Vestnes 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 Møre og Romsdal

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 ...

. Vestnes is part of the traditional district of

Romsdal Romsdal is a traditional district in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal, located between Nordmøre and Sunnmøre. The district of Romsdal comprises Aukra, Fræna, Midsund, Molde, Nesset, Rauma, Sandøy, and Vestnes. It is named after ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vestnes. Other villages in the municipality include

Vikebukt Vikebukt is a village in Vestnes Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Along the eastern side of the mouth of the Tresfjorden, it is located just south of where the fjord meets the Romsdalsfjorden. The village has a population (2013 ...

Vik Vik (Old Norse: vík) means wick or bay in Norwegian and Swedish (''vig'' in Danish), and it may refer to the following: Places Iceland *Vík í Mýrdal, a village in southern Iceland Iran *Vik, Iran, a village in Zanjan Province, Iran Norway *V ...

Vågstranda Vågstranda is a village along Romsdal Fjord in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located along the European route E136 highway, about north of the village of Voll and east of the village of Vikebukt (in Vestnes Mun ...

, Øverås,

Fiksdal Fiksdal or Fiksdalen is a village in Vestnes Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located on the west side of the Tomrefjorden, about northwest of the village of Tomra. Fiksdal Church is located in this village. Fiks ...

Tomrefjord Tomra or Tomrefjord is a village located in Vestnes Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located just south of the village of Vik at the end of the Tomrefjorden. The village of Fiksdal lies to the northwest. The village ...

, and Tresfjord. The area is known for nature and outdoor pursuits, and has a long history in

ship building Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

and maritime crafts. The village of

Vestnes Vestnes is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Vestnes is part of the traditional district of Romsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vestnes. Other villages in the municipality include Vik ...

(Helland) dates back to early

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

times, and has 24-hour ferry and

water taxi A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or o ...

service with the town of Molde to the northeast. The ferry takes about 35-minutes each way. The municipality is the 239th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Vestnes is the 142nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 6,936. The municipality's

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 ...

is and its population has increased by 6.1% over the previous 10-year period.

History

The municipality of Vestnes was established in the fall of 1838 when the western district of the large Veøy Municipality was separated to form its own municipality (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1899, the southern district of the municipality (population: 1,408) was separated from Vestnes to form the new municipality of Sylte. 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, the neighboring municipalities of Vestnes (population: 3,895) and Tresfjord, formerly known as ''Sylte'', (population: 1,319) were merged to form a new, larger municipality called Vestnes. On 1 January 2021, the

area in the northwestern part of

Rauma Municipality Rauma is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Romsdal. The administrative centre is the town of Åndalsnes. Other settlements in Rauma include the villages of Måndalen, Innfjorden, Veblu ...

was transferred to the neighboring municipality of Vestnes. A

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

barrow burial was uncovered at Villa Farm near Vestnes in 1894. Now in the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

's collection in London, the rich grave finds include a pair of oval brooches and other dress accessories, a comb, remnants of a bucket and a box, a bridle-bit, agricultural tools, a bronze bowl, a whalebone plaque, a weaving batten and a whetstone.

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 ''Vestnes'' farm ( non, Vestnes), since the first Vestnes Church was built there. The first element is ''vestr'' which means "

west West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

" and the last element is ''nes'' which means " headland". Before 1889, the name was written ''Vestnæs''.

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 ...

was granted on 11 April 1980. The arms have a red background with two triangular gold spikes pointing right. The arms represent the geography of the municipality: a headland between two

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, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...

s—the

Tresfjorden Tresfjorden ( en, Tres Fjord) is a fjord in Vestnes Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long fjord branches off of the main Romsdal Fjord, and it is one of the two main fjords that cut into the municipality. The village of Ve ...

and the

Tomrefjorden Tomrefjorden is a fjord in Vestnes Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long fjord branches off of the main Romsdalsfjorden and it is one of the two big fjords that cut into the municipality. The fjord is located about west o ...

Museums

The

Møre og Romsdal Agricultural Museum The Møre og Romsdal Agricultural Museum ( no, Landbruksmuseet for Møre og Romsdal) is part of the Sunnmøre Museum Foundation. It is located in Gjermundnes in the municipality of Vestnes. The museum was originally a large farm (''storgård'', ...

(''Landbruksmuseet for Møre og Romsdal'') was established in the municipality at the

Gjermundnes Farm The Gjermundnes Farm ( no, Gjermundnes gård) is a Norwegian farm at Gjermundnes in the municipality of Vestnes in Møre og Romsdal county. The farm dates back to the Middle Ages and is a former large farm (''storgård'', in contrast to a ''sm ...

in 1979.

Churches

The Church of Norway has five parishes () within the municipality of Vestnes. It is part of the Indre Romsdal prosti ( deanery) in the

Diocese of Møre The Diocese of Møre ( no, Møre bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop is seated at the Molde Cathedral which is located in the county administrative center ...

Geography

Vestnes is located in an area of great natural splendour on the southern shores of the vast

Romsdal Fjord Romsdalsfjord or Romsdal Fjord ( no, Romsdalsfjorden) is the ninth-longest fjord in Norway. It is long and located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county. It flows through the municipalities of Molde, Ålesund, Vestnes, and Rauma. ...

. The

and

branch off Romsdal Fjord to the south. Vestnes borders

to the east, as well as

Stordal Municipality Stordal is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It merged with Norddal municipality to establish the new Fjord municipality in 2020. It was part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre of the municipality was the ...

and

Ørskog Municipality Ørskog is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre was the village of Sjøholt. The other main village was Vaksvika, about south of Sjøholt. The European Route E ...

to the south. Across the Moldefjorden to the north is

Midsund Municipality Midsund is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was part of the Romsdal region. The administrative centre was the village of Midsund on Otrøya island. Other settlements on the island included Uglvik and Raknes in th ...

and

Molde Municipality Molde () is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord. The administrative centre of the ...

