It will now cost DKK 450 (67 USD) to hike from the town of Miðvágur to Trælanípan (the Slave Rock), one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Faroe Islands.
This fee will apply only to tourists and large groups of locals, and it will be possible to pay the fee online or at the gate at the start of the trail.
Kringvarp Føroya reports that the mountain administration of Nípan (Hagastýrið Nípan) has implemented the fee as it seeks to protect the local environment – including the sheep, the mountain birds and last, but not least, the worn-down turf.
According to Jóhannus Nattestad of Nípan, tourist-hikers are not respectful enough. He points out that “they are scattered all over the mountain, even though they are not supposed to be scattered all over the mountain.”
“They do not read the information signs. They are just ignoring them,” Mr. Nattestad laments.
Mr. Nattestad believes that the aforementioned fee should have been implemented several years ago:
“We have waited many years. The sheep and the mountain birds are regularly disturbed and the turf is worn down. We have been patient and we have tried to solve this problem, but maybe we should have done this several years ago. Now the damage has already been done,” Mr. Nattestad told Kringvarp Føroya.
The Trælanípan hike is just under 3 kilometers. Nípan estimates that the Miðvágur-Trælanípan area experienced around 30.000 visitors in 2018.