Tórshavn Cathedral

Whitewashed 18th-century cathedral on Tinganes, the second oldest church in the Faroes

Havnar Kirkja, the cathedral of Tórshavn, sits on Tinganes overlooking the harbour. Built in 1788 of whitewashed timber with a slate roof and a small bell tower, it is the second oldest still-used church in the Faroes after Kirkjubøur. The interior is plain and Lutheran, with a model ship hanging from the ceiling — a tradition in Faroese churches — and a baptismal font from 1450.

Opening hours are limited, but the exterior can be admired at any time. The cathedral is reached up the steps from the harbour or through the narrow lanes of Tinganes.

things to do sight church
A story
The cathedral was built in 1788 to replace an earlier wooden church on the same site. When the body of the Faroese national hero Nólsoyar Páll was lost at sea in 1809, the cathedral became the focus of mourning — to this day a memorial inside marks his disappearance.

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