Voss () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

and a traditional district in

Vestland Vestland is a Counties of Norway, county in Norway. The county is located in Western Norway, and its administrative centre is Bergen, where the executive and political leadership is based. The County governor (Norway), County Governor is based in ...

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. The

administrative center An administrative centre 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 the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

of the municipality is the village of

Vossevangen Vossevangen or Voss is the administrative centre of Voss municipality in Vestland county, Norway. Location The village lies on the northeastern shore of the lake Vangsvatnet in the central part of the municipality, about east of the city of Berg ...

. Other villages include

Bolstadøyri Bolstadøyri is a village in Voss municipality, Vestland county, Norway. The village lies at the mouth of the river Bolstadelvi, where it meets the Bolstadfjorden. The village lies about west of the village of Evanger and about northeast of ...

Borstrondi Borstrondi or Skulestadmoen is a village in Voss municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located about north of the municipal centre, Vossevangen. The village has a population (2019) of 1,456 and a population density Population densit ...

Evanger Evanger is a former municipality in the Voss district of the old Hordaland county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1885 until 1964 when it was dissolved and its lands split between two municipalities. The municipality included the ea ...

Kvitheim Kvitheim is a small, rural village in Voss municipality, Norway. Kvitheim is located north of the municipal centre, Vossevangen. The village of Borstrondi lies just across the lake Melsvatnet to the west. Norwegian County Road 309 runs through th ...

Mjølfjell Mjølfjell is a village area located in the eastern part of the Raundalen valley in the municipality of Voss in Vestland county, Norway. Mjølfjell is served by the train station on the Bergen Line, Mjølfjell Station, both local trains from Vos ...

, Oppheim,

Stalheim Stalheim is a village in the municipality Voss in Vestland county, Norway. The small village lies along the European route E16 highway in the northeastern part of the municipality. The village sits at a high point in the inner part of the Næ ...

, and

Vinje Vinje is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vest-Telemark which is part of Øvre Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Åmot. Other villages in the muni ...

The municipality is the 35th largest by area of Norway's 356 municipalities. Voss is Norway's 76th most populous municipality, with a population of 16,144. Its

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

is and its population has increased by 7.9% over the last 10 years.

Municipal history

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

of Voss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see

formannskapsdistrikt () was the name of a Norwegian self-governing municipality. The name was used from the establishment these municipalities in 1838 until the name fell out of use in 1863. The municipalities had their legal basis from two laws enacted on 14 Jan ...

law). On 1 January 1867, a small area in northern Voss (population 28) was transferred to the municipality of

Hosanger Hosanger is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. The municipality was located in what is now parts of Alver Municipality and Osterøy Municipality in Ves ...

. On 1 January 1868, the municipality's northern district (population 2,009) was separated to form the new municipality of

Vossestrand Vossestrand is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in the old Hordaland county in Norway. The municipality existed from 1868 until its dissolution in 1964. It was located in the northern part of the present-day munici ...

. This left 7,592 residents in Voss. On 21 August 1868, an unpopulated area of northern Voss was transferred to Vossestrand. On 1 January 1885, the western district of Voss (population 2,045) was separated to form the new municipality of

. This left Voss with 5,403 residents. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the

Schei Committee The Schei Committee () was a committee named by the Government of Norway to look into the organization of municipalities in Norway post-World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a ...

. On 1 January 1964, the municipality of Voss (population 10,575), the municipality of

(population 1,573), and most of the municipality of

(population 1,075) were all merged into a new, larger municipality of Voss. (The rest of Evanger was merged into the new municipality of

Vaksdal is a municipality in the county of Vestland, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordhordland. The administrative centre is the village of Dalekvam. Other villages in Vaksdal include Dalegarden, Flatkvål, Helle, Nesheim ...

.) On 1 January 2020, the neighboring municipality of

Granvin Granvin is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1891 until its dissolution in 2020 when it merged with Voss Municipality. The municipality was located in the traditional district of Hardanger ...

merged with Voss, creating a larger Voss municipality. Before the merger, it was known as ''Voss kommune'', but afterward it was called ''Voss herad'', using the title ''herad'' which Granvin formerly had used.

Name

The municipality (originally the

) is named after the traditional district of ''Voss'' (). The name is likely derived from the word which means "water" (likely the old district name was originally used as the name for the lake

Vangsvatnet Vangsvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Voss in Vestland county, Norway. The lake lies in the central part of the municipality, on the southwestern shore of the municipal centre of Vossevangen. The Vosso River flows through both Vangsvat ...

Coat of arms

The original

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 last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

was granted on 8 July 1977 and was in use until 1 January 2020, when the municipality was enlarged. The official

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

is ''"

Gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...

