Sørvágsvatn

Largest lake in the Faroe Islands

The Sørvágsvatn or Leitisvatn is 3.56 km ², the largest lake in the Faroe Islands, located in the south of the island Vágar.

Name (s)

The name is grammatically neuter, as vatn ( cf. German: water) is neuter.

Whether the lake or Sørvágsvatn Leitisvatn is called depends on the local point of view. On the west bank it is called Sørvágsvatn, on the eastern shore but Leitisvatn. This peculiarity impresses itself best when you consider that the place Sørvágur lies west of the lake. Right in the middle of the lake, the local boundary with Miðvágur in the east. Therefore, more detailed maps recorded both names on either side of the border.

In the vernacular, however, the water is simply called Vatnið (the lake ).

Geography

The Sørvágsvatn / Leitisvatn is on 32 meters in the south of the island Vágar. The lake stretches from north to south for a distance of about 6 kilometers and has a maximum of 800 meters wide. With 59 meters depth, it is also the deepest lake in the Faroe Islands.

In the south it is drained by the creek Bøsdalaá and subsequent waterfall Bøsdalafossur in the North Atlantic. This fact means that on some (overview ) cards the impression that the lake possessed access to (or from) the sea, and would therefore be a kind of fjord. However, the Bøsdalafossur plunges 32 feet deep vertically into the sea. There is also the cliff Trælanípa At this Südküstenabschnitt.

At the opposite northern shore of the lake is the place Vatnsoyrar. Due to this situation, it is the only inland point of the Faroe Islands. At the same time, at this point the only sandy beach of the lake, while the rest of the shore is rocky.

Leisure and Tourism

On both banks of the lake a hiking trail runs. Who wants to walk around the lake to the south, needs the best rubber boots, even if there some kind of way out of single stones there, where you can cross the Bøsdalaá. The reward this relatively easy tour with a look at Koltur, Hestur, Sandoy, Skúvoy and in good visibility on Suðuroy.

This corner of the Faroe Islands is one of the most scenic, you have here but almost all typical Faroese landscape forms in one place: the lake, the river, the waterfall, the sea; flat meadows and grassy slopes; flat cliff beach and rugged cliffs; detached rock pillars and rocks; paired with birds, plants, sheep and often seals.

For lovers of the equestrian sport respective tours can be arranged locally. The hotel Vágar is in close proximity to both the airport Vágar as well as the lake. The road 40 leads to a partial stretch right at the north eastern shore along.

The fish-rich lake is among anglers as an attractive area. In particular, the char and the Faroese trout ( Salmo trutta faroensis ) are common here. Here is also fished from boats. Fishing licenses can be purchased at the Tourist Information Kunningarstova Vágar in Miðvágur. See also: Fishing in the Faroe Islands.

Since the summer of 2005 for the first time tourist tours are offered by umgebautem motor boat on the lake. The nearly three-hour tour runs the whole length of the lake to the waterfall, where you have a one hour shore leave before fished on the way back.

(Hi) story

When the Faroe Islands were occupied during World War II of Great Britain, the lake served as the airfield for seaplanes. Soon after, the Vágar airport was built on its western shore.

On 24 March 2005 at noon this water aerodrome tradition should be revived, as an American private plane wanted to stop over en route from Norway to the home on the Vágar airport, its chassis but not export. When he reported to the tower that it is an airplane with floats, the Faroese air traffic control led him to ditching on the Vatn (á Vatninum ). With a raft of military airport, the aircraft was then towed ashore for repair. Neither people nor the aircraft suffered damage. After improvised with jack stands on the banks of repair of the landing gear, the aircraft was refueled and left the Faroe Islands as it had come: on the Vatn.