Lyster, Norway
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Luster is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in
Vestland Vestland is a county in Norway established on 1 January 2020. The county is located in Western Norway and it is centred around the city of Bergen, Norway's second largest city. The administrative centre of the county is the city of Bergen, where t ...
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
,
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 ...
. It is located at the end of the
Sognefjorden The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, en, Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords ( no, Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the smal ...
in the traditional district of
Sogn Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway ''(Vestlandet)''. It is located in the county of Vestland, surrounding the Sognefjord, the largest/longest fjord in Norway. The district of Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestra ...
. 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, Lu ...
is the village of
Gaupne Gaupne is the administrative center of the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the Gaupnefjorden, an arm of the Lustrafjorden, about north of the village of Hafslo. The village of Veitastrond is lo ...
. Other villages in Luster include Fortun,
Hafslo Hafslo is a Former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1963. It is located in the present-day Luster Municipal ...
,
Indre Hafslo Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administra ...
,
Jostedal Jostedal is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1963. It was located in the Jostedalen valley in the northern part of the present-day municipality of ...
, Luster,
Nes The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
, Ornes,
Skjolden Skjolden is a village in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Lustrafjorden, a branch of the Sognefjorden. Skjolden is located at the innermost point of the Sognefjorden, Norway's longest fjord, ...
,
Solvorn Solvorn is a village in Luster Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located on the western shore of the Lustrafjorden, the innermost part of the Sognefjorden. The village sits directly across the fjord from the village of Orne ...
, and
Veitastrond Veitastrond is a small village in the western part of the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. It is located near the Jostedalsbreen glacier, and Jostedalsbreen National Park surrounds the village on three sides. Veitastrond is lo ...
. Luster is centered around the inner branch of the
Sognefjord The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, en, Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords ( no, Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the smal ...
, which is called the
Lustrafjorden The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, en, Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords ( no, Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the smal ...
. Its landscape includes fjords, steep mountains, water-abundant waterfalls, blue glaciers, and valleys. Both
Jostedalsbreen National Park Jostedalsbreen National Park ( no, Jostedalsbreen nasjonalpark) is a national park in Norway that encompasses the largest glacier on the European mainland, Jostedalsbreen. The park was established by royal decree on 25 October 1991, and then in ...
and
Breheimen National Park Breheimen National Park ( no, Breheimen nasjonalpark) (Lit: Home of The Glaciers) is a national park that was established in 2009. The park is located in the municipalities of Skjåk and Lom in Innlandet county and in Luster in Vestland county ...
are partially located in this municipality. The
Sognefjellsvegen The Sognefjellsvegen or Sognefjellsveien is the highest mountain pass road in Northern Europe. Part of County Road 55, it is located in Innlandet and Vestland counties in Norway. It is a national tourist road and starts in the village of Lom in ...
road goes over a mountain pass in eastern Luster. The municipality is the 17th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Luster is the 177th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,246. The municipality's
population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
is and its population has increased by 4.4% during the previous 10-year period. In 2016, the chief of police for
Vestlandet Western Norway ( nb, Vestlandet, Vest-Norge; nn, Vest-Noreg) is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative ...
formally suggested a reconfiguration of police districts and stations. He proposed that the police station in Luster be closed.


