Koltur
An open-air museum of the National Museum of the Faroe Islands on the island of Koltur, with the farm Heimi í Húsi, which has been inhabited since the Viking Age.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Koltur is one of the open-air exhibitions of the National Museum of the Faroe Islands. The main exhibition is the farm Heimi í Húsi, a rare and well-preserved example of the building style of the old farming society. The farm has two farmsteads, Niðri í Húsi and Uppi í Búð, with outbuildings. The houses are built in the old tradition and fitted to the landscape.
Burnt barley that has been found indicates that people have lived at Heimi í Húsi since the Viking Age, around 800–900 AD. The neighbouring farm Norðri í Gerði is younger and had already been built before 1584, when the oldest land register was compiled. Later both farms were divided, so that each site had two uses. In 1949 the Danish folklife researcher Holger Rasmussen found that Norðri í Gerði was less well preserved than the southern farm and marked by more recent building styles. It shows a later period, from around 1900 and the years after, when houses were built for households that lived from fishing rather than farming.
There is no peat bog on Koltur. The peat was therefore cut in Syðradalur on Streymoy and later in Skopun on Sandoy, and transported by boat. In good weather it was landed on the beach and carried up to the houses. The headland Gróthústangi is named after the grain houses that stand on it.
Highlights
- The farm Heimi í Húsi, built since the Viking Age
- Two farmsteads: Niðri í Húsi and Uppi í Búð
- Norðri í Gerði shows house construction from around 1900
- Walking on the island is free
Permanent exhibitions
- Heimi í Húsi – A well-preserved farm with two farmsteads and outbuildings, which shows construction in the old farming society.
- Norðri í Gerði – The younger neighbouring farm, which shows houses of fishing households from around 1900 and the period after.
- Operated by
- Tjóðsavnið
Admission & discounts
| Adults | DKK 90 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | DKK 60Students and pensioners |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to 17 years have free admission. |
| Seniors | DKK 60Pensioners |
| Students & apprentices | DKK 60Students |
| Groups (10+ people) | DKK 60 per personPer person, at least 10 people |
| Guided tour with a tour guide (1–4 people, incl. admission) | DKK 1,000 |
| Each additional person above 4 – adults | DKK 250 |
| Each additional person above 4 – pensioners | DKK 150Children enter free. |
Walking on the island is free. Entry to the farmstead Uppi í Búð costs the same as at the other exhibitions of the National Museum of the Faroe Islands. A guided tour with a tour guide for 1–4 people costs DKK 1,000, with admission included. For each additional person it costs DKK 250 for adults and DKK 150 for pensioners; children enter free.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The visit is with a tour guide; visits are arranged in advance. |
