is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares ...
in
Nord-Aurdal Municipality in
Innlandet
Innlandet is a county in Norway. It was created on 1 January 2020 with the merger of the old counties of Oppland and Hedmark (the municipalities of Jevnaker and Lunner were transferred to the neighboring county of Viken on the same date). The n ...
county,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. The town is the
administrative centre
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, L ...
of the municipality as well as the largest urban/commercial centre for the
Valdres region. It is located just northwest of the village of
Leira and about south of the village of
Skrautvål. The town has a population (2021) of 1,951 and a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
of .
Fagernes lies approximately 3 hours northwest of the capital city of
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, and is an important destination for
tourism in Norway, due to good transportation connections and the nature in the surrounding Valdres valley, including the mountain areas such as
Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen (; "the home of the Jötunn") is a mountainous area of roughly in southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all located in the Jotunheimen mountains, i ...
and
Spåtind
Spåtind is a mountain in Innlandet county, Norway. The tall mountain is located on the border of Etnedal Municipality and Nordre Land Municipality about west of the town of Lillehammer and about northeast of the town of Fagernes. The mountain ...
. The
European route E16 highway runs through the town. The
Strondafjorden lake lies on the south side of the town.
Tingnes Church is located in the town.
History
On 14 June 2007 the
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...
of Nord-Aurdal decided to bestow
town status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose.
Historically, city status ...
on the large village of Fagernes. The decision came into force on 8 September 2007, when Fagernes celebrated the 150th anniversary of its establishment as a village.
Name
''Fagernes'' is a compound word made up of ''fager'' which means "fair" or "beautiful" and ''nes'' which means "
headland".
Climate
Fagernes has a
boreal climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, g ...
(subarctic), but is quite close to a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
. February–April is the driest season, while summer is the wettest. The all-time low was recorded January 1987, and the all-time high was recorded in both July 2014 and August 1982. The average date for first overnight freeze (below ) in autumn is 25 September (1981-2010 average).
See also
*
List of towns and cities in Norway
Below is a list of towns and cities in Norway. The Norwegian word for town or city is ''by''. Cities were formerly categorized as '' kjøpstad'' (market town) or '' ladested'' (small seaport), each with special rights. The special trading rights f ...
References
External links
Fagernes in picturesFagernes WebcamFagernes tourist officeFagernes in picturesat YouTube
{{use dmy dates, date=September 2022
Cities and towns in Norway
Populated places in Innlandet
Valdres
Nord-Aurdal
2007 establishments in Norway