General information

''Lyster'' was established as a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
on 1 January 1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt () is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January ...
law). The original municipality was identical to the ''Lyster''
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
''(
prestegjeld A ''prestegjeld'' was a geographic and administrative area within the Church of Norway (''Den Norske Kirke'') roughly equivalent to a parish. This traditional designation was in use for centuries to divide the kingdom into ecclesiastical areas tha ...
)'' with the sub-parishes () of Fortun, Dale,
Nes The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
, and
Gaupne Gaupne is the administrative center of the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the Gaupnefjorden, an arm of the Lustrafjorden, about north of the village of Hafslo. The village of Veitastrond is lo ...
. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the
Schei Committee The Schei Committee ( no, Schei-komitéen) was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II. It convened in 1946, and its formal name was (The 1946 Committee on Municip ...
. On 1 January 1963, the neighboring municipalities of
Hafslo Hafslo is a Former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1963. It is located in the present-day Luster Municipal ...
and
Jostedal Jostedal is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1963. It was located in the Jostedalen valley in the northern part of the present-day municipality of ...
were merged with Luster, forming a much larger municipality. After the merger, Luster had 5,854 residents. Since the consolidation of the three municipalities of
Hafslo Hafslo is a Former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1963. It is located in the present-day Luster Municipal ...
,
Jostedal Jostedal is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1963. It was located in the Jostedalen valley in the northern part of the present-day municipality of ...
and Luster in 1963, the area has been characterized by scattered rural settlements and large distances between these settlements. Luster was the largest municipality by area in the old
Sogn og Fjordane Sogn og Fjordane (; English: "Sogn and Fjordane") was, up to 1 January 2020, a county in western Norway, when it was merged to become part of Vestland county. Bordering previous counties Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland, the cou ...
county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became part of the newly created
Vestland Vestland is a county in Norway established on 1 January 2020. The county is located in Western Norway and it is centred around the city of Bergen, Norway's second largest city. The administrative centre of the county is the city of Bergen, where t ...
county after
Sogn og Fjordane Sogn og Fjordane (; English: "Sogn and Fjordane") was, up to 1 January 2020, a county in western Norway, when it was merged to become part of Vestland county. Bordering previous counties Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland, the cou ...
and
Hordaland Hordaland () was a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland counties. Hordaland was the third largest county, after Akershus and Oslo, by population. The county government was the Hordaland County Municipal ...
counties were merged.


Name

The name (
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
''Lústr'') originally belonged to the
fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...
(now
Lustrafjorden The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, en, Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords ( no, Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the smal ...
). The name is derived from the word ''ljóss'' which means "light" or "bright" - referring to the bright color of the water from the
glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
s. Prior to 1918, the name was written ''Lyster''.


Coat of arms

The
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
was granted on 20 April 1990. They show a circular silver-colored
tilia ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperateness, temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Britain a ...
twig on a blue background. Although they are newly designed, they are inspired by an old
woodcarving Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...
found in the
Urnes Stave Church Urnes Stave Church ( no, Urnes stavkyrkje) is a 12th-century stave church at Ornes, along the Lustrafjorden in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The church sits on the eastern side of the fjord, directly across the fjord f ...
which is located in Luster.


Churches

The
Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...
has eight parishes () within the municipality of Luster. It is part of the
Sogn prosti Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway ''(Vestlandet)''. It is located in the county of Vestland, surrounding the Sognefjord, the largest/longest fjord in Norway. The district of Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestra ...
(
deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...
) in the
Diocese of Bjørgvin The Diocese of Bjørgvin ( no, Bjørgvin bispedømme) is one of the 11 dioceses that make up the Church of Norway. It includes all of the churches located in the county of Vestland in Western Norway. The cathedral city is Bergen, Norway's second ...
.


Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Luster, are responsible for
primary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first ...
(through 10th grade), outpatient
health services Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wiktionary:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physical and menta ...
,
senior citizen Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...
services,
unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...
and other
social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...
,
zoning Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...
,
economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...
, and municipal
road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...
s. The municipality is governed by a
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 counci ...
of elected representatives, which in turn elect a
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
. The municipality falls under the
Sogn og Fjordane District Court Sogn og Fjordane District Court ( no, Sogn og Fjordane tingrett) is a district court (Norway), district court located in Vestland county, Norway. This court is based at two different courthouses which are located in Førde (town), Førde and Sognd ...
and the
Gulating Court of Appeal The Gulating Court of Appeal ( no, Gulating lagmannsrett) is one of six Court of appeal (Norway), courts of appeal in the Norway, Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Bergen (city), Bergen. The court has jurisdiction over the cou ...
.


