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The town of Ålesund is the administrative centre of Ålesund Municipality, as well as the principal shipping town of the Sunnmøre district. Ålesund Municipality has a population of 45,033 as of 2013, while the greater Ålesund urban area has a population of 48,460 (this also includes most of neighboring Sula Municipality as well).
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GOOD MEMORIES! This picture is taken exactly one year ago. The moonrise that evening was just fantastic and unforgettable.. All pictures by Frank and Simen Haughom #sirdal #norway #nortrip #nrksørlandet #highlightsnorway #norges_fotografer #dreamchasersnorway #wu_norway #ilovenorway #easter #visitnorwayeaster #stavangerturistforening #turistforeningen #bestshotz_norway #fullmoon #moon #mittnorge #ig_exquisite #worldshotz #thegreatoutdoors
by @ilovesirdal on Instagram.
Odda is a town in Ullensvang Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of the municipality and the largest urban area in the whole Hardanger district. The town is located at the southern end of the Sørfjorden, in a narrow valley between towering mountains and the lake Sandvinvatnet to the south. The large Folgefonna glacier lies just west of Odda, high up in the mountains. The village of Odda was declared a "town" in 2004.
The 2.82-square-kilometre (700-acre) town has a population (2019) of 4,876 and a population density of 1,729 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,480/sq mi). The town also includes the Eitrheim area, just northwest of the town centre. Odda Church is located in the town centre. Norwegian National Road 13 is the main road going through the town.
Odda has been populated for centuries, but in the 19th century, Odda became a significant tourist destination, and it was the centre of Odda Municipality. Visits ranged from English pioneers around 1830 to German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, who visited Odda every year between 1891 and 1914. This led to the construction of several hotels in the town. Some of the main tourist attractions around Odda include the Buarbreen glacier, the nearby Folgefonna glacier, and the Hardangervidda plateau.
The present Odda is a modern town which grew up around smelters built at the head of the Sørfjorden branch of the main Hardangerfjorden in the mid-twentieth century, drawing migrants from different parts of Norway.
The carbide production and the subsequent production of cyanamide was started in 1908 after the hydroelectric power plant was built in nearby Tyssedal. The power plant provided the necessary electricity for the arc furnaces. The plant was the largest in the world and remained operational until 2003 when the plant was closed and sold to Philipp Brothers Chemicals Inc. The Norwegian government tried to get the site recognized together with other industrial plants as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2010, an international report stated: What makes Odda smelteverk so important and central to the application of Norway’s hydro power sites and pioneer chemical industry as a World Heritage Site is the fact that here in an internationally unique way the physical remains of an early chemical production process are still present.
On 1 January 2020, Odda Municipality (of which the town of Odda was part) was merged into the newly enlarged Ullensvang Municipality.
Lyse Abbey, also known as Saint Mary's Abbey (Lyse kloster, Lyse Mariakloster in Norwegian), is a historic Cistercian monastery located in Bjørnafjorden Municipality, Vestland county, in south-western Norway. The name "Lyse" is derived from its proximity to Lysefjorden, the scenic fjord near which the monastery once stood. Situated at the southern base of the Lyshornet mountain, Lyse Abbey has a rich history that spans from its foundation in 1146 to its dissolution during the Reformation.
The monastery was founded by Sigurd, the Bishop of the Ancient Diocese of Bergen, in 1146. At the time of its establishment, Norway was undergoing the process of Christianization, and Lyse Abbey played a significant role in this transformation. The initial monks were brought from Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, England, making Lyse Abbey the first Cistercian monastery in Norway. The architectural design and organizational structure of the monastery were influenced by similar establishments in England and France.
True to the Cistercian tradition, the monks at Lyse Abbey took a vow of poverty, renouncing all sources of income except for farming. Their expertise in agricultural operations and management led to the acquisition of numerous farms in the surrounding area, contributing to the monastery's growing wealth and influence. At its zenith, Lyse Abbey owned around 50 farms in Os, with additional holdings in other regions.
The Reformation marked a turning point in the history of Lyse Abbey. In 1536, Christian III of Denmark decreed Lutheranism as the state religion of Norway, leading to the dissolution of the monastery. The king confiscated the abbey's possessions, and over the next two centuries, the stones from the monastery structures were gradually removed. These stones were repurposed in the construction of other notable buildings, such as the Rosenkrantz Tower in Bergen and Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark.
