Hvalba

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Hvalba" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["municipalities-of-the-faroe-islands", "populated-places-in-the-faroe-islands", "populated-coastal-places-in-the-faroe-islands", "ports-and-harbours-of-the-faroe-islands", "suðuroy"] topic_path: "general/municipalities-of-the-faroe-islands" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hvalba" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameHvalba
official_nameHvalba Municipality
fo
other_nameda
native_name
settlement_typeMunicipality and village
image_skylineHvalba.jpg
imagesize250px
image_captionHvalba, looking towards Lítla Dímun island
image_mapMap-position-hvalbiar-kommuna-2005.png
mapsize250px
map_captionLocation of Hvalbiar kommuna in the Faroe Islands
pushpin_mapFaroe Islands
pushpin_label_positionleft
pushpin_mapsize250
pushpin_map_captionLocation of Hvalba village in the Faroe Islands
subdivision_typeState
subdivision_nameKingdom of Denmark
subdivision_type1Constituent country
subdivision_name1Faroe Islands
subdivision_type2Island
subdivision_name2Suðuroy
leader_titleMayor
leader_nameJanus Thomsen
leader_title1
established_title
unit_prefMetric
area_total_km2
area_land_km2
area_blank1_titleMunicipality
area_blank1_km216.83
area_blank2_titleVillage
population_as_ofSeptember 2025
population_footnotes
population_density_km2
population_blank1_titleMunicipality
population_blank1639
population_blank2559
population_density_blank2_km2auto
timezoneGMT
timezone_DSTWEST
utc_offset_DST+1
coordinates
elevation_footnotes
postal_code_typePostal code
postal_code
blank_nameClimate
blank_infoCfc
websiteHvalba.fo
::

|name = Hvalba |official_name = Hvalba Municipality fo |other_name = da |native_name =
|nickname = |settlement_type = Municipality and village |motto = |image_skyline = Hvalba.jpg |imagesize = 250px |image_caption = Hvalba, looking towards Lítla Dímun island |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_map = Map-position-hvalbiar-kommuna-2005.png |mapsize = 250px |map_caption = Location of Hvalbiar kommuna in the Faroe Islands |pushpin_map = Faroe Islands |pushpin_label_position = left |pushpin_mapsize = 250 |pushpin_map_caption = Location of Hvalba village in the Faroe Islands |subdivision_type = State |subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark |subdivision_type1 = Constituent country |subdivision_name1 = Faroe Islands |subdivision_type2 = Island |subdivision_name2 = Suðuroy |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = | |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Janus Thomsen |leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 = |established_title =
|established_date = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref =Metric |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_blank1_title = Municipality |area_blank1_km2 = 16.83 |area_blank2_title = Village |area_blank2_km2 = |population_as_of = September 2025 |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title = Municipality |population_blank1 = 639 |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi = |population_blank2_title = Village |population_blank2 = 559 |population_density_blank2_km2 = auto |population_density_blank2_sq_mi =

|timezone = GMT |utc_offset = |timezone_DST = WEST |utc_offset_DST = +1 |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |postal_code_type = Postal code |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = Climate |blank_info = Cfc |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = Hvalba.fo |footnotes =

Hvalba () is a village and a municipality in the Faroe Islands, which consists of Hvalba, Nes-Hvalba and Sandvík.

The village spreads around the bottom of a deep inlet, Hvalbiarfjørður, in the northeast of Suðuroy.

Population

Hvalba is one of the larger villages in the Faroe Islands. The total population of Hvalba Municipality (Hvalbiar Kommuna) is 639 as of March 2022; the population of Hvalba is 569 and the population of Sandvík is 70. The small village Nes is often called Nes-Hvalba, because there are two other villages with the same name. Nes is located on the southern arm of the fjord Hvalbiarfjørður, opposite of Hvalba. Nes does not have its own postal code. Hvalba has one supermarket, a fast food shop and a few more shops. Some of the villagers work as coalminers; Hvalba is the only place in the Faroes which still has active coal mine industry, although in very small scale. There are two harbours and some fish factories in Hvalba, both harbours are on the northern side of the bay. There is a boat harbour in Nes and a small harbour in Sandvík. The municipality plans to make a new marina between the two harbours on a place which is called Á Hamranesi. Some trawlers belong to the village, they deliver fish for the fish factory. Some people work in other villages i.e. at the Suduroy Hospital in Tvøroyri or at the Faroe Islands Ferry and Buss Transportation Company including the ferry Smyril, which sails between Suðuroy and Tórshavn, but there are also a few independent small companies in Hvalba, i.e. IT supporters, carpenters, transport company, dietitian, internet shop etc. Hvalba is located on the east side of the island but the inlet is so deep that the distance to the west coast is quite short, so the island almost splits into two islands. There are two isthmuses in Hvalba: Hvalbiareiði (also called Fiskieiði) and Norðbergseiði (also called Á Drátti). There is a memorial in Hvalba, it is located on the northern side of the fjord, just before one comes to the first harbour, not far from the bottom of the bay. The memorial is made of stone, the stonework was made by Lars and Helmut Larsen from Tórshavn, it was raised in 1963 in memory of people from Hvalba who lost their lives at sea or by other accidents, i.e. by accidents in the coal mines or by falling down from the island Lítla Dímun or from one of the mountains which surround the village.

Connected by tunnels

Two tunnels connect Hvalba to its neighbouring villages. The southbound Hvalbiartunnilin (1450 m) leads to Trongisvágur and Tvøroyri. The northbound Sandvíkartunnilin (1500 m) leads to Sandvík. Construction of a new tunnel to Trongisvágur started in 2019, and was opened to traffic in 2021, whereupon the old tunnel was closed.