Municipal council

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 counci ...
of Luster is made up of 25 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The
party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
breakdown of the council is as follows:


Mayor

The
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of a municipality in Norway is usually a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. The mayors of Luster (incomplete list): *2011–present: Ivar Kvalen ( Sp) *2003-2011: Torodd Urnes (
KrF The Christian Democratic Party ( nb, Kristelig Folkeparti, nn, Kristeleg Folkeparti, se, Risttalaš Álbmotbellodat, , KrF) is a Christian-democratic political party in Norway founded in 1933. The party is an observer member of the European Pe ...
)


Geography


Location

Luster, one of the largest municipalities in southern Norway, is located in the glacial mountains where the
Sognefjorden The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, en, Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords ( no, Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the smal ...
begins its path to the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
. The fjord is fed by many large glaciers such as the
Harbardsbreen Harbardsbreen is the 10th largest glacier in mainland Norway. It is located on the south side of the Tverrådalskyrkja mountain in the Breheimen mountain range in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The glacier is inside Breh ...
,
Holåbreen Holåbreen is a glacier in the municipalities Skjåk (in Innlandet county) and Luster (in Vestland county) in Norway. Located in the mountain range Breheimen, it has a total area of about . The glacier lies between the mountains Gjelhøi and H ...
,
Jostedalsbreen Jostedal Glacier or is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It is in Vestland county in Western Norway. Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Norway, Luster, Sogndal, Sunnfjord (municipality), Sunnfjord, and Stryn. The high ...
,
Nigardsbreen Nigardsbreen ( en, the Nigard Glacier) is a glacier arm of the large Jostedalsbreen glacier. Nigardsbreen lies about north of the village of Gaupne in the Jostedalen valley in Luster Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located just w ...
,
Spørteggbreen Spørteggbreen is a glacier in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. It is the 12th largest glacier in Norway. It lies between the Jostedalsbreen and Harbardsbreen glaciers. The glacier lies inside Breheimen National Park. ...
, and others. It is bordered by four municipalities in
Vestland Vestland is a county in Norway established on 1 January 2020. The county is located in Western Norway and it is centred around the city of Bergen, Norway's second largest city. The administrative centre of the county is the city of Bergen, where t ...
county:
Stryn Stryn is a municipality in the county of Vestland, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Stryn. The municipality is located along the innermost part of t ...
to the north,
Sunnfjord Sunnfjord ( en, the southern fjord - in contrast to Nordfjord) is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Vestland county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, the southernmost parts of Kinn, Sunnfjord, and the souther ...
to the west,
Sogndal Sogndal is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Hermansverk is the administrative center of Sogndal municipality. Other villages i ...
to the southwest, and
Årdal Årdal is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Årdalsfjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Årdalstangen is the administrative center of the municipality. The other main village is Ø ...
to the southeast. It is also bordered by three municipalities 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 ...
county:
Skjåk Skjåk is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bismo. Most of the municipal residents live in the Billingsdalen an ...
to the northeast and by Lom and Vang to the east.


Feigumfoss waterfall

With a vertical drop of , the Feigumfoss Waterfall is one of the highest in
Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
.


Mountains

The
Hurrungane Hurrungane (also written ''Hurrungene'', ''Hurrungadn'', ''Horungane'') is a mountain range in the municipalities Luster and Årdal in Vestland county, Norway. The area is southwest in the larger mountain range Jotunheimen and is also part of Jot ...
,
Breheimen Breheimen is a mountain range in the Innlandet and Vestland counties in Norway. The area lies west of the Jotunheimen mountain range. The mountain range lies to the northwest of the Sognefjellsvegen road, north of the Sognefjorden, south of the ...
, and
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, in ...
mountains cover parts of the municipality.
Store Skagastølstind Store Skagastølstind (also known as Storen) is the third highest peak in Norway. It is situated on the border between the municipality of Luster and Årdal in Vestland county, Norway. The mountain is part of the Hurrungane range. The mountai ...
(or Storen) is the third highest mountain peak in
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 ...
at high, and it is located on the southern border of Luster and
Årdal Årdal is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Årdalsfjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Årdalstangen is the administrative center of the municipality. The other main village is Ø ...
. It is part of the
Hurrungane Hurrungane (also written ''Hurrungene'', ''Hurrungadn'', ''Horungane'') is a mountain range in the municipalities Luster and Årdal in Vestland county, Norway. The area is southwest in the larger mountain range Jotunheimen and is also part of Jot ...
mountain range which contains some of the most alpine peaks in Norway.


