Vestmanna is a town in the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
on the west of the island of
Streymoy
Streymoy ( da, Strømø) is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn, is located on its southeast coast. The name means "island of currents". It also refers to the largest region of the country that also i ...
.
It was formerly a ferry port, until an undersea tunnel, the
Vágatunnilin, was built from
Vágar to
Kvívík and
Stykkið further south on Streymoy. The cliffs west of Vestmanna, Vestmannabjørgini, are very popular for excursions by boat.
A 'Vestmann' was a "
Westman", or
Gael
The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...
in
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...
. The original name was ''Vestmannahavn'', i.e. "Westmen's/Irishmen's harbour".
History
In December 1759, during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
,
François Thurot's squadron sheltered from stormy conditions at Vestmanna. The lack of supplies available from the islanders motivated the subsequent
raids by the squadron on the north Irish coast.
Geography
It is surrounded by the mountains of Hægstafjall (), Økslin (), Loysingafjall (), and Moskurfjall ().
Tourism
Vestmanna is often called the tourist village of the Faroe Islands. The main tourist attraction is Vestmannabjørgini.
In 2012, a camping site was established at Inni á Fjørð with a capacity of 120 caravans in addition to tents.
Photos from Vestmannabjørgini and Vestmanna
Image:Vestmannabjørgini, Faroe Islands (7).JPG, Boat trip to Vestmannabjørgini (Cliffs of Vestmanna).
Image:Vestmannabjørgini, Faroe Islands (5).JPG, Vestmannabjørgini (Cliffs of Vestmanna).
Image:Saksunadrangur, Vestmannabjørgini, Faroe Islands (9).jpg, A Sea Stack West of Vestmanna.
Image:Wiking.voxmuseum.1.jpg, The Viking Wax-museum in Vestmanna.
Image:10mannafør masters kappróður á Fjarðastevnu 2012.JPG, Fjarðastevna Cup 2012 in Vestmanna (''kappróður'')
Image:VB-VIF Faroese Handball Match November 2011.JPG, VÍF is the sports club from Vestmanna. Here they play handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...
in yellow and blue.
See also
*
List of towns in the Faroe Islands
This is a list of villages (and towns) of the Faroe Islands. :fo:Býir í Føroyum :de:Liste der Städte und Orte auf den Färöern
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Towns In The Faroe Islands
Towns
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Isl ...
References
External links
Vestmanna.fo Municipality of Vestmanna
Sightseeing.foPuffin.fo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vestmanna
Populated places in the Faroe Islands
Populated coastal places in the Faroe Islands
Ports and harbours of the Faroe Islands
Municipalities of the Faroe Islands
Streymoy