The city waterfall of Svartifoss in Hoyvík

In the middle of Hoyvík, a busy suburb in Tórshavn, flows a waterfall, which is probably the prettiest in all of the Faroe Islands. The waterfall is called Svartifoss (‘black falls’) because of the black stones behind it. There’s a famous waterfall in Iceland with the same name, but this one in Hoyvík has yet to be discovered.

When you drive along the roads in the Faroe Islands, you see waterfall after waterfall. To begin with, you look at them in awe, thinking you’ve never seen anything more beautiful. After a while, you get used to them. Despite their unquestionable beauty, they all look similar. But Svartifoss is an exception.

Surrounded by city houses, the waterfall is situated in a small central park. There’s a path that leads all the way to it and it’s even possible to walk up to the top of it, where the view of Hovvík and Nólsoy in the horizon is amazing.

Katrine, Poul, Tórur and I went for a small walk to the waterfall one day. Since we were staying in Hoyvík, we couldn’t miss the most prominent landmark in the city. The funny thing is though, despite how prominent and beautiful it is, I’d never heard of it before that day, so now let me introduce you to Svartifoss Waterfall, so you make sure to not miss it on your next trip to the Faroe Islands! It’s only a short bus ride away from the center of Tórshavn!