year for Tourists to Help

Every April, the country closes tourist attractions and invites volunteers from around the world to help maintain trails, signs, and nature sites. It’s called “Closed for Maintenance, Open for Voluntourism.” Visitors get to experience the islands by giving back, side-by-side with locals.

8. Entire Villages With Fewer Than 10 People Some villages in the Faroe Islands are so small, that you could pick up the entire village folks in a personal car. Villages like stóra dímun or Saksun are inhabited by only a few people — yet remain preserved and maintained as part of Faroese heritage. Life continues slowly and peacefully in these remote communities.

9. They Sing 700-Year-Old Viking Ballads Called "Kvæði" From Memory In traditional Faroese chain dancing, participants sing ancient ballads that date back centuries — sometimes over 100 verses long. These “kvæði” are performed without instruments, passed down entirely by memory and oral tradition, connecting each generation to Viking-age storytelling and tales.

10. A Tunnel Was Dug Through a Mountain — By Hand The Árnafjørður tunnel, completed in 1965, was hand-dug with pickaxes and shovels. Workers used wheelbarrows to remove the rock as they connected isolated villages. It's a testament to Faroese determination in overcoming natural barriers, long before modern machinery arrived.

11. Faroe Islands Were Treeless. They Had to Import Trees for a National Forest

Due to the harsh climate and winds, trees are not native to the islands. But in an effort to create green spaces, the Faroese planted imported species — slowly building small forests like Viðarlundin Park in Tórshavn and viðarlundin í Vestmanna. It's now a treasured recreational area, even if it feels more like a tall garden than a dense forest.

12. The World’s Oldest Wooden House Still Inhabited In Kirkjubøur, the Roykstovan farmhouse has been continuously inhabited for over 900 years. It’s been in the same family for 17 generations, making it likely the oldest wooden house in the world still in use as a home. It’s a living museum — but still a family house first. The timber wasn’t sourced locally; it was gathered from driftwood from the sea, washed ashore, since the Faroe Islands had no native trees to build with. A living museum — built by the sea, and still lived in today.

The Faroe Islands are wilder, weirder, and more wonderful than you ever imagined — where sheep map the land and tunnels cost more than launching a space agency or building a moon base — if you're doing the math per capita. If you want to see it for yourself, go somewhere that reflects the heart of it all. Vestmanna is one of those places, a strong sense of Faroese identity.

If you ever find yourself wandering the islands, it's the kind of place that deserves more than a quick stop. You'll interact with locals, find stories and landscapes that leave a lasting impression — and if you're curious to explore it deeper, you can start here.

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For a complete planning checklist, check out our Travel Faroe Islands: 2025 Guide.