In 1822 and 1838, the ruins of Lyse Abbey were excavated and later restored around 1930. Today, the ruins are protected as a national monument, and ongoing archaeological work aims to preserve and document the site's historical significance. Lyse Abbey has become a popular tourist destination, offering visitors the chance to explore the well-preserved ruins and enjoy nature walks in the surrounding area. Additionally, the picturesque setting has made the ruins a sought-after location for weddings, with many couples choosing to exchange vows or capture wedding photographs amid the historic remnants of this once-thriving Cistercian monastery.
Flåm is a village in the Flåmsdalen valley which is located at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjorden, a branch of Sognefjorden. The village is located in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. In 2014 its inhabitants numbered 350.
In 1670 Flåm Church was built, replacing an older stave church.
In 1908, the Norwegian Parliament approved the construction of the Flåm Line railway, though the funds to construct the railway were not allocated until 1923. In 1942, regular operation of (steam-powered) trains started on the Flåm Line.
"In the 1960s, cruise ships stayed on the fjord" [without reaching the port], according to Dagens Næringsliv.
In 2000, the "new pier" was referred to in a government document. ("The pier was built at the entrance to the new millennium", according to Dagens Næringsliv.[
Flåmsdalen is a valley in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is 18 kilometers (11 mi) long and runs from Myrdal to the village of Flåm, dropping 860 meters (2,820 ft) over the course of its run. The river Flåmselvi runs through the valley, as does the Flåm Line, a famous tourist destination.
The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (Urban East Norwegian: [ˈsɔ̂ŋnəˌfjuːɳ], English: Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords (Norwegian: Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches 205 kilometres (127 mi) inland from the ocean to the small village of Skjolden in the municipality of Luster.
The fjord gives its name to the surrounding district of Sogn. The name is related to Norwegian word súg- "to suck", presumably from the surge or suction of the tidal currents at the mouth of the fjord.
The fjord runs through many municipalities: Solund, Gulen, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Vik, Sogndal, Lærdal, Aurland, Årdal, and Luster. The fjord reaches a maximum depth of 1,308 metres (4,291 ft) below sea level, and the greatest depths are found in the central parts of the fjord near Høyanger. Sognefjord is more than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) deep for about 100 kilometres (60 mi) of its length, from Rutledal to Hermansverk. Near its mouth, the bottom rises abruptly to a sill about 100 metres (330 ft) below sea level. The seabed in Sognefjord is covered by some 200-metre-thick (660 ft) sediments such that the bedrock is some 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) below sea level. The fjord is up to six kilometres (3+1⁄2 mi) wide. The average width of the main branch of the Sognefjord is less than five kilometres (3 mi). The depth increases gradually from Årdal to a central basin reaching more than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in depth located between Leikanger and Brekke. From Brekke the floor rises rapidly to Losna island, then drops gradually with a threshold at about 150 metres (500 ft) in the Solund area. Thresholds occur in an area with sounds, valleys, and low land where the glacier was allowed spread out and lose its erosive effect.
Cliffs surrounding the fjord rise almost sheer from the water to heights of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) and more. Around the outer area the land rises to about 500 metres (1,600 ft) above the sea, while in the inner areas of the fjord, they reach about 1,600 metres (5,200 ft). The inner part has extensive tributary fjords such as Aurlandsfjorden, while the outer part is connected by narrow sounds to neighbouring fjords. Near the coast the fjord mouth is bounded largely by low islands and skerries that are part of the strandflat.
The inner end of the Sognefjord is southeast of a mountain range rising to about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level and covered by the Jostedalsbreen, continental Europe's largest glacier. Thus the climate of the inner end of Sognefjorden and its branches are not as wet as on the outer coastline. Hurrungane range at the eastern end of the fjord reaches 2,400 metres (7,900 ft). The greatest elevation from seabed to summit is at Sogndal. Several rivers pour fresh water into the fjord with an annual "spring" flood in June. The mouth of the fjord is surrounded by many islands including Sula, Losna, and Hiserøyna. The Sognefjord cuts through a northwestern gneiss area with a south-west to north-east structure, and penetrates the Caledonian fold through in the inner part. There is no clear relation between the east–west direction of the main fjord and the fold patterns of the bedrock, while some of tributary fjords in the parts corresponds to fold pattern.