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Vestnes, are responsible for primary education (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 during the refere ...

and other social services,

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 ...

, 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 counc ...

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 ...

. The municipality falls under the

Møre og Romsdal District Court Møre og Romsdal District Court ( no, Møre og Romsdal tingrett) is a district court (Norway), district court located in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. This court is based at four different courthouses which are located in Volda (village), Volda ...

and the

Frostating Court of Appeal The Frostating Court of Appeal ( no, Frostating lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Trondheim. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. ...

Municipal council

The

() of Vestnes is made up of 23 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 featur ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayor

The mayors of Vestnes (incomplete list): *2015–present: Geir Inge Lien ( Sp) *2007-2015: Øyvind Uren ( Ap) *2003-2007: Knut Magne Flølo ( FrP) *1999-2003: Roald Fiksdal (Ap) *1987-1999: Petter Inge Bergheim (Sp)

Economy

Vestnes is a relatively good agricultural community with emphasis on

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

and milk production. Vestnes, however, is primarily a manufacturing district. The main industry is the

ship-building Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

industry with a number of different companies located in Vestnes. A total of 63% of industry employment (2004) in Vestnes is part of the ship-building industry. Other that shipbuilding, there are several companies in the food, textile and clothing, wood products, furniture, and metal products industries in Vestnes.

Media

The newspaper '' Vestnesavisa'' is published in Vestnes.

Transportation

The European route E39 highway goes through Vestnes on its way from

Sjøholt Sjøholt is a village in Ålesund Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located along the northern shore of the Storfjorden, about east of the village of Skodje. The village of Stordal is located about to the south, ...

to Molde. The

European route E136 European route E 136 is a European highway located entirely in Møre og Romsdal and Innlandet counties in Norway. The highway begins in the town of Ålesund in Møre og Romsdal county on the west coast of Norway, and it goes east up through ...

highway goes through Vestnes on its way from

Ålesund Ålesund () sometimes spelled Aalesund in English, is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre and the centre of the Ålesund Region. The town of Ålesund is the administrativ ...

Dombås is a village or small town in Dovre Municipality in northern Innlandet county, Norway. The village serves as the commercial centre for the upper Gudbrandsdalen valley. It lies at an important junction of roads with the European route E6 highway ...

. The two highways intersect and share part of the route through Vestnes. The new

Tresfjord Bridge The Tresfjord Bridge ( no, Tresfjordbrua) is a box girder bridge in Vestnes Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The bridge crosses the Tresfjorden from Remmem (just south of the village of Vestnes) on the west shore to the village ...

carries the E136 highway over the

rather than the previous roadway that follows the shoreline all the way around the fjord.

Notable residents

Peter L. Rypdal Peter Larsson Rypdal (10 February 1909 – 9 January 1988) was a Norwegian fiddler and famous traditional folk music composer. Rypdal was born and died at Tresfjord in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. Of the many pieces he composed, two of his wedd ...

(1909 in Tresfjord – 1988) a

fiddler A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the ...

and traditional folk music composer * Jakob Rypdal (1926 in Tresfjord – 2015) a Norwegian triple jumper *

Terje Rypdal Terje Rypdal (born 23 August 1947) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. He has been an important member in the Norwegian jazz community, and has also given show concerts with guitarists Ronni Le Tekrø and Mads Eriksen as "N3". Career Rypda ...

(born 1947) a Norwegian guitarist and composer, lives in Tresfjord * Lodve Solholm (born 1949 in Vestnes) county governor of Møre og Romsdal, 2009 to 2018 *

Barry Gjerde Barry Gjerde is a Norwegian-born Canadian-Japanese voice actor who has worked for many years in Japan as voice actor, and as a translator; mostly narrating various corporate projects and providing English voice acting for video games. Career He ...

(born 1951 in Vestnes) Canadian-Japanese voice actor, works in Japan IMDb Database
retrieved 23 March 2021 *

Bjørn Rune Gjelsten Bjørn Rune Gjelsten (born 17 September 1956 in Tomrefjord) is a Norwegian businessman and Offshore powerboat racing World Champion. He was also a joint owner of Wimbledon Football Club and involved in the controversial relocation of the team from ...

(born 1956 in Tomrefjord) powerboat racer, joint owner of

Wimbledon F.C. Wimbledon Football Club was an English football club formed in Wimbledon, south-west London, in 1889 and based at Plough Lane from 1912 to 1991. Founded as Wimbledon Old Centrals, the club were a non-League team for most of their history. ...

Kjetil Rekdal Kjetil André Rekdal (born 6 November 1968) is a Norwegian football manager and a former player. He is the manager of Eliteserien club Rosenborg. Rekdal began his playing career in Molde FK, playing afterwards for clubs in the Bundesliga, Lig ...

(born 1968 in Vestnes) football manager and a former footballer with 484 club caps and 83 for

Bernt Hulsker Bernt Nikolai Hulsker (born 9 September 1977) is a retired Norwegian footballer as well as author, comedian, radio host, and betting ambassador. He was born in Den Haag, but grew up in Vestnes, Norway. Media career Hulsker participates in the fo ...

(born 1977), a retired footballer with over 250 club caps, grew up in Vestnes

References

External links

* *
Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway
Vestnes official web site
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Møre og Romsdal 1838 establishments in Norway