Lærdal Municipality
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Lærdal 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 on the south side 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 center 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 A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
of the municipality is the village of
Lærdalsøyri Lærdalsøyri is the administrative centre of Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the Lærdalselvi river where it empties into the Lærdalsfjorden, a branch off of the main Sognefjorden. The village is lo ...
. The old
Filefjell Kongevegen The Filefjell Kongevegen ( en, The Kings Road) is the name of the old trail over Filefjell, the mountainous area between Lærdal/Borgund, Sogn og Fjordane, Borgund, and Valdres in Norway. It is the historical main route linking Western Norway and Ea ...
road passes through Lærdal on its way to
Valdres Valdres () is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between the districts of Gudbrandsdalen and Hallingdal. The region of Valdres consists of the six municipalities of Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre ...
and later to
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 ...
. The municipality is the 71st largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway (with over half of this area consisting of mountains). Lærdal is the 274th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,117. 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 decreased by 4% over the previous 10-year period. The Lærdal river valley is long, running from
Hemsedal Hemsedal is a municipality in Viken county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Trøym. Hemsedal lies on the Norwegian National Road 52 (Rv 52). Hemsedal ...
(
Høgeloft Høgeloft is a mountain on the border between the municipalities of Lærdal (in Vestland county) and Hemsedal (in Viken county), Norway. At above sea level, it is the highest mountain in the Filefjell mountain range. Høgeloft one of the mounta ...
mountain) and the
Filefjell Filefjell is a mountainous area in Norway. It is located between Lærdal in the Vestland county and Valdres in Innlandet county. It is the historical, as well as modern, main route, linking Western Norway and Eastern Norway. The European route E16 ...
mountains in the east to 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 west. About half of the municipal residents live in the main village of
Lærdalsøyri Lærdalsøyri is the administrative centre of Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the Lærdalselvi river where it empties into the Lærdalsfjorden, a branch off of the main Sognefjorden. The village is lo ...
; the rest in the small villages in the surrounding valleys such as Borgund, Ljøsne,
Tønjum Tønjum is a village in Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the river Lærdalselvi, about southeast of the municipal centre of Lærdalsøyri. The eastern end of the Lærdal Tunnel (part of the European ro ...
, Erdal, Vindedalen,
Frønningen Frønningen is a village in Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the far northwestern corner of the municipality, east of where the Aurlandsfjorden empties into the main Sognefjorden. Prior to 1992, this area was a pa ...
, and Strendene. The Old Lærdalsøyri village has 161 protected buildings. Some of the houses there date back to the mid-18th century. On the night of 18–19 January 2014, a major fire destroyed at least 30 buildings.


General information

''Lærdal'' 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). In the 19th century, the name was sometimes spelled ''Leerdahl'' or ''Leirdal''. The municipality of 1838 was created to be identical to the Lærdal
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 ...
)'' that included the sub-parishes () of Borgund,
Tønjum Tønjum is a village in Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the river Lærdalselvi, about southeast of the municipal centre of Lærdalsøyri. The eastern end of the Lærdal Tunnel (part of the European ro ...
, Hauge, and Aardal. In 1863, the northeastern sub-parish of Aardal (population: 1,791) was separated from Lærdal to form a separate municipality. In 1864, the eastern sub-parish of Borgund (population: 963) was separated from Lærdal to form its own municipality. This left Lærdal with 2,777 residents. 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 1964, Lærdal (population: 1,755) was merged with the municipality of Borgund (population: 492) and the Muggeteigen, Luggenes, and Bergmål farms (population: 11) along the Sognefjorden from the municipality of
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 ...
. After the merger, Lærdal had a total of 2,258. On 1 January 1992, the
Frønningen Frønningen is a village in Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the far northwestern corner of the municipality, east of where the Aurlandsfjorden empties into the main Sognefjorden. Prior to 1992, this area was a pa ...
area (population: 32) of
Leikanger Municipality Leikanger () is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center was the village of Hermansverk, which also was the ...
was transferred to Lærdal municipality. 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
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 ...
form of the name was ''Lærardalr''. The first element is the genitive case of the old name of the river ''Lærr'' (now the river is called Lærdalselvi) and the last element is ''dalr'' which means "valley" or "dale." The meaning of the old river name is unknown.


