Sandur (Faroe Islands)
Encyclopedia
Sandur is a village on the south coast of the island of Sandoy
in the Faroe Islands
. The Sandur hoard
, dating to the end of the 11th century, suggests the long history of the village. In January 2010 the population stood at 558.
The Municipality Sandur consists of just the village of Sandur. Sandur is the most populous place on the Sand Island. It is situated on a peninsula between the lakes Gróthúsvatn in the northwest and Sandsvatn
in the northeast facing the inlets Grótvík and Sandsvágur in the south.
where every year the local Várting was held.
Excavations here have unearthed a stave church
from the 11th century, where today you can find a typical Faroese wooden church with grass roof. In 1988 the modern church suffered a devastating fire in which all of the church's silver melted. The fire turned out to be arson. However in the following year the church was restored, just in time for its 150th anniversary.
In 1863 while extending the churchyard a treasure of silver was found
consisting of 98 coins from the 11th century, half of them of German origin
(see: Sandur hoard
).
Furthermore in 1989 archaeologists discovered a pagan burial ground from the times of Viking
occupation. (See History of the Faroe Islands
.) The burial included the well-preserved skeleton of a woman from the Faroe Islands in a grave 150 cm long. The grave also included three beads of amber
, a blue glass bead, and a knife.
In the open-air museum of the Danish national museum close to Copenhagen
one can see a water-mill which originally, in the 18th century, was installed in Sandur.
The local museum Sands Bygdasavn is open in summer. It displays objects of everyday life belonging to the ancestors of the local inhabitants.
Sandur can be reached from Tórshavn
via the ferry ports Gamlarætt and Skopun
. From there along the lake Sandsvatn
on Road 30 to Sandur.
The campsite á Munkinum is one of the camping sites on Sandoy. The other two camping sites are in Húsavík
and Dalur
. In addition Sandsvatn and Gróthúsvatn are attractive places for fishing. The Hotel Ísansgarður has been reconstructed. The tourist information in Sandur (see external links below) provides up-to-date information on private accommodation and holiday homes.
All villages on the island can be reached by bus from Sandur. They are therefore suitable for day trips. Due to the topography of the island walking-tours are suitable for casual strolling and cyclists. Popular trips are to Søltuvík on the west coast, Skarvanes
in the south (with slightly more demanding hiking) and Húsavík
on the east coast.
The small passenger only ferry MV Sildberin departs Sandur for Skúvoy
, an island to the south. Particularly interesting is the tour in the faroese rowboat Hvíthamar from Sandur to the bird rocks on the west coast or to Skúvoy. Boatbuilder Jóan Petur Clementsen himself is rowing.
, which has enjoyed modest success in both the Faroese Football League and UEFA
.
Sandoy
Sandoy is a small island that is part of the Faroe Islands, an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark. The largest population center on the island is the village of Sandur with a population of six hundred....
in the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. The Sandur hoard
Sandur hoard
The Sandur hoard of the Faroe Islands was found in Sandur in 1863 and consists of 98 silver coins, which were probably buried between 1070 and 1080...
, dating to the end of the 11th century, suggests the long history of the village. In January 2010 the population stood at 558.
The Municipality Sandur consists of just the village of Sandur. Sandur is the most populous place on the Sand Island. It is situated on a peninsula between the lakes Gróthúsvatn in the northwest and Sandsvatn
Sandsvatn
The Sandsvatn is the largest lake on the island of Sandoy and the third largest in the Faroe Islands, measuring 0.8 km2 with a depth of 5 metres.Sandsvatn is situated in a valley between Skopun and Sandur, just north of the latter on Road 30...
in the northeast facing the inlets Grótvík and Sandsvágur in the south.
1000 years of history
Sandur is an old site of the thingThing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
where every year the local Várting was held.
Excavations here have unearthed a stave church
Stave church
A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...
from the 11th century, where today you can find a typical Faroese wooden church with grass roof. In 1988 the modern church suffered a devastating fire in which all of the church's silver melted. The fire turned out to be arson. However in the following year the church was restored, just in time for its 150th anniversary.
In 1863 while extending the churchyard a treasure of silver was found
consisting of 98 coins from the 11th century, half of them of German origin
(see: Sandur hoard
Sandur hoard
The Sandur hoard of the Faroe Islands was found in Sandur in 1863 and consists of 98 silver coins, which were probably buried between 1070 and 1080...
