Vágur

About the village

Vágur is the largest village and a part of the second-largest municipality in Suðuroy. The town is mentioned for the first time in historical documents in 1350 in Hundabrævinum (The Dog Letter). The letter said that a lot of dog owners lived in Vágur. Vágur is a village located on both sides of the lovely Vágsfjørð (fjord). A Beautiful lake to the west of the village is called Vatnið, and a walking path is around it. A grove is further up from the village, and another smaller grove is located more centrally in the village (Parkin). Vágseiði to the west of the village, is a place you can enjoy the impressive views of the North Atlantic Ocean, high cliffs and birdlife.
In 1804 the Faroese national hero Nólsoyar Páll, bought a shipwreck (the English Sally & Polly) at an auction in Hvalba. The wreck was rebuilt and got the name Royndin Fríða. Nólsoyar Páll and his crew were the first to protest and work against the Danish, being the only ones allowed to import goods into the country.
In The Municipality of Vágur there is also the village Nes. The famous artist Ruth Smith was born in Vágur, but lived in Nes. Some of her paintings have motives from Nes. Other places which belong to the Municipality of Vágur are Fámara, Botni and Eggjarnar.
In Fámara there is a farm, it is a lovely place. In Botni the first water power craft was built in 1921, providing electricity to the people of Vágur. People were living there for several years. But today there are no inhabitants in Botni. The power craft is still running, although most of the electricity now comes from the power plant in Vágur.
Eggjarnar is a beautiful spot with a breathtaking view to the west coast of Suðuroy and to Beinisvørð in the south, which is the second-highest bird cliff in the Faroes. During the Second World War, American Troops built a Loran-Station (long-range aid to navigation) at Eggjarnar. It was taken over by the Danes after the Second World War and was in function until 1977. The building is still there.

Vágur has the first 50 m swimming pool in the Faroe Islands, Pálshøll, named after our first Faroese Olympic swimmer, Pál Joensen. A few exciting museums are in Vágur and also an indoor football (soccer) field with a smaller and larger climbing wall. Also there is a new kid’s playground located centrally in the village.

For more info about Vágur and other places in Suðuroy, visit the local Tourist Information Centre, Visit Suðuroy, at Vágsvegur 57.

Photos:@haukursigurdsson and @bjarturvest