Lakes and Rivers

There are notable lakes such as Veitastrondsvatnet,
Austdalsvatnet Austdalsvatnet is a lake in the northwestern part of Luster Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the Breheimen mountain range at the end of the Austdalsbreen glacier, just north of the lake Styggevatnet. It is about east of ...
,
Styggevatnet Styggevatnet is a glacial lake from the glacier Jostedalsbreen in Luster Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The lake lies just southeast of the lake Austdalsvatnet. The lake is regulated by a dam and it empties into the river Jostedøla. ...
, Tunsbergdalvatnet,
Prestesteinsvatnet Prestesteinsvatnet () is a lake in Luster Municipality in Vestland county, Norway, with a small part of the lake crossing over into the neighboring Lom Municipality in Innlandet county. The lake sits at an elevation of above sea level. It lies ...
, and
Hafslovatnet Hafslovatnet is a lake in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The lake lies at an elevation of , has a surface area of , and a water volume of . It serves as a reservoir for the hydroelectric power station in Årøy. The prima ...
. There are also many big waterfalls such as the ''Feigumfoss'' waterfall at tall. The river
Jostedøla Jostedøla (or ''Jostedalselva'') is a river which runs through the Jostedalen valley in Luster Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The Jostedøla river begins near the ''Fåbergstølen'' mountain farm where the runoff from the great Josteda ...
runs through the Jostedal valley and empties into the fjord at Gaupne.


Glaciers

The
Jostedalsbreen Jostedal Glacier or is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It is in Vestland county in Western Norway. Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Norway, Luster, Sogndal, Sunnfjord (municipality), Sunnfjord, and Stryn. The high ...
glacier (including the arm called
Nigardsbreen Nigardsbreen ( en, the Nigard Glacier) is a glacier arm of the large Jostedalsbreen glacier. Nigardsbreen lies about north of the village of Gaupne in the Jostedalen valley in Luster Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located just w ...
) is the biggest
glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
in continental
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, the highest point on it is
Høgste Breakulen Høgste Breakulen is the highest point on the Norwegian glacier Jostedalsbreen. It is inside the Jostedalsbreen National Park on the border of the municipalities of Stryn and Luster in Vestland county, Norway. Lodalskåpa, a nunatak to the nort ...
. It is located west of
Jostedal Jostedal is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1963. It was located in the Jostedalen valley in the northern part of the present-day municipality of ...
, north of
Gaupne Gaupne is the administrative center of the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the Gaupnefjorden, an arm of the Lustrafjorden, about north of the village of Hafslo. The village of Veitastrond is lo ...
, in
Jostedalsbreen National Park Jostedalsbreen National Park ( no, Jostedalsbreen nasjonalpark) is a national park in Norway that encompasses the largest glacier on the European mainland, Jostedalsbreen. The park was established by royal decree on 25 October 1991, and then in ...
, much of which is located in the municipality of Luster. Other glaciers include the
Austerdalsbreen Austerdalsbreen is a glacier in the municipality of Luster in Vestland, Norway. It is a side branch of the Jostedalsbreen glacier, and is included in the Jostedalsbreen National Park. The glacier is fed by the three steep glaciers Odinbreen, Tor ...
,
Harbardsbreen Harbardsbreen is the 10th largest glacier in mainland Norway. It is located on the south side of the Tverrådalskyrkja mountain in the Breheimen mountain range in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The glacier is inside Breh ...
and
Spørteggbreen Spørteggbreen is a glacier in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. It is the 12th largest glacier in Norway. It lies between the Jostedalsbreen and Harbardsbreen glaciers. The glacier lies inside Breheimen National Park. ...
.


