Rakkestad 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 ...

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 A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 the ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rakkestad. It is divided into the parishes of Rakkestad,

Degernes Degernes is a village and parish in Rakkestad municipality in Østfold county, Norway. History Rakkestad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was divided into the parishes of Rakkestad, Degernes, an ...

, and Os. The municipality is the county's second largest by area and one of Norway's largest agricultural areas. Rakkestad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Degernes was separated from Rakkestad as a municipality of its own on 1 January 1917, but it was merged back into Rakkestad on 1 January 1964. Rakkestad has a civil airport, Rakkestad Airport, Aastorp.

General information

Name

The municipality (originally the

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 o ...

) is named after the old ''Rakkestad'' farm (

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

: ''Rakkastaðir''). The first element is the genitive case of the Norse male name (nickname) ''Rakki'' and the last element is ''staðir'' meaning "

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept t ...

" or "

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used ...

Coat-of-arms

The

coat-of-arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its w ...

is from modern times. They were granted on 11 July 1975. The arms symbolize the fact that the main source of income in Rakkestad is

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

. It shows a line of

clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

-shapes yellow on top and green on the bottom. The two lower leaves are symbols for the farming and

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

, and the upper symbolize the newer industries, trade, and crafts. The three standing clovers also represent the three parishes of the municipality: Rakkestad, Degernes and Os.

Industry

Farming and forestry have always been important for settling and employment in Rakkestad. As a consequence the principal industries are growing grain, raising cattle, and

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history th ...

. Rakkestad has also developed a diversified economy based on agriculture and forestry such as

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, ...

slaughterhouse and egg packing station, grain silo and mill, woodworking factories and agricultural machinery retailers. Traditional mechanical industry has developed into advanced technical industry directed towards the process, maritime, and offshore industry.

Nature

Rakkestad’s large areas of rolling, wooded hills offer excellent yearround recreational and leisure opportunities. There are marked forest paths for

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

and cross-country skiing.

Hunting

Rakkestad municipality offers

small game Game or quarry is any wild animal hunted for animal products (primarily meat), for recreation (" sporting"), or for trophies. The species of animals hunted as game varies in different parts of the world and by different local jurisdictions, th ...

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

as well as

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

hunting in the municipal forests, which cover about . There are possibilities for farm lodging as well as cabin lodging.

Fishing

Landowners, angling clubs, and others put much work into cultivating waters and lakes to ensure good

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

. Most lakes are limed each year, with support from the government. Fry and fingerlings are also re-stocked annually. Where the cultivation is carried out with governmental funding, the fishing shall be available for all, either by free fishing or through open information about fishing licence and opportunities. In Rakkestad more than 20 species of freshwater fish are registered. Many of these species lives in the Rakkestad River. The river

meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex ba ...

s its way along, mainly through farmland, providing excellent river fishing for

pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...

, roach, and

perch Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Per ...

. Rakkestad is bordered to the west by River

Glomma The Glomma, or Glåma, is Norway's longest and most voluminous river. With a total length of , it has a drainage basin that covers fully 13% of Norway's surface area, all in the southern part of the country. Geography At its fullest length, the ...

, Norway’s largest river. At Sutern in Os there is an outdoor recreation area equipped with toilet, open shelters, and areas for making a campfire. You can fish for 26 different species from a small jetty or from land along the river. Fishing licence for the area can be obtained fróm self-service boxes along the river. In the Rakkestad Hills a number of small lakes offer the angler to fish in sheltered solitude. Although the pursuit of the large trout draws a number of anglers to the lakes, you will only occasionally happen to meet fellow anglers. Most lakes can be reached by a short walk from the car. Some of the forest roads are private and one has to pay a small fee in a self-service box, normally about NOK 20. Fishing licences can be obtained in the same place. Normal price for the fishing licence is about NOK 40 for 24 hours or NOK 200 for a year.

Settlements

Ytterskogen

Ytterskogen is located in the agricultural area south of Rakkestad village and halfway to

Ise Ise may refer to: Places * Ise, Mie, a city in Japan **Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie * Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria *Ise, Norway, a village in Norway *Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan * River Ise, a tributary of th ...

. Ytterskog is also a

noble family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...

Degernes

Degernes is a village and parish.

Attractions

Rakkestad Church

Rakkestad Church (''Rakkestad kirke'') is a medieval era church. It was built ca. 1200. The Church is of

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...

style with rectangular ships and narrower and elongated choir. The building material is stone and brick. Rakkestad Church is first mentioned in written sources in 1370. In 1875, the church was extended with the sanctuary arch demolished and a new tower erected. The parish belongs to the Østre Borgesyssel deanery in the Diocese of Borg.

Linnekleppen

A visit to the fire lookout tower on Linnekleppen is recommended. Located at one of the highest peaks in the county it overlooks the whole county, parts of neighbouring counties, and parts of Sweden. Linnekleppen is the only fire tower still in use in Norway.

Rudskogen Motorsenter

Rudskogen Motorsenter is the oldest asphalt racing ground in Norway opened in 1990. In 2006, the government decided to make Rudskogen Motorsenter the main centre for

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarde ...

and

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

sport. The aim is to develop the centre to be a flexible facility where capacity can be increased and several different activities can be conducted simultaneously. In co-operation with Borg MC, Sarpsborg and Rakkestad municipalities Rudskogen Motorsenter will offer an environment for almost every series in automobile and motorcycle sport.

Notable people

* Dina Aschehoug (1861 in Rakkestad – 1956) a Norwegian painter of interiors and portraits * Helga Eng (1875 in Rakkestad – 1966) a psychologist, the third woman to receive a doctor's degree in Norway * Odd Steinar Holøs (1922 in Rakkestad – 2001) a politician, Mayor of Rakkestad, 1955 to 1967 *

John Thune John Randolph Thune ( ; born January 7, 1961) is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from South Dakota, a seat he has held since 2005, and as the Senate minority whip since 2021. A member of the Re ...

(born 1948) a politician, Mayor of Rakkestad, 1999 to 2007

Gallery

File:Rakkestad sentum.jpg, Rakkestad sentum File:Haugaard kraftverk.JPG, Haugaard kraftverk File:Rakkestad prestegård fra RA.jpg, Rakkestad prestegård File:Linnekleppen 2014.jpg, Linnekleppen

References

External links

Rakkestad kirke

Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway * {{authority control Municipalities of Østfold Municipalities of Viken (county) Villages in Østfold