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 18 December 1987. It is red with two gold-colored Norse
dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
heads. The dragon heads are based on the wooden dragons seen on the gables of the historic Borgund Stave Church in Lærdal.


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 three parishes () within the municipality of Lærdal. 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 Lærdal, 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,
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 Lærdal is made up of 17 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 a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. The mayors of Lærdal (incomplete list): *2019–present: Audun Mo ( Ap) *2011–2019: Jan Geir Solheim ( Sp) *2007–2011: Arne Sanden (Ap) *2003–2007: Knut O. Aarethun (Ap)


Twin towns – Sister cities

Lærdal has
sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
agreements with the following places: *
Jericho Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Gove ...
,
Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
''(since 1998)''


Geography

Lærdal is located southeast 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 ...
and east of the
Aurlandsfjorden Aurlandsfjord ( no, Aurlandsfjorden, ) is a fjord in Vestland county, Norway. The fjord flows through the municipalities of Aurland, Vik, and Lærdal. The long fjord is a branch off of the main Sognefjorden, Norway's longest fjord. The fjord i ...
. The municipality is centered on the Lærdalselvi River with the
Filefjell Filefjell is a mountainous area in Norway. It is located between Lærdal in the Vestland county and Valdres in Innlandet county. It is the historical, as well as modern, main route, linking Western Norway and Eastern Norway. The European route E16 ...
and Hemsedalsfjell mountain ranges on its east. Lærdal is bordered 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 by the municipality of
Aurland Aurland () is a municipality in the county of Vestland, Norway. It is located on the south side of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Aurlandsvangen. Other villages include Bakka, ...
to the southwest,
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 northwest, 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 north. It is also bordered on the east by Vang (
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) and
Hemsedal Hemsedal is a municipality in Viken county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Trøym. Hemsedal lies on the Norwegian National Road 52 (Rv 52). Hemsedal ...
(
Viken Viken may refer to: *Viken, Scandinavia, a historical region *Viken (county), a Norwegian county established in 2020 *Viken, Sweden, a bimunicipal locality in Skåne County, Sweden *Viken (lake), a lake in Sweden, part of the part of the Göta cana ...
county), and in the south by
Ål Ål is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in the traditional and electoral district Buskerud in Viken (county), Viken Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Hallingdal. The administ ...
and Hol (both in
Viken Viken may refer to: *Viken, Scandinavia, a historical region *Viken (county), a Norwegian county established in 2020 *Viken, Sweden, a bimunicipal locality in Skåne County, Sweden *Viken (lake), a lake in Sweden, part of the part of the Göta cana ...
county). The lakes
Eldrevatnet Eldrevatnet or Eldrevatn is a lake in the municipality of Lærdal in Vestland county, Norway. The lake lies at an elevation of above sea level. It is located about southeast of the village of Borgund, not far from the European route E16 high ...
,
Juklevatnet Juklevatnet is a lake in the municipalities of Hemsedal (in Viken county) and Lærdal (in Vestland county), Norway. It is located east of Borgund in Lærdal, just to the south of the mountain Høgeloft in the Filefjell range. The lake sits at ...
, and
Øljusjøen Øljusjøen is a lake in the municipalities of Hemsedal (in Viken county) and Lærdal (in Vestland county), Norway. The lake is located at an elevation of above sea level. It sits about southeast of the village of Borgund and the European ro ...
are located along the southeastern border, south of the mountain
Høgeloft Høgeloft is a mountain on the border between the municipalities of Lærdal (in Vestland county) and Hemsedal (in Viken county), Norway. At above sea level, it is the highest mountain in the Filefjell mountain range. Høgeloft one of the mounta ...
.


