Faroe Islands Travel Information

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When to Go to Faroe Islands

To get the most out of your next adventure it makes sense to consider some of the very local factors that combine to make up what you feel is the best time to travel to a destination. Many of these factors are very personal - some people prefer to travel when the weather is not too hot, or sites too crowded - others prefer to travel when a traditional local event is taking place. Taking into account the dates of public holidays can also make sense as these may have an impact on opening times of attractions, shops and restaurants, or might affect public transport or other services. Conversely public holidays can be a time of great local festivities and celebrations providing a feast of local expressionism and culture.

Climate

The weather of the Faroe Islands is maritime and quite changeable, from moments of brilliant sunshine to misty hill fog, to showers. The Gulf Stream encircling the islands tempers the climate. The harbours never freeze and the temperature in winter time is very moderate considering the high latitude. Snowfall occurs, but is shortlived. The average temperature ranges from 3°C in winter to 11°C in the summer. In sheltered areas, the temperature can be much higher, but the air is always fresh and clean no matter what the season.

Seasonality

The islands are best visited from May through to September.  In the time of the long light evenings, from the end of May to the end of July, many festivals are arranged throughout the islands.  A highlight of the Faroese summer, a range of local festivals give rise to a frenzy of activity in all regions. Main attractions of all festivals are the fun fair, sporting events and dancing. Boat races in traditional Faroese boats take place at the festivals competing in the FM challenge, and these are considered by many to be the absolute highpoint of the festivals.

National Holidays

Date	Description
25 Apr 08	National Flag Day
01 May 08	Ascension Day
05 Jun 08	Constitution Day
29 Jul 08	St. Olav’s Day
24 Dec 08	Christmas Eve
25 Dec 08	Christmas Day
26 Dec 08	Boxing Day
31 Dec 08	New Year's Eve
01 Jan 09	New Year's Day
09 Apr 09	Maundy Thursday
10 Apr 09	Good Friday
12 Apr 09	Easter Sunday
13 Apr 09	Easter Monday

National Events

Event	Occurs	Description
Regional Festivals	Summer	A highlight of the Faroese summer is the range of local festivals that give rise to a frenzy of activity in all regions. Main attractions of all festivals are the fun fair, sporting events and dancing. Boat races in traditional Faroese boats take place at the festivals competing in the FM challenge, and these are considered by many to be the absolute highpoint of the festivals.
Saint Olav's Day & Olai Festival	28-29 July	Before the Reformation the Wake of St. Olav was an important religious festival in Norway and the Norwegian tributary countries, of which the Faroes were one. The Norwegian king Olav the Holy fell on the 29th of July,1030 in the battle at Stiklestad, and every year on that day Norway’s patron saint was commemorated. It is now a thousand years since the chief Sigmund Brestisson introduced Christianity in a proclamation on the rocky headland at the end of Tinganes in Tórshavn. The Icelandic saga, Færeyingasaga, describes the struggle between the Christian chief Sigmund and the heathen chief Tróndur í Gøtu. Tróndur is in power, but, with the help of King Olav Trygvason in Norway, Sigmund defeats his enemy for a time, until he is attacked at his farm on Skúvoy. Sigmund has to jump into the sea and swim the long way to Suðuroy, where he is found exhausted on the beach and killed by the farmer Tórgrímur the Wicked. But Christianity triumphed, and Olav the Holy also became the patron saint of the Faroes. In most places he has been forgotten and now only figures in books about Norwegian and Nordic history; but in the Faroes he was so revered that to this day his wake is celebrated in the capital of the islands - the Olai Festival. For hundreds of years and despite the fall of Catholicism, this day has been celebrated as a kind of national festival, when work stopped and people flocked to Tórshavn from all over the islands. Over the years the festival has grown and in order to accommodate all the activities on the programme it now starts on the eve of Saint Olav’s Day. On the afternoon of the 28th the festival is officially opened with a procession through the town headed by men on horseback with the Faroese flag at the forefront. They make their way to the lawn in front of the parliament building. After this comes the eagerly awaited boat race where the final result of the summer’s competitions will be decided and the champions of the year celebrated.