From Tórshavn to Kirkjubøur: A Hike over the mountain on Friday the 13th

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Ever since Friday the 13th of October 1307, where countless Knights Templars were captured, tortured, burned at the stake and their treasures seized, many people have feared Friday the 13th. I was never one of them. Until now….

Elien, Liam, Ildi, Steve and I woke up early to go to Tórshavn, where we would hike 7 km. to Kirkjubøur, the most important historical site in Faroe Islands. But.. Even before I realized what date it was, my bad luck started. Before heading to Tórshavn, I went outside to get my tent, which was hanging to dry, but realized that it was gone, blown away and nowhere to be seen. Bad luck #1.

So now I was tentless and basically homeless. Well, I know that Rigmor and Jens wouldn’t let me be homeless, but since they were already hosting Elien and Liam, I didn’t want to become an issue for them, so instead, I went on a mission to either find a couchsurfer or a new and better tent.

Once in Tórshavn, I first went to check on my computer, which was being fixed after it crashed, but unfortunately, they couldn’t fix it. I now have to rely on libraries and other people’s computers for the rest of my journey, so I can continue writing on this blog. Bad luck #2.

Afterwards, we went to try to find a new tent, but unfortunately, that is easier said than done in Faroe Islands. We could only find tents that either weighed too much or weren’t waterproof, so I decided to try to find a couchsurfer instead. Bad luck #3.

Despite all of this bad luck, I decided that I wouldn’t let it ruin my day and went for the hike with positive thoughts. Thankfully, the weather stayed nice and the hike was absolutely amazing. It was quite an easy hike and we had the most breathtaking views of the islands Nólsoy, Vágar, Koltur, Hestur and Sandoy for the entire trip.

The only problem about the hike was the mud. It had been raining hard the day before, so the path was slushy and muddy and, if you haven’t already guessed it, I fell in the mud. Bad luck #4. My shoes, once-white socks and my precious Black Milk leggings were covered in mud, but thankfully, it happened close to Kirkjubøur, so I could clean up the mess almost straightaway.

2,5 hours after the hike had begun in Tórshavn, we arrived in Kirkjubøur and after cleaning myself up, I went for a little tour of the small village, where I saw (and touched – I always have to touch old things) the ruins of the Magnus Cathedral (ca. 1300), the Saint Olav’s Church (12th century) and the old farmhouse Kirkjubøargardur (11th century), where the 17th generation of the Patursson family lives.

Afterwards, we took a bus back to Tórshavn, which was free of charge and gave us a magnificent view of the sunset over Hestur og Koltur.

Now it seems that my luck has changed, and even though I’ll be afraid of Friday the 13th forever, it hasn’t scared me away from travelling alone and even sleeping in a tent or hiking in muddy areas. Bad things happen, but good things happen 10 times more often and despite my bad luck, everything turned out okay – maybe even for the better. With the help of a couchsurfer, I have found a lovely couple, who have taken me in, and I’m currently sitting in my bed in Tórshavn, writing this post and thinking about how lucky I actually am, despite everything.

Interesting tours to Kirkjubøur

Do you want to hike to Kirkjubøur but not quite sure how to do it alone? Or maybe you’d just like to hear interesting stories and enjoy some local beers along the way? Then join this four-hour beer hiking tour!

Or maybe biking is more your thing? Then this tour has you covered!

Visiting in the off-season and don’t feel much like hiking or biking in cold weather? Then you might consider this winter bus tour to Kirkjubøur!