Climate

Lærdal is situated near the head of Sognefjorden. The very long fjord snakes past mountain ranges on its way from the sea inland to Lærdal, and the mountains create a
rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...
effect for the innermost part of the fjord, making Lærdal much drier than the coast, with just 20% of Bergen's precipitation. The mountains also sometimes gives a
föhn effect A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of i ...
in winter for Lærdal. The climate of Lærdal is a thus a mix of oceanic and continental features. Lærdal has 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 freezing ...
, or a temperate
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(Cfb), depending on winter threshold ( as used in US or as in the original
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
). The record high was recorded both July 2018 and July 2019. The all-time low is from January 1942.


Lærdal tunnel

The '' Lærdalstunnel'' was built through the Aurlandsfjell mountains dividing
Aurland Aurland () is a municipality in the county of Vestland, Norway. It is located on the south side of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Aurlandsvangen. Other villages include Bakka, ...
from Lærdal. It is the world's longest road tunnel () at . Construction began in 1995 and was completed in 2000.


Lærdalselvi river

The River was traditionally one of the most exclusive
salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...
and
sea trout Sea trout is the common name usually applied to anadromous (sea-run) forms of brown trout (''Salmo trutta''), and is often referred to as ''Salmo trutta'' morpha ''trutta''. Other names for anadromous brown trout are sewin (Wales), peel or peal ...
rivers 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 ...
. Known by the Norwegian King Harald V as his second Queen, the river has established Lærdal as one of the meccas of salmon and sea trout
fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly diffe ...
, among others for the unusual fact that the river offers daylight fishing and dry fly fishing for sea trout. The salmon population was drastically depleted after an infestation with the salmon parasite ''
Gyrodactylus salaris ''Gyrodactylus salaris'', commonly known as salmon fluke, is a tiny monogenean ectoparasite which lives on the body surface of freshwater fish. This leech-like parasite has been implicated in the reduction of Atlantic salmon populations in the No ...
'' in the fall of 1996. After several treatments with
aluminium sulfate Aluminium sulfate is a salt with the chemical formula, formula aluminium, Al2sulfate, (SO4)3. It is soluble in water and is mainly used as a Coagulation (water treatment), coagulating agent (promoting particle collision by neutralizing charge) in ...
, there are still problems with the parasite. In fall 2007, a smolt was again found infected by the parasite, and new treatments started in late March 2008. Because of this parasite, the river was closed to angling for the 2008 season. The river has formed a large delta at
Lærdalsøyri Lærdalsøyri is the administrative centre of Lærdal Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is located along the Lærdalselvi river where it empties into the Lærdalsfjorden, a branch off of the main Sognefjorden. The village is lo ...
, where huge amounts of
silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel when ...
and sand have been deposited by the river. Although the area has been spoiled by some unfortunate landfills it is still a sight worth seeing.


Economy

Lærdal has long traditions in farming, with the lower region of the valley being great for vegetable crops. Because of its dry climate it was one of the first places in Norway to begin the use of artificial
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
. Despite having an inland climate, the water in the fjord keeps the winters from getting too cold. The local Western Norway Regional Health Authority hospital provides medical care for Lærdal itself and seven of the surrounding municipalities. The hospital, together with Opplysningen 1881 (directory assistance company), Østfold Energiproduksjon A/S and
Norsk Hydro Norsk Hydro ASA (often referred to as just ''Hydro'') is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. It is one of the largest aluminium companies worldwide. It has operations in some 50 countries around the world an ...
Aluminium Production Facilities in
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 ...
, are the major employers in Lærdal. The local government and health authority is trying to close this hospital due to cost cutting, which may have negative effects on the area.


