Mjørkadalur Prison Travel Guide

Mjørkadalur Prison might be the only jail in the world with grass roof. Located in the wind-swept Faroe Islands, this is the only place for prisoners to stay in the archipelago. The buildings that make up today’s prison is an abandoned NATO military base.

Situated on Streymoy Island in the middle of nowhere in a valley with nothing else then an epic view of the Kaldbaksfjørður Fjord, the sights here are impressive. Hit the mountainous road Oyggjarvegur and before you know it, the prion is there.

There is a small parking lot where you can pull-off. Travellers come to this attraction to capture the view of the sod-roofed building with the narrow fjord as a backdrop. The unpaved parking lot is located just above the prison itself next to the main road open for traffic all year round. This is a great place to stop for some epic photos of the sod-roofed buildings and the fjord. Above all, thi sis a place to soak in the peaceful surroundings.

On the mountain summit above the prison sits two white domes. They are placed on top of Mount Sornfelli. These domes used to monitor traffic around the Faroe Islands. Moreover, staff connected to the domes lived in the buildings that are now used as the only prison in the archipelago.

Only prisoners convicted of soft crime spend their time in prison at Mjørkadalur Prison. Thanks to the relations between Denmark and the Faroe Islands, persons convicted of serious illegal acts are moved to Denmark.

Art Studio in the Mjørkadalur Prison

One of the buildings in the prion has been turned into an art studio. Here you can experience wooden craftsmanship at its best.

Visiting the studio is only done on request. Therefore, get in contact with the artist before visiting the studio. What you get when visiting is a unique insight into the local art scene and how the landscapes, the culture and the artist’s background shape the artistic output.