SKANSIN FORT (SKANSIN FÆSTNING)
This fort, destroyed and rebuilt several times, was considered the most important fortification in Northern Europe.
On this point east of the bay of Tórshavn, a Feringian merchant, Magnus Heinason, had a first fort built in 1580, a sort of redoubt intended to better resist the incursions of pirates (who had been attacking since the Middle Ages), notably the Turks of Algiers. To face these repeated attacks against which nothing seemed possible, the Danish king, Frederik II, temporarily entrusted him with the monopoly of trade. Magnus seemed to be the right man for the job! And for good reason! The fort of Skansin quickly intimidated the privateers and Magnus Heinason became a national hero, still celebrated today in the songs that accompany the dances at popular festivals.
Destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries, Skansin was restored during the Napoleonic Wars. It was considered the most important fortification in Northern Europe. During the Second World War, the British, who occupied the archipelago, established the headquarters of the Royal Navy here.
Nowadays, the small fortress looks like it did when it was enlarged at the end of the 18th century. Visiting the buildings (small stone casemates with grass roofs) is not allowed, but you can walk around the lighthouse and the cannons. The view is superb: you overlook the town of Tórshavn and when you look east, you see the island and the village of Nølsoy.