Bøur – Gásadalur
Follow the road just 3 km west of Bøur village, where the walk begins. The road divids – make sure to take the road to the left. Gásadalur has been one of the most isolated villages in the Faroes. It is difficult to get to the village by sea and there has been no road, so this path has been the only connection to the other villages.
Even though the helicopter has flown to Gásadalur since 1983, the postman has walked up the mountain three times a week until the end of February 2003, when the hole was blasted through the mountain.
The first stretch of the path is steep and runs close to the edge of the mountain. Therefore, walk extremely carefully, but do not forget to enjoy the outstanding view over Sørvágsfjørður, Tindhólmur, Gáshólmur and Mykines. There is no church in Gásadalur, therefore the school is used for services. The cemetery is from 1873. Before then, people were buried in Bøur. The coffin was carried over the mountain to Bøur. The trip was very difficult and the only place that the bearers could rest was at the Líksteinurin (the body stone), which you will come upon in the middle of the tour. Further on, you come to Keldan Vígda (the blessed spring).
There is a story that a baby in Gásadalur became seriously ill and had to be taken to the doctor in Bøur. On the way to Bøur, the baby’s condition worsened and it was about to die. According to the Christian faith, your soul does not gain salvation if you die unbaptised. Therefore, the priest, who was travelling with them, quickly blessed the spring and baptised the baby.
If you continue, you will see Risasporið (the giant’s footprint). There is a story about two giants. One lived in Gásadalur and the other in Mykines. Once, they quarrelled and the Gásadalur giant wanted to go to Mykines to settle the dispute. He took running leaps along the mountain, took off and with one leap, he landed on Mykines. He took off so hard that you can see his footprint to this day.
From Skarði, the path twists down the mountainside to the village. Beware of loose stones! In the village, there are ruins from the middle ages, Uppi við Garð and Gæsutoftir.
Source: “Walking in the Faroe Islands” published by the Faroese Tourist Board in 2003.
