Múli – Múli, Faroe Islands - Atlas Obscura

Múli

Múli, Faroe Islands

Despite finally receiving electricity in 1970, this tiny town is now deserted. 

39
248

Located on the Island of Borðoy in the Norðoyar Region of the Faroes, the barely-there hamlet of Múli is now mostly a ghost town, receiving the gifts of modern electricity too late to save the town from becoming little more than a collection of half-abandoned vacation homes.

People have been settling on the Island of Borðoy since as early as the 13th century, but the small community clinging to the rocky Faroe coast has never grow too large. The tiny encampment has rested quietly on its land down the centuries, always teetering on the edge of complete depopulation, subsisting on a simple, rustic lifestyle among stunning mountain surrounds. It was not even until 1970 that electricity came to the town (the last town to be added to the power grid!) providing a rare splash of modernity to the remaining citizens. Years later, as the prospect of Múli becoming completely abandoned once again loomed, a road was finally built to link the community to the not-much-bigger town of Norðdepil.

Unfortunately none of these measures could prevent the abandonment of the town, which as of 2002 has just four registered residents, although even this number may be a bit inflated. In reality, many of the still standing buildings that once composed Múli are now only used by vacationers on holiday. Even after surviving for hundreds of years, not even the promise of a modern upgrade could keep this tiny town alive. 

In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web