Economy

The inhabitants of Luster make their living by farming, growing berries and fruit,
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
, and
hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...
. Jøstedal and Fortun have large hydroelectric power stations. Summer tourism is quite busy. Tourist activities include mountain climbing, skiing, fishing, hiking, and hunting. The
Sognefjellsvegen The Sognefjellsvegen or Sognefjellsveien is the highest mountain pass road in Northern Europe. Part of County Road 55, it is located in Innlandet and Vestland counties in Norway. It is a national tourist road and starts in the village of Lom in ...
tourist road passes through Luster.


River fishing

Fishing permit A fishing license ( US), fishing licence ( UK), or fishing permit is an administrative or legal mechanism employed by local governments to regulate fishing. Licensing is one mechanism of fisheries management commonly used in Western countries ...
s (for salmon fishing) are sold for use on specific rivers, including Årøy-elva.


Culture and education


Historic churches

;Urnes Stave Church
Urnes Stave Church Urnes Stave Church ( no, Urnes stavkyrkje) is a 12th-century stave church at Ornes, along the Lustrafjorden in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The church sits on the eastern side of the fjord, directly across the fjord f ...
was built around 1150 and is
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 ...
's oldest
Stave church A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts a ...
. The Church lies majestically on the top of Urnes. The Stave church is one of four Norwegian Churches on
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
`s list of the most precious cultural monuments in the world. The
Stave church A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts a ...
es are constructions of high quality, richly decorated with carvings. In virtually all of them the door frames are decorated from top to bottom with carvings. This tradition of rich ornamentation appears to go back to the animal carvings of the Viking age. The dragons are lovingly executed and transformed into long-limbed creatures of fantasy, here and there entwined with tendrils of vine, with winding stems and serrated leaves. The elaborate designs are executed with supreme artistic skill. The stave church doorways are, therefore, among the most distinctive works of art to be found in Norway. However, it is difficult to connect them with the
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
gospel. ;Old Gaupne Church The
Old Gaupne Church Old Gaupne Church ( no, Gaupne gamle kyrkje) is a historic parish church of the Church of Norway in Luster Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Gaupne. It was the main church for the Luster parish (which is part ...
is a magnificent church that was built in 1647 on a hill directly opposite
Gaupne Gaupne is the administrative center of the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the Gaupnefjorden, an arm of the Lustrafjorden, about north of the village of Hafslo. The village of Veitastrond is lo ...
centre. ;Dale Church Dale Church is a stone church that was built in gothic style in the year 1250.


Breheim center

The Breheim Center contains a comprehensive exhibition. A journey through 20,000 years - from the
Ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
to the present day, an audio/visual show takes visitors inside the glacier. Glacier boat ''M/S "Jostedalsrypa"'' crosses the Nigard Glacier Lake. There are internationally approved guides, glacier and climbing courses, and ski-trips.


Education

In 2020, 32% of the municipality's applicants for econdary schooling''
videregående skole Education in Norway is mandatory for all children aged from 6 to 16. Schools are typically divided into two divisions: primary and lower secondary schooling. The majority of schools in Norway are municipal, where local governments fund and manage ...
'', sought on-vocational schooling ''studiespesialisering''; 7% orthe rest of the applicants sought
vocational school A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the tasks ...
ing.