Hvalbiareiði and Norðbergseiði

On the west coast there is a place of call that makes it possible to go fishing in small boats from both sides of the island. The place has two names; it is called Hvalbiareiði or Fiskieiði. The name Hvalbiareiði refers to the name of the village Hvalba, Fiskieiði refers to the fact that this place used to be a fish harbour. There are still a few boat houses there, but most of them are ruins. Most of the men of Hvalba are members of the crews of one of the trawlers of the village. Many people from Hvalba own their share of these trawlers. There is another "Eiði" in Hvalba, it is called Norðbergseiði, named after a mountain nearby, which is called Norðberg. Norðbergseiði is the northern one of the two "eidi". Norðbergseiði and Hvalbiareiði are separated by the mountain Grímsfjall (the Mountain of Grímur).

Tourism

Tourism has been developing over the past few years. Some people from Hvalba started to arrange boat trips to the uninhabited island Lítla Dímun in 2009, and the same year some men from Hvalba started to offer síging, which is a kind of rappelling (abseiling) for tourists on Norðbergseiði. There have also been arranged BBQ evenings with blues music on Fiskieiði combined with boat trips along the cliffs of Hvalba and rappelling. The coal mines are also a tourist attraction. There are high mountains around Hvalba, some tourists enjoy going for hiking trips from Nes-Hvalba via the gorge Káragjógv to Trongisvágur. There are cairns, which people can follow. Before the tunnel came in 1963 the path along the cairns was the only way to get from Hvalba to Trongisvágur and the part of the island which is south of Hvalba. There are now public toilets in Hvalba and in Sandvík.

Coal Mines

In the mountains around the southbound tunnel brown coal has been extracted from mines since the 1770s. The coal was an important source of energy on the Faroe Islands until the end of World War II. A few miners are still extracting coal from the mines. Today there is only one active coal mine left. They closed down one of the older mines early in 2010 and started to excavate a new one in 2010.

Pirates and "Turkargravir"

Pirates ravaged Hvalba, as other villages on Suðuroy, in the 17th century. In 1629 three North-African pirate ships attacked the village. When they left the village after the ravage two of the ships ran aground on some rocks and were shattered by the surf. Tradition says that more than 300 bodies washed ashore. By the shore, there is a place called ‘Turkargravir’. Here all the bodies were buried. 30 women and children were taken away to be sold as slaves in North Africa. On the Faroe Islands, a collection was organized to raise enough money to buy back the people. This was not successful and the people never returned to the islands.

Sports

The local football team is Royn Hvalba (Bóltfelagið Royn).

Gallery

Image:Hvalba_scenery.jpg|Hvalbiarfjørður, Lítla Dímun island in the background. Image:Hvalba sunset, Faroe Islands.jpg|Sunset in Hvalba, seen from the sea. Image:Nes at Hvalba at noon, Faroe Islands.jpg|Nes at Hvalba at noon Image:Coalmine.Hvalba.5.jpg|The coalmines south of Hvalba Image:Grímsfjall seen from Nordbergseidi, Hvalba, Faroe Islands.jpg|Norðbergseiði, the northern eidi of Hvalba. Image:Hvalbiareidi, Hvalba, Faroe Islands.jpg|Hvalbiareiði, the southern eidi of Hvalba and Grímsfjall (mountain). Image:Hvalba beach peaceful, Faroe Islands.jpg|The sandy beach of Hvalba. Image:Nes at Hvalba with beach and Stora Dimun, Faroe Islands.jpg|The sandy beach of Nes at Hvalba, view to Stóra Dímun (island). Image:Memorial Lost at Sea in Hvalba Suðuroy Faroe Islands.JPG|Memorial in Hvalba in memory of people lost at sea and people who died in other accidents i.e. in the coal mines and by falling down from Lítla Dímun or a cliff near Hvalba. Image:Prestfjall a Mountain in Hvalba Suðuroy Faroe Islands.jpg|Prestfjall (mountain) and Hvalba.

References

References

  1. . (n.d.). ["Bygdaráðið - Hvalbiar Kommuna"](http://hvalba.info/bygdaradid). *Hvalba Municipality*.
  2. "IB01010 Fólkatalsbroytingar skiftar á fødd, deyð, flutt, bygd og mánaðir (1985-2025)".
  4. "IB01010 Fólkatalsbroytingar skiftar á fødd, deyð, flutt, bygd og mánaðir (1985-2025)".
  5. "Hvalba.fo".
  6. "Hvalba.fo".
  7. [http://www.ssh.fo/ SSH.fo]
  8. [http://www.ssl.fo/ SSL.fo]
  9. [http://www.hvalba.fo/pages/vinna/fyritokur.php Hvalba.fo] {{Webarchive. link. (2010-10-17 , Fyritøkur)
  10. link. (2008-12-29)
  11. (20 January 2020). "Hvalba tunnel drilling nearing halfway point".
  12. "Visitsuduroy.fo".
  13. "Visitsuduroy.fo".
  14. [http://www.sudurras1.com/pages/posts/siging-sigling-grill-og-blues-a-fiskieidinum4173.php Sudurras1.com]{{dead link. (December 2017)

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

municipalities-of-the-faroe-islandspopulated-places-in-the-faroe-islandspopulated-coastal-places-in-the-faroe-islandsports-and-harbours-of-the-faroe-islandssuðuroy