Klaksvík

Klaksvík
Klaksvig
Municipality and town

Klaksvík

Location of Klaksvíkar kommuna in the Faroe Islands
Klaksvík

Location of Klaksvík village in the Faroe Islands

Coordinates: 62°13′26″N 6°34′43″W / 62.22389°N 6.57861°WCoordinates: 62°13′26″N 6°34′43″W / 62.22389°N 6.57861°W
State  Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country  Faroe Islands
Island Borðoy
Area
 • Total 72 km2 (28 sq mi)
Population (2015)
 • Total 4,615
 • Density 64/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zone GMT
 • Summer (DST) EST (UTC+1)
Postal code FO 700
Website www.klaksvik.fo

Klaksvík (Danish: Klaksvig) is the second largest town of the Faroe Islands. The town is located on Borðoy, which is one of the northernmost islands (the Norðoyar).

History

The first settlement at Klaksvík dates back to Viking times, but it was not before the 20th century that the district merged to form a large, modern Faroese town that became the cultural and commercial centre for the Northern Isles and the Faroe Islands as a whole.

Klaksvík is located between two inlets lying back to back. It has an important harbour with fishing industry and a modern fishing fleet. Originally, four farms were located where Klaksvík is now. In time, they grew into four villages, Vágur, Myrkjanoyri, Gerðar and Uppsalir, that finally merged to form the town of Klaksvík in 1938. What triggered the development of the town was the establishment of a centralized store for all the northern islands on the location.

The brewery Föroya Bjór in Klaksvík is a Faroese family brewery, founded in 1888. The ram has been the symbol of the brewery since the early beginning. Since August 2007, when Restorffs Bryggjarí went out of business, Föroya Bjór has been the only producer of beer and soft drinks in the Faroe Islands.

With the opening of the Leirvík sub sea tunnel, the Norðoyatunnilin in April 2006, Klaksvík is physically linked with the mainland of the Faroe Islands and can now be considered one of its key ports. Several developments are under way to exploit this symbiosis, including a new industrial park located by the tunnel entrance. Klaksvík is home to Summarfestivalurin, the largest music festival in the Faroe Islands.

The Christianschurch

Christianskirkjan build 1963, is the first one in Scandinavia to be built in Old Norse style. The roof construction is the same as the one you would find in the Viking halls, and the same which has survived in the Faroese smoke rooms (kitchens) and in the Faroese village churches. This open roof construction has proved to be especially suitable for church buildings, as the acoustics in this church is better than in any other of a similar size. The church is dedicated to the memory of the sailors who lost their lives during World War II.

Transport

Klaksvík used to be an isolated town until 2006 when the Norðoyatunnilin opened. A frequent bus service now links the town to Tórshavn, while smaller services operate to Fuglafjørður, Kunoy and Viðareiði. Also it has remained the ferry port for Kalsoy. Since 2014, a city bus (Bussleiðin) connects the outlying parts with the city center, and taxis offer additional services.[1]

Twin towns

Sports

The local football club is KÍ.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ssl.fo

The Tourist Information Centre The national public transport agency

External links and source

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Klaksvík.
Look up Klaksvík in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.