The volume of the whole Sognefjorden including its various branches is about 500 cubic kilometres (120 cu mi), while the total volume of rock eroded by glaciers from the entire Sognefjord system and adjacent valleys is about 4,000 cubic kilometres (960 cu mi).
There are many smaller fjords which branch off the main fjord.
Sognesjøen (mouth), 35 km (21+1⁄2 mi)
Lifjorden, 6 km (3+1⁄2 mi)
Høyangsfjord, 8 km (5 mi)
Arnafjord, 8 km (5 mi)
Esefjord, 4 km (2+1⁄2 mi)
Fjærlandsfjord, 27 km (17 mi)
Sogndalsfjord, 21 km (13 mi)
Aurlandsfjord, 29 km (18 mi)
Nærøyfjord (a World Heritage Site), 18 km (11 mi)
Lærdalsfjord, 9 km (5+1⁄2 mi)
Årdalsfjord, 16 km (10 mi)
Lustrafjord (innermost), 42 km (26 mi)
Bryggen (the dock), also known as Tyskebryggen (Norwegian: [ˈtʏ̀skəˌbrʏɡːn̩], the German dock), is a series of Hanseatic heritage commercial buildings lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour in the city of Bergen, Norway. Bryggen has been on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites since 1979.
The city of Bergen was founded around 1070 within the boundaries of Tyskebryggen. Around 1350 a Kontor of the Hanseatic League was established there, and Tyskebryggen became the centre of the Hanseatic commercial activities in Norway. Today, Bryggen houses museums, shops, restaurants and pubs.
Bergen was established before 1070 AD. In the Middle Ages, the Bryggen area encompassed all buildings between the sea and the Stretet (Øvregaten) road, from Holmen in the north to Vågsbunnen in the south. According to the Sagas, the city was founded within this area.
One of the earliest pier constructions has been dated to around 1100, and the existing buildings are of a much later date, with only Schøtstuene and some buildings towards Julehuset being originals from 1702.
Around 1350, a Kontor of the Hanseatic League was established in Bryggen. As the town developed into an important trading centre, the wharfs were improved and the buildings of Bryggen were gradually taken over by the Hanseatic merchants. The warehouses were used to store goods, particularly stockfish from northern Norway, and cereal from Europe.
In 1702, the buildings belonging to the Hanseatic League were damaged by fire. They were rebuilt, and some of these were later demolished, and some were destroyed by fire. In 1754, the operations of the office at Bryggen ended, when all the properties were transferred to Norwegian citizens.
Throughout history, Bergen has experienced many fires, since most of its houses were traditionally made from wood. This was also the case for Bryggen, and as of today around a quarter were built after 1702, when the older wharfside warehouses and administrative buildings burned down. The rest predominantly consists of younger structures, although there are some stone cellars that date back to the 15th century.
Parts of Bryggen were again destroyed in a fire in 1955. A thirteen-year archaeological excavation followed, revealing the day-to-day runic inscriptions known as the Bryggen inscriptions. The Bryggen museum was built in 1976 on part of the site cleared by the fire.
The Hardangerfjord (English: Hardanger Fjord) is the fifth longest fjord in the world, and the second longest fjord in Norway. It is located in Vestland county in the Hardanger region. The fjord stretches 179 kilometres (111 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean into the mountainous interior of Norway along the Hardangervidda plateau. The innermost point of the fjord reaches the town of Odda.
The Hardangerfjord starts at the Atlantic Ocean about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of the city of Bergen. Here the fjord heads in a northeasterly direction between the island of Bømlo and the mainland. It passes by the larger islands of Stord, Tysnesøya, and Varaldsøy on the north/west side and the Folgefonna peninsula on the south/east side. Once it is surrounded by the mainland, it begins to branch off into smaller fjords that reach inwards towards the grand Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The longest branch of the Hardangerfjord is Sørfjorden which cuts south about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the main fjord. Its maximum depth is more than 860 metres (2,820 ft) just outside the village of Norheimsund in the middle of the fjord.
Norway's third largest glacier is found on the Folgefonna peninsula, along of the Hardangerfjord. With its three parts, the Folgefonna glacier covers an area of 220 km2 (85 sq mi), and in 2005 it became protected as Folgefonna National Park.
