Kirkjubøur heritage site needs better management

The Faroese National Museum does not believe the area around the historic site in Kirkjubøur is sufficiently managed and wants political authorities to take responsibility, national broadcaster KVF reports.

Herleif Hammer, director of the National Museum, said the site includes some of the largest monuments in the Faroe Islands. He noted that while the museum has worked extensively to restore the surrounding wall—once near collapse but now renovated under government direction—its current role is to maintain the wall, the monuments, and the surrounding area, including managing access and visitor flow to preserve the site.

Previous attempts to develop the area have failed. In 2024, a proposal to convert an old cowshed into a visitor center with exhibits, funded by Danish foundation Realdania By og Byg, collapsed. Hammer still believes the area needs proper management, citing unclear roles over funding, public access rights, and legal responsibilities.

“We are responsible for ensuring the monuments are preserved, maintained, and accessible to the Faroese people and others,” he said. “But questions of who pays for what, and whether the public has the right to be there, are political and legal issues we cannot resolve. We just try to make things work around the monuments so they remain in good condition and can be experienced by our people.”