The Fort, Thorshavn, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Skansin, known in English as The Fort, is a historic fortress overlooking the harbour of Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands. It dates back to around 1580 and is traditionally linked to the Faroese hero Magnus Heinason. Over the centuries it has watched for enemy and pirate ships, and in the Second World War it served as a base for British forces.

The story behind it

The first fort here is credited to Magnus Heinason, a Faroese folk hero, around 1580. Its job was to guard the town and its harbour and to keep a lookout for hostile warships and pirates. The star-shaped walls you see today come from an extension in 1782. During the Second World War the British occupied the Faroe Islands, and Skansin became an important military base.

The fort also has a darker, more storied side. Legend says it once held prisoners, among them Páll Fangi, Páll the Prisoner, who escaped several times and was caught each time. After his last capture he vanished. Some say he left the islands and came back in disguise on illegal trading ships, while others say he returned as a ghost. The tellings vary, so take it as local folklore rather than recorded history.

What to look for

• The star-shaped outline of the walls, the shape the fort took in the 1782 extension, is easiest to read from the ramparts.
• Old cannons pointing out over the water show clearly why this spot was chosen for defence.
• The wide view across the harbour and the rooftops of Tórshavn explains how sentries could spot ships approaching.
• Look for the traces of the British wartime presence, a reminder that this small fort was still in military use in the twentieth century.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to walk the walls and enjoy the views, longer if you want photographs or a pause on a bench.
• It is an open-air site on the waterfront, so dress for changing Faroese weather and bring a windproof layer.
• Clear days give the best views over the harbour, and softer evening light flatters the stonework.
• It sits close to the old town and the harbour, so it combines easily with a stroll through the nearby streets.

See it on a quest

The fort is one of the places you reach on foot on Ghosts of Thorshavn: The Lost Commandant, a self-guided quest through the town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you, which suits a site with legends like Páll the Prisoner. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no set departure time.