In the north of Eysturoy Island, you will find a small and picturesque village called Gjogv. Gjogv means gorge in Faroese, and it sounds exactly the opposite of how we kept trying to say it. The village has less than 50 people living there, and it’s famous for the 200-meter-long gorge that runs north from the sea to the village. We went there to see it, and it was more than worth it.
The village is small, but it has existed for a long time. It was first mentioned in 1584, and it seems to have existed long before that. Gjogv is easy to find on the map, and it’s located a little more than 60 kilometers from the Faroese capital, Tórshavn. We drove there without any problem, but we had to stop the car a few times to take pictures of how gorgeous everything was around us.
But Gjogv is not just a place surrounded by nature. Of course, like everywhere else in the Faroe Islands, Gjogv is beautiful, and walking there makes you wonder why we are not moving to the Faroe Islands. But there is more than nature there.
Gjogv, Faroe Islands: Discovering the Charm of this Village in a Gorge
The village church dates back to 1929. It was the first to be consecrated in Gjogv and the first to have services in the Faroese language. Across the street from it is a memorial to all the fishermen lost at sea, with the names and ages of the men.
All houses in Gjogv have this colorful style of building that we see everywhere in the Faroe Islands, and they look beautiful. We took too many pictures of it while we went for a walk to the gorge that gives the village its name.
A Visitor’s Guide to Gjogv, Faroe Islands: History, Hikes, and Harbor Views
The gorge that gives name to the village is one of the best natural harbors in the Faroe Islands. But things are not that simple. Boats need to be pulled up on a ramp to keep them safe from the water. At night, colorful lights are all around, making the gorge even more beautiful.
An amazing opportunity to take even more pictures. And we hope you will be followed by a black and white dog with a fixation on rocks like we did. He followed us around the village, and his presence made our time there even better.
When you see the gorge, you can take two paths to the sea and photograph it from a different angle. If you take the path on the right side of the gorge, you will walk straight to Mary’s Bench. The bench is named after Danish Crown Princess Mary, who visited the village with Crown Prince Frederik in June 2006.
The town decided to give them something to remember their presence, and they came up with this bench with a magnificent view from the gorge as it reached the sea.
Now that we have enough pictures and places to see in Gjogv, we have to tell you where you need to stay while there. There is only one option, and what an amazing option that is. Gjáargarður is the name of the most attractive and charming guesthouse in the Faroe Islands, and we spent the night there when we visited Gjogv during Easter 2016.
We had an amazing experience there, with great food and a beautiful view of the village from one of the surrounding hills. The staff was great and friendly, and they even helped us find more places to stop to take pictures on our way to Tórshavn the next day.
Our room was big and comfortable, with a great shower that made us relax even more after a long day on the road. You must spend at least a day at Gjáargarður to enjoy Gjogv and the surrounding area.
Gjogv: the village with the gorge in the Faroe Islands
62°19′30″N 6°56′28″W
