Hoyvík
Encyclopedia
Hoyvík is the third largest town in the Faroe Islands
. It has grown in size for many years and is now merged with Tórshavn
becoming a northern suburb
of the Faroese capital. A person from Hoyvík is known as a hoyvíkingur.
Hoyvík is believed to be a very old settlement. An early source is Færeyinga Saga
, written after 1200 about affairs taking place among Vikings centuries earlier. There is an old farmhouse in Hoyvík which dates back until the 17th century. Today it functions as an open air museum.
Important institutions in Hoyvík are the gymnasium
and the Faroese Historical Museum. The first church in Hoyvík was finished in 2007.
In 2005 a free trade agreement between the Faroe Islands and Iceland was signed in Hoyvík at the Historical Museum. It is consequently known as the Hoyvík Agreement
.
Before late 20th century the population was very low. Until mid 19th century the entire population comprised one farm. A few more houses were built close to the farmland after the second world war. A real development boom has been in Hoyvík since about the early 1980s. The new houses have been built on land that was formerly considered the farmers outfield. The architecture of some of these newer houses include detached and terrace
d housing. The purchaser of one of these terraced houses, buys the two outer wall
s, but then builds the house itself in colours and design of their own choice. The result is an unusual effect of combing terraced housing with the idiosyncratic personal ‘touch’ of the family living in it.
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. It has grown in size for many years and is now merged with Tórshavn
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
becoming a northern suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of the Faroese capital. A person from Hoyvík is known as a hoyvíkingur.
Hoyvík is believed to be a very old settlement. An early source is Færeyinga Saga
Færeyinga Saga
The Færeyinga Saga , the Norse saga of Faroemen, is the story of how the Faroes were converted to Christianity and became a part of the Kingdom of Norway.-Summary:It was written in Iceland shortly after 1200...
, written after 1200 about affairs taking place among Vikings centuries earlier. There is an old farmhouse in Hoyvík which dates back until the 17th century. Today it functions as an open air museum.
Important institutions in Hoyvík are the gymnasium
Gymnasium (Denmark)
The Danish Gymnasium offers a 3-year general academically-oriented upper secondary programme which builds on the 9th-10th form of the Folkeskole and leads to the upper secondary school exit examination...
and the Faroese Historical Museum. The first church in Hoyvík was finished in 2007.
In 2005 a free trade agreement between the Faroe Islands and Iceland was signed in Hoyvík at the Historical Museum. It is consequently known as the Hoyvík Agreement
Hoyvík Agreement
The Hoyvík Agreement is a free trade agreement between the Faroe Islands and Iceland that was signed 31 August 2005 in the town of Hoyvík in the Faroe Islands....
.
Before late 20th century the population was very low. Until mid 19th century the entire population comprised one farm. A few more houses were built close to the farmland after the second world war. A real development boom has been in Hoyvík since about the early 1980s. The new houses have been built on land that was formerly considered the farmers outfield. The architecture of some of these newer houses include detached and terrace
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
d housing. The purchaser of one of these terraced houses, buys the two outer wall
Wall
A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into rooms, or protects or delineates a space in the open air...
s, but then builds the house itself in colours and design of their own choice. The result is an unusual effect of combing terraced housing with the idiosyncratic personal ‘touch’ of the family living in it.
External links
- Faroeislands.dk: Hoyvík Images and description of all cities on the Faroe Islands.