Notable inhabitants

*
Gerhard Munthe Gerhard Peter Frantz Munthe (19 July 1849 in Elverum, Hedmark – 15 January 1929 in Lysaker, Bærum) was a Norwegian painter and illustrator. Background Munthe was born in Elverum to physician Christopher Pavels Munthe (1816–1884) and his wif ...
(1795 in Hafslo - 1876) a military officer, historian and cartographer *
Christian Ellefson Christian Ellefson (also called Christen) (April 20, 1842 - 1925?) was an American farmer from the political subdivisions of Wisconsin, Town of Franklin, Vernon County, Wisconsin, Franklin, in Vernon County, Wisconsin who served two separate one-y ...
(1842 in Luster - 1925?) an American farmer, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly *
Peter J. Dale Peter J. Dale (July 4, 1845 – April 20, 1935) was a Norwegian-American elected official who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Peter Jorgen Dale was born at Lyster in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. He was one of six children bo ...
(1845 in Luster – 1935) a Norwegian-American member of the Wisconsin State Assembly *
Henrik Angell Henrik August Angell (22 August 1861 – 26 January 1922) was a Norwegian military officer, sportsman, and writer. He was a ski pioneer and the first Norwegian delegate to the International Olympic Committee. Early life Henrik Angell was born ...
(1861 in Luster – 1922) a military officer, sportsman and writer; a ski pioneer and the first Norwegian delegate to the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
*
Sylfest Lomheim Sylfest Lomheim (born 11 March 1945 in Hafslo) is a Norwegian philologist. He was the director of the Norwegian Language Council from 2003 to 2010. He is also associate professor (''amanuensis'') in the Norwegian language at the University of A ...
(born 1945 in Hafslo) a Norwegian philologist, academic and politician *
Tor Bremer Tor Bremer (born 9 February 1955) is a Norwegian politician from Luster in Sogn og Fjordane municipality. He was deputy mayor of the municipality from 2003-2007 for the Arbeiderpartiet. At the 2009 Norwegian parliamentary election Parliamen ...
(born 1955 in Luster) a farmer and politician *
Kurt Heggestad Kurt Heggestad (born 19 August 1982) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a left winger or left-back. He represented Norway at the under-16 and under-17 level, and played 53 matches for Sogndal in Tippeligaen. Heggestad pl ...
(born 1982 in Veitastrond) a Norwegian former professional footballer *
Stine Pettersen Reinås Stine is a surname. Notable persons with that name include: *Brad Stine (born 1960), American comedian and author *Brad Stine (tennis coach) (born 1958), American tennis coach *Charles Stine (1882–1954), American chemist *Charles J. Stine (1864 ...
(born 1994 in Hafslo) is a Norwegian football defender, over 150 club caps and eight for the
Norway women's national football team The Norway women's national football team is controlled by the Football Association of Norway. The team is former European, World and Olympic champions and thus one of the most successful national teams. The team has had less success since the ...


Twin cities/towns

*
Viroqua, Wisconsin Viroqua is the county seat of Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,504 at the 2020 census. The city is in the town of Viroqua. Etymology The town was originally named “Farwell” after Leonard J. Farwell, second Go ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...


Media gallery

File:Bilde-Lodalskåpa 1.jpg, Lodalskåpa, a peak in the northeast part of
Jostedalsbreen Jostedal Glacier or is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It is in Vestland county in Western Norway. Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Norway, Luster, Sogndal, Sunnfjord (municipality), Sunnfjord, and Stryn. The high ...
File:Feigumfoss i Lyster i Sogn022.jpg, Feigumfossen File:Hafslovatnet Norway.jpg, Hafslovatnet lake with the
Sognefjord The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, en, Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords ( no, Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the smal ...
in the background File:Lustrafjorden.JPG, Lustrafjorden File:Urnes Stave Church 1.jpg,
Urnes Stave Church Urnes Stave Church ( no, Urnes stavkyrkje) is a 12th-century stave church at Ornes, along the Lustrafjorden in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The church sits on the eastern side of the fjord, directly across the fjord f ...
File:2005 07 18 Sognefjell 05.jpg, Sognefjell File:Skjolden, Luster.JPG, Skjolden at Lustrafjorden in Luster, Norway File:Nigardsbreen-Norway-glacier-hiking.jpg, Several groups of people are glacier hiking on the glacier Nigardsbreen


References


External links


Municipal fact sheet
from
Statistics Norway Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876. Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every yea ...

Luster Municipality Website


{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Vestland 1838 establishments in Norway