The area of the fjord is divided among several municipalities in Vestland county: Bømlo, Eidfjord, Etne, Kvam, Kvinnherad, Stord, Sveio, Tysnes, Ullensvang, Ulvik, and Voss. The total number of inhabitants living in all these municipalities along the fjord is only slightly more than 70,000 - on a total area of 8,471 square kilometres (3,271 sq mi).
About 8,000 BC, the Scandinavian land mass started to rise up as enormous glacial ice started to melt. The lower parts of the valleys became flooded, and so created what we today know as the Hardangerfjord. The valley was originally not only made through glacial erosion but by the high pressure melting water which pushed its way beneath the ice.
The history of the fjord goes far beyond its Viking history, back to the time of hunters on the surrounding mountains, and later on, farming along this fertile area which today is considered the "fruit orchard of Norway". Later the fjord became the birthplace for a large tourism influx to Norway, and in 1875 Thomas Cook started weekly cruise departures from London to the Hardangerfjord, due to its spectacular nature, glaciers, and grand waterfalls. Soon after this, many of the major waterfalls became the power source for large industries in fjord settlements such as the town of Odda.
Hardangerfjord has recently seen an increase in tourism. New infrastructure was built for travelers and the location has once again become an industry for the local communities along the fjord.
The fjord has good conditions for fish farming. Fish farms yearly produce more than 40,000 tons of salmon and rainbow trout which makes the Hardangerfjord one of four major fish farming regions in the world.
Hardangerfjord's melt-water is also bottled at source to form the product Isklar, sold worldwide.
There are many fjord arms that branch off of the main Hardangerfjord. There are also certain sections of the main fjord that have special names. Below is a list of the sections of the fjord and the arms that branch off them. From west to east:
Bømlafjorden (west entrance to the fjord)
Børøyfjorden (branches to the north)
Stokksundet (branches to the north)
Bjøafjorden (branches to the south)
Husnesfjorden (around the Husnes area)
Onarheimsfjorden (around the Onarheim area)
Lukksundet (branches to the north)
Kvinnheradsfjorden (around the Rosendal area)
Øynefjorden (branches to the north)
Sildefjorden (around the island of Varaldsøy)
Maurangsfjorden (branches to the east)
Hissfjorden (around the Kysnesstranda area)
Strandebarmsbukta (bay to the north)
Ytre Samlafjorden (around the Norheimsund area)
Fyksesundet (branches to the north)
Indre Samlafjorden (around the Ålvik area)
Utnefjorden (around the Utne area)
Granvin Fjord (branches to the north)
Sørfjorden (branches to the south)
Eid Fjord (around the Eidfjord area)
Osa Fjord (branches to the north)
Ulvikafjorden (branches off the Osa Fjord to the northwest)
Simadal Fjord (branches to the northeast)
Stadsporten is a two-storey brick building in Bergen that marks the transition between Kong Oscars gate and Kalfarveien and the border between the districts Marken and Kalfaret.
The building was originally a city gate with a brick vault above which, until the Nygårdsbroen was completed in 1851, was the city's only road connection to the south. the building has similar features to the brick vault: built in plastered quarry stone with soapstone detailing. Work on the building was started in 1628, in the middle of Europe's religious wars, by the sheriff of Bergenhus, Oluf Parsberg.
The city gate was completed in 1645, and originally had earthen ramparts on both sides. In 1646, the ramparts and the gate were repaired. The facility's function was to be part of the city's defence, as well as the city's first customs station. The only way from the south into the old city of Bergen was through Stadsporten. It therefore became a natural place to collect fees.
Oluf Parsberg, who had laid the foundation stone of the Stadsporten, is commemorated with a soapstone tablet on the south side of the gate, set up by his successor Henrik Thott, a Danish nobleman who set up his own and his wife's coat of arms on the north side of the Stadsporten.
Seamen’s Monument at Torgallmenningen Square in Bergen, Norway
Torgallmenningen is the largest and often the busiest square in Bergen. Since 1950, the center has been adorned by the Seamen’s Monument. Sjøfartsmonumentet is a 23 foot tall tribute to Norwegian sailors and Norway’s maritime history. These are two of the dozen statues created by sculptor Dyre Vaa. There are also four bronze reliefs portraying different events at sea.
