Faroe Islands: Skansin and Breyðvirkið

In the middle of the pandemic, a new bakery, Breyðvirkið, opened in Tórshavn. Breyðvirkið’s sourdough and rye bread quickly gained traction and the bakery became a huge success. In 2021, the people behind the bakery won the Ársins íverksetari (Entrepreneur of the Year) award in the Faroe Islands, and several of our Faroese friends were raving about the bread. Furthermore, the bakery is located only a few minutes walk from Poul’s brother’s place in Tórshavn, so there was no way around; we had to try Breyðvirkið.

The bakery is especially known for sourdough bread, which is not a very common bread type in the Faroe Islands, but a friend told us to also try their Danish pastries, so we ended up with two big bags of bread. The espresso machine looked promising, so we did not hesitate to also get some coffee to go, before heading down to Skansin, for a picnic in the sun.

Skansin is an old fortress in Tórshavn, dating back to 1580, when it was built to protect the city against pirates, and during the Second World War, Skansin served as the headquarter for the British Royal Navy. Today, Skansin is a popular picnic spot, and the short distance to Breyðvirkið makes it an obvious place to enjoy your coffee and your freshly baked bread. Good morning Tórshavn!