, a deer stag

argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

"'' (). This means the arms have a red

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

(background) and the

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

is a deer

stag A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) a ...

with antlers. The charge has a

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms are based on the seal of Peter, who was the owner of the farm ''Finne'' in Voss, one of the largest farms in

Western Norway Western Norway (; ) is the Regions of Norway, region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the Counties of Norway, counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrative fu ...

during the

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

. He used a silver deer on a red background as his personal coat of arms in 1303. His son also used a deer on his seals, as did most of their relatives until 1460. The shape and position of the deer varied, but it always was the main figure. The arms were designed by

Hallvard Trætteberg Hallvard Trætteberg (21 April 1898 in Løten Municipality – 21 November 1987 in Oslo) was the leading Norwegian heraldic artist and the expert adviser on heraldry to the Government of Norway and the Norwegian royal family for much of the 2 ...

. The municipal flag was nearly the same design as the coat of arms, the main difference was the placement of the deer legs. A new

was granted in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 after the merger of Voss and

. The decision was made to blend the old municipalities' previous arms, so the design from Granvin and the colors from Voss were chosen for the new arms. The official

is ''"

, a fiddle

bend sinister In heraldry, a bend is a band or strap running from the upper dexter (the bearer's right side and the viewer's left) corner of the shield to the lower sinister (the bearer's left side, and the viewer's right). Authorities differ as to how m ...

"'' (). This means the arms have a red

(background) and the

is a

hardanger fiddle A hardanger fiddle () is a traditional stringed instrument considered the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than four as on a standard v ...

(), a Norwegian folk instrument. The fiddle has a tincture of argent. The area has an active folk-music tradition. The arms were designed by Øyvind Kvamme. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...

has seven parishes () in Voss. It is part of the

Hardanger og Voss prosti Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord and its inner branches of the Sørfjorden and the Eid Fjord. It consists of the municipalities of Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik and Kvam, and is l ...

(

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the 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 residence of ...

) in the

Diocese of Bjørgvin The Diocese of Bjørgvin () 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, and those outside of Norway in the Seamen's Church. The cathedral cit ...

History

Voss kyrkje.jpg, View of

Voss Church Voss Church (, , or ) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Voss Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vossevangen. It is the church for the Voss parish which is part of the Hardanger og Voss prosti (dean ...

Children's Brass Band (2), Voss.jpg, alt=Local youth perform at the Voss Kulturhus, Local youth perform at th

Voss Kulturhus Voss-girl-photochrom-1900.jpeg, alt=A girl with auburn hair in pigtails poses next to a rude wooden fence. She wears a white ruffled shirt and a long brown dress., A girl of Voss, c. 1900 1940_Bombing_of_Voss,_02.jpg, alt=Fire in Voss after April 1940 bombing., Fire in Voss after April 1940 bombing (Voss church is at far left) After the Operation Weserübung, German invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940, Voss was the main point of mobilisation for the

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army () is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway in 1628. The ...

in the west, since the city of

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

had already fallen on 9 April. From Bergen and the

Hardangerfjord The Hardangerfjord () is the fifth longest fjord in the world, and the second longest fjord in Norway. It is located in Vestland county in the Hardanger region. The fjord stretches from the Atlantic Ocean into the mountainous interior of No ...

, the Nazis met stiff Norwegian resistance. In Hardanger, some of the Germans climbed up the mountains from

Ålvik Ålvik is a village in the municipality of Kvam in Vestland county, Norway. The village "urban area" consists of the settlements of Ytre Ålvik og Indre Ålvik (outer and inner Ålvik) and Vikadal. The settlements are located on either side of a ...

; the rest went through

. To break down this resistance, the

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

bombed Vossevangen on 23 and 24 April, and the surrounding countryside on 25 April. Nine people died in the bombing, which completely destroyed the old wood-built town centre. German forces entered the municipality of Voss on 25 April and on 26 April, German forces entered Vossevangen, which remained occupied until 8 May 1945. In 1964, Voss was enlarged with the incorporation of the neighbouring municipalities

and

, which had until then been separate municipalities within the traditional district also known as Voss.

Population

Government

Voss Municipality is responsible for

primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient

health services Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

senior citizen Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...

services,

welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...

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. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...

zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...

economic development In economics, economic development (or 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 object ...

, and municipal

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

s and utilities. 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, borough cou ...

of directly elected representatives. The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

indirectly elected An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...

by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the

Hordaland District Court Hordaland District Court () is a district court located in Vestland county, Norway. This court is based at a courthouse in Bergen. The court serves the Nordhordland and Midthordland areas of the county which includes cases from 12 municipalities. ...

and the

Gulating Court of Appeal The Gulating Court of Appeal () is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Bergen. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Vestland and Rogaland plus Sirdal Municipality in Agder county ...

Municipal council

The

is made up of 43 representatives who are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, 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 oft ...

Mayors

The

mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

() of Voss: * 1838–1841: David L. Hustveit * 1842–1849: A. von Westen Sylow Koren * 1850–1857: David L. Hustveit * 1858–1877: Ole K. Litsheim * 1878–1889: Mathias G. Dugstad ( MV) * 1890–1891: Ivar J. Rivenes ( MV) * 1892–1893: Lars O. Kindem ( V) * 1894–1907: Olaf Josefson Bjørgum ( V) * 1908–1925: Nils J. Finne ( V) * 1926–1928: Mads Haga ( V) * 1929–1931: Lars L. Hustveit ( Bp) * 1932–1934: