Although the Faroe Islands have their national coat of arms, flag, and language, and are also a part of Europe, many travelers, and even experienced ones, have never heard of them. To emend this bitter misunderstanding you might next time go on a vacation to the North Islands, at least one of them, instead of traveling to familiar hot countries.

The formation of the islands was a result of basalt eruption on the sea bottom during the Cainozoic era. It happened along with the appearance of homo sapience. The Celts, descendants from Scotland, first inhabited the archipelago. They gave the first name to these places. It comes from the Celtic word fearann, which means land. In the 9th century, the Viking tribes came there and the land became a part of Norway, where they successfully remained until the 14th century. Later, Denmark joined the fight over the islands and they got a new name, ovine from Danish fareyjar. These two European countries had been sharing the Faroe Islands until the 19th century. The buildings of that time have remained on the modern territory. They include a lot of historic wooden churches with original carvings.

The best way to get to know the rich history and culture of the locals will be visiting the village Hoyvík and its landmarks: an open-air Ancient House Museum of the 17th century, the first church of the beginning of the 21st century, and the main Historical Museum.

The permanent exhibition includes thousands of ancient artifacts from the Celtic times until today. The visitors can see local household items, weapons, and even ship models, impressing tourists with their sizes. The neighboring farm, built according to the medieval patterns in 1920, houses an ethnographic centre.

At first, it may seem that the towns on the islands lack European civilization that we are used to. But this is far from being the case. Besides the picturesque historic constructions, there are modern buildings of quite unusual forms and you can even find local street art.