Tórshavner City Park
Viðarlundin í Havn is the city park of Tórshavn , the capital of the Faroe Islands . The Faroese word viðarlundin stands for the wood or the grove . Occasionally the park is also called Viðarlundin í Gundadali or simply Plantasjan . This park should not be confused with the other city park ( Viðarlundin á Debesartrøð ).
Location, size and development
On, apart from a low-growing Wacholderart, naturally treeless North Atlantic - Archipelago it is tree planting by far the largest, but not the only forest . After being expanded in 1969 and 1979, it now covers an area of 7.67 hectares, making it the largest green space in the city in front of Viðarlundin í Niðara Hoydali forest and Viðarlundin á Debesartrøð park. In the city of Tórshavn, a forest, a park or a “plantation” were created in nine places. Their total area is 56.7 hectares. In total, about 77.6 hectares are forested on the Faroe Islands, which corresponds to 0.06% of the total area of the archipelago.
The first attempt to create a forest in the Faroe Islands through reforestation was made in Tórshavn around 1885, but it failed. The current city forest was created in 1903 , but a few days before Christmas 1988 , it was largely destroyed by a hurricane that reached almost 300 km / h. It had been the worst storm in the Faroe Islands in living memory. Since then it has been reforested. Not far from its highest point, where the memorial to the perished seafarers and fishermen of the Faroe Islands is located, several pine trees that fell again after the uprooting remind of the hurricane of 1988. In 2011 the Faroese Post announced As a souvenir, a 10 crown stamp was issued with the motif of trees that were overturned at the time. Unfortunately, in November of the same year, another 100 trees were knocked over in the park in a severe storm.
For locals and guests, the park is one of the most important recreational areas in the capital region, the municipality of Tórshavn . The city forest is generally regarded as a proof that in the Faroe Islands but can give forest. For this reason, it also has a high status in the national consciousness of the Faroese , who otherwise have to put up with the fact that
- the omnipresent sheep do not give natural tree growth a chance;
- the average temperatures are mild, but precisely because of this, trees can be knocked down in winter, which are then repeatedly surprised by later frost;
- violent storms are not uncommon;
- the layer of earth in the rocky land is only quite thin and tree roots therefore offer little hold against these storms.
Other plants
Following the example of the Tórshavner City Park, further forests and parks were created on the Faroe Islands, e.g. E.g. on the island Eysturoy the Viðarlundin á Selatrað , on Borðoy the Viðarlundin úti í Grøv and on the island Suðuroy the Viðarlundin á Vági , Viðarlundin í Trongisvági , Viðarlundin við Suðuroyar Sjúkrahús and við kirkjuðr the Viðirkrahús . Forests have also emerged on some of the smaller islands in the Faroe Islands, e. B. on Vágar the Viðarlundin á Tungu and the Viðarlundin á Abbreyt , on Kalsoy the Viðarlundin í Mikladali and on Kunoy the Viðarlundin í Kunoy . Almost at the same time as the city park, the Viðarlundin í Niðara Hoydali forest was created in Tórshavn .
Art in the park
In Tórshavn City Park there are a number of sculptures that belong to the adjoining Faroe Islands Art Museum ( Listasavn Føroya ). The architecturally valuable Catholic St. Mary's Church is also located right on the edge of the forest. The plantation is traversed by the Havnará , a torrent , and the local pond offers a habitat for spontaneous exotic species such as the mandarin duck , which, for example, got lost here from Great Britain in 2005.
To the north of the park and the art museum, on the other side of Gundadalvegur, are the facilities of the Gundadalur sports park with indoor swimming pool, sports halls and sports fields, including the Tórsvøllur national stadium with its distinctive four floodlights. To the north of it is already connected to Hoydalar .
Other uses
Traditionally, all of Tórshavn's graduation celebrations culminate in August each year, when graduates, parents and teachers meet here, speeches are given and most students in Faroese costume have one of the most important photo opportunities of their lives (besides the wedding). Viðarlundin is particularly populated in spring, when the days get longer again. Since there has not yet been a real children's playground in Tórshavn , the forest also fulfills this function.
Picture gallery
View from Tórshavner Stadtpark to the Catholic Church
Pine trees that fell in the 1988 hurricane are still alive
Pond in the city park
Walk along the Havnará brook in the city park
View from the city park
War memorial in the city park for fallen sailors in World War II
City park - northern part with art museum
The art museum
A sculpture in the park
Information sign about the bird life in the park
The memorial, 1985
Web links
- Listasavn Føroya The art museum in the park
- »Jólaódnin« , kvf.fo, December 19, 2013. Documentary broadcast on the 25th anniversary of the Christmas storm. From the 18th minute the destruction caused by the storm in the forest is shown.
- Tórshavn Byskov , dendrologi.dk. Some pictures from the park.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Øki løgd til viðarlundir í Føroyum 1885–1985 / Areas laid out for afforestation 1885–1985 in the Faroe Island , us.fo, page 2
- ↑ Højgaard, Andrias: Træplanting í í Føroyum eina Old 47. Tórshavn 1989
- ↑ Stórur áhugi fyri viðarlundum og gróðurseting , us.fo
- ↑ "Viðarlundin sá út sum ein royttur havhestaungi.": December 21, 1988: Ódnin sum øll minnast , portal.fo, December 21, 2013
- ↑ Urin document: »Jólaódnin« , kvf.fo, 19 Dec. 2013
- ↑ Europe 2011- Skógir , stamps.fo
- ↑ Viðarlundirnar illa farnar í ódnini , arnbjorn.com, November 25, 2011
- ↑ Højgaard, Andrias: Træplanting í í Føroyum eina Old , S. 41ff. Tórshavn 1989
- ↑ Højgaard, Andrias: Træplanting í í Føroyum eina Old , S. 38ff. Tórshavn 1989
Coordinates: 62 ° 0 ′ 59 " N , 6 ° 46 ′ 48" W.