Norway (Bokmål: Norge, Nynorsk: Noreg), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula with a population of 5.5 million as of 2024. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of Norway. Bouvet Island, located in the Subantarctic, is a dependency, and not a part of the Kingdom; Norway also claims the Antarctic territories of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land. The capital and largest city in Norway is Oslo.
Norway has a total area of 385,207 square kilometres (148,729 sq mi). The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden, and is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast. Norway has an extensive coastline facing the Skagerrak strait, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Barents Sea. Harald V of the House of Glücksburg is the current King of Norway. Jonas Gahr Støre has been Prime Minister of Norway since 2021. As a unitary state with a constitutional monarchy, Norway divides state power between the parliament, the cabinet, and the supreme court, as determined by the 1814 constitution. The unified kingdom of Norway was established in 872 as a merger of petty kingdoms and has existed continuously for 1,151–1,152 years. From 1537 to 1814, Norway was part of Denmark–Norway, and, from 1814 to 1905, it was in a personal union with Sweden. Norway was neutral during the First World War, and in the Second World War until April 1940 when it was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany until the end of the war.
Norway has both administrative and political subdivisions on two levels: counties and municipalities. The Sámi people have a certain amount of self-determination and influence over traditional territories through the Sámi Parliament and the Finnmark Act. Norway maintains close ties with the European Union and the United States. Norway is a founding member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Free Trade Association, the Council of Europe, the Antarctic Treaty, and the Nordic Council; a member of the European Economic Area, the WTO, and the OECD; and a part of the Schengen Area. The Norwegian dialects share mutual intelligibility with Danish and Swedish.
Norway maintains the Nordic welfare model with universal health care and a comprehensive social security system, and its values are rooted in egalitarian ideals. The Norwegian state has large ownership positions in key industrial sectors, having extensive reserves of petroleum, natural gas, minerals, lumber, seafood, and fresh water. The petroleum industry accounts for around a quarter of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). On a per-capita basis, Norway is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside of the Middle East. The country has the fourth- and eighth-highest per-capita income in the world on the World Bank's and IMF's list, respectively. It has the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, with a value of US$1.3 trillion.
Norway (Bokmål: Norge, Nynorsk: Noreg), officially the Kingdom of Norway,[a] is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula with a population of 5.5 million as of 2024. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of Norway. Bouvet Island, located in the Subantarctic, is a dependency, and not a part of the Kingdom; Norway also claims the Antarctic territories of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land. The capital and largest city in Norway is Oslo.
Norway has a total area of 385,207 square kilometres (148,729 sq mi). The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden, and is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast. Norway has an extensive coastline facing the Skagerrak strait, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Barents Sea. Harald V of the House of Glücksburg is the current King of Norway. Jonas Gahr Støre has been Prime Minister of Norway since 2021. As a unitary state with a constitutional monarchy, Norway divides state power between the parliament, the cabinet, and the supreme court, as determined by the 1814 constitution. The unified kingdom of Norway was established in 872 as a merger of petty kingdoms and has existed continuously for 1,151–1,152 years. From 1537 to 1814, Norway was part of Denmark–Norway, and, from 1814 to 1905, it was in a personal union with Sweden. Norway was neutral during the First World War, and in the Second World War until April 1940 when it was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany until the end of the war.
Norway has both administrative and political subdivisions on two levels: counties and municipalities. The Sámi people have a certain amount of self-determination and influence over traditional territories through the Sámi Parliament and the Finnmark Act. Norway maintains close ties with the European Union and the United States. Norway is a founding member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Free Trade Association, the Council of Europe, the Antarctic Treaty, and the Nordic Council; a member of the European Economic Area, the WTO, and the OECD; and a part of the Schengen Area. The Norwegian dialects share mutual intelligibility with Danish and Swedish.
Norway maintains the Nordic welfare model with universal health care and a comprehensive social security system, and its values are rooted in egalitarian ideals. The Norwegian state has large ownership positions in key industrial sectors, having extensive reserves of petroleum, natural gas, minerals, lumber, seafood, and fresh water. The petroleum industry accounts for around a quarter of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). On a per-capita basis, Norway is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside of the Middle East. The country has the fourth- and eighth-highest per-capita income in the world on the World Bank's and IMF's list, respectively. It has the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, with a value of US$1.3 trillion.
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