).
Furthermore in 1989 archaeologists discovered a pagan burial ground from the times of Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
occupation. (See History of the Faroe Islands
History of the Faroe Islands
-Pre-Norse history:The early details of Faroese history are rather nebulous. It is possible that Saint Brendan, an Irish monk sailed past the islands during his North Atlantic voyage in the 6th century...
.) The burial included the well-preserved skeleton of a woman from the Faroe Islands in a grave 150 cm long. The grave also included three beads of amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
, a blue glass bead, and a knife.
In the open-air museum of the Danish national museum close to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
one can see a water-mill which originally, in the 18th century, was installed in Sandur.
The local museum Sands Bygdasavn is open in summer. It displays objects of everyday life belonging to the ancestors of the local inhabitants.
Transport and Tourism
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
via the ferry ports Gamlarætt and Skopun
Skopun
Skopun is a town in the Faroe Islands situated on the northern coast of Sandoy, Sand Island. Skopun is the second largest town on the island.*Population: 499 *Postcode: FO 240...
. From there along the lake Sandsvatn
Sandsvatn
The Sandsvatn is the largest lake on the island of Sandoy and the third largest in the Faroe Islands, measuring 0.8 km2 with a depth of 5 metres.Sandsvatn is situated in a valley between Skopun and Sandur, just north of the latter on Road 30...
on Road 30 to Sandur.
The campsite á Munkinum is one of the camping sites on Sandoy. The other two camping sites are in Húsavík
Húsavík, Faroe Islands
Húsavík is an old village in the Faroe Islands on the east of the Isle of Sandoy.*Population: 88*Postal code : FO 230*Location: *Municipality: Húsavikar...
and Dalur
Dalur
Dalur is a village in the Faroe Islands. Dalur is located on the east-side of Sandoy.The village lies in the bottom of a relatively large valley. Dalur means valley in Faroese.A little road leads from Dalur to the south-tip of the island...
. In addition Sandsvatn and Gróthúsvatn are attractive places for fishing. The Hotel Ísansgarður has been reconstructed. The tourist information in Sandur (see external links below) provides up-to-date information on private accommodation and holiday homes.
All villages on the island can be reached by bus from Sandur. They are therefore suitable for day trips. Due to the topography of the island walking-tours are suitable for casual strolling and cyclists. Popular trips are to Søltuvík on the west coast, Skarvanes
Skarvanes
Skarvanes is a deserted village on Sandoy, in the Faroe Islands. Its last permanent inhabitant died in 2000, although there is still a family living in a nearby valley. The former residential houses in the scenic village are used as summer houses and for similar purposes nowadays....
in the south (with slightly more demanding hiking) and Húsavík
Húsavík, Faroe Islands
Húsavík is an old village in the Faroe Islands on the east of the Isle of Sandoy.*Population: 88*Postal code : FO 230*Location: *Municipality: Húsavikar...
on the east coast.
The small passenger only ferry MV Sildberin departs Sandur for Skúvoy
Skúvoy
Skúvoy is an island in central Faroe Islands, located to the south of Sandoy. It is named after the large number of skua present on the island . There is only one settlement on the island: Skúvoy on the east coast...
, an island to the south. Particularly interesting is the tour in the faroese rowboat Hvíthamar from Sandur to the bird rocks on the west coast or to Skúvoy. Boatbuilder Jóan Petur Clementsen himself is rowing.
The Art Museum of Sandur "Sands Listasavn"
The Art Museum of Sandur is open from May to October every day except for Monday from 14:00-16:00. In wintertime it is open Sundays from 14:00-16:00. The museum and the art works in it was a present from Sofus Olsen. It was built in 2005 and handed over to the municipality of Sandur in December 2005, on mr. Olsen's 92 years birthday.Sport
Sandur is most well-known for its football club, B71 SandoyB71 Sandoy
B71 is a Faroese football club, playing their home games Inni í Dal, Sandur. The team is made up of players from all the towns on the island of Sandoy...
, which has enjoyed modest success in both the Faroese Football League and UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
.
External links
- Sandur.fo - Official website of the Municipality of Sandur
- Visitsandoy.fo - Official Tourist Information pages in Sandur
- Flickr - Photos from Sandur