Torshavn

Thorshavn or Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Tórshavn (Thor's Harbour) is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. The city has a population of 15,000 and the greater urban area a population of 20,000. The Vikings established their parliament on the Tinganes peninsula in 850, thus Tórshavn was made capital of Faroe Islands and has remained so ever since. All through the Middle Ages the narrow peninsula jutting out into the sea made up the main part of Tórshavn. The old part of town, it is still made up of small wooden houses covered with turf roofs. The oldest one dates back 500 years. Sources do not mention a built-up area in Tórshavn until after the Protestant Reformation in 1539. Tórshavn became the center of the monopoly trade, thereby being the only legal place for the islanders to sell and buy goods. In 1856, the trade monopoly was abolished and the islands were left open to free trade. The town has grown rapidly ever since the turn of the 20th century into the undisputed administrative, economic and cultural center of the Faroes. Faroe Islands pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/little_frank/sets/72157600072546616/ Music: New Age - Marlon Roudette