Notable people

*
Peder Hjermann Peder Hjermann (1 December 1754 – 25 December 1834) was a farmer and elected official who served as a representative at the Norwegian Constitutional Assembly. Peder (Per) Pedersson Hjermann was born in Lærdal in Sogn og Fjordane. He was ...
(1754 in Lærdal – 1834) farmer, elected to the
Norwegian Constitutional Assembly The Norwegian Constituent Assembly (in Norwegian ''Grunnlovsforsamlingen'', also known as ''Riksforsamlingen'') is the name given to the 1814 constitutional assembly at Eidsvoll in Norway, that adopted the Norwegian Constitution and formalised th ...
*
Anders Olson Lysne Anders Olson Lysne (born 1764, died 1803), was a farmer who led the Lærdal farmers' rebellion from 1800 to 1802. The rebellion began after the government of Denmark-Norway ordered that the farmers of Lærdal had to do compulsory military service ...
(1764 – executed 1803) farmer, led the Lærdal farmers' rebellion, 1800 to 1802 *
Jan Henrik Nitter Hansen Jan Henrik Nitter Hansen (1801–1879) was a Norwegian businessman and politician. He was born at Døsen in the parish of Luster in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. He later relocated to the village of Lærdalsøyri, and became the most significant me ...
(1801–1879) a businessman and politician, Mayor of Lærdal, 1850's * Per Lysne (1880 in Lærdal – 1947) a Norwegian-American artist, brought
Rosemaling Rose-painting, , or is a Scandinavian decorative folk painting that flourished from the 1700s to the mid-19th century, particularly in Norway. In Sweden, rose-painting began to be called , c. 1901, for the region where it had been most popular ...
folk art to the USA *
Eivind Blehr Eivind Stenersen Blehr (20 January 1881, in Lærdal – 27 July 1957) was a Norwegian minister in the NS government of Vidkun Quisling, from 1942 to 1944. In the Norwegian post-war legal purges he was convicted of treason and sentenced to 20 yea ...
(1881 in Lærdal – 1957) politician, Minister in Quisling's government during WWII *
Knut Rumohr Knut Lindstrøm Rumohr (21 December 1916 – 31 October 2002) was a Norwegian painter and printmaker. Biography Rumohr was born at Frønningen in Leikanger (now Lærdal) in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. He was the son of Johan Rumohr (1886-1981 ...
(1916 in Lærdal – 2002) a Norwegian painter and printmaker * Knut O. Aarethun (born 1942 in Lærdalsøyri) politician, Mayor of Lærdal, 2003 to 2007 *
Ragnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft Ragnhild Sælthun Fjørtoft (born 9 June 1947) is a Norwegian former television presenter. She was born in Lærdal to farmer Olaf Sælthun and politician Ambjørg Sælthun, and is married to Arne Fjørtoft . She was assigned with NRK for 45 ye ...
(born 1947 in Lærdal) a Norwegian former TV presenter *
Øyvind Hegg-Lunde Øyvind Hegg-Lunde (born 12 February 1982 in Lærdal, Norway) is a Norwegian drummer and composer, raised in Borgund, Lærdal, but today resides in Bergen. He is known from collaborations with José González (singer), José Gonzalez, Junip, Arv ...
(born 1982 in Lærdal) musician, plays drums and percussion, raised in Borgund


Photo gallery

File:Laerdal.JPG, Lærdalsøyri File:Laerdalsoyri03.jpg, Lærdalsøyri File:Norway Aurland Laerdal.jpg, Old mountain pass from Aurland to Lærdal (above the Lærdalstunnelen) File:Norway Aurland Laerdal2.jpg, Old mountain pass from Aurland to Lærdal (above the Lærdalstunnelen) File:Lærdal. Leikvollen.jpg, Lærdal File:Lærdalstunnelen.JPG, Lærdal tunnel File:Laerdalstunnel cave.jpg, Lærdal tunnel cave File:Store Jukleeggi.jpg, Store Jukleeggi – Mountain in Lærdal


References


External links


Official website: Lærdal Kommune

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 ...

NRK: Fylkesleksikon – Lærdal Kommune
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laerdal Municipalities of Vestland 1838 establishments in Norway