Queen Sonja visits the Faroe Islands for the first time.

Photo: Jens Kristian Vang, NTB scanpix

On Saturday, 21 July, Queen Sonja arrived to the north archipelago of Norway on the Royal Yacht. The program included visits to the historic site Kirkjubøur and the Faroe Islands National Art Museum in Torshavn.
Kirkjubøur is a small village on the west coast of the island Streymoy, Faroe Islands. It is said that the Norwegian King Sverre Sigurdsson saga grew up in this village.

Photo: Jens Kristian Vang, NTB scanpix

The farmer Jóannes Patursson received the Queen and the rest of the group and showed them around the old Kirkjubøargardur Palace. The farm is the largest in the Faroe Islands, and the oldest part is from the year 1000. It makes the building one of the world's oldest inhabited wooden buildings.
In Kirkjubøargardur's smokehouse a lunch was arranged  before the tour proceeded to the capital Torshavn and the Faroe Islands National Art Museum - Listasavn Føroya.

Photo: Jens Kristian Vang, NTB scanpix

Director Nils Ohrt showed the Queen around the art museum which was established in 1989. With the tour was also Faroese Court of Kaj Leo Johannesen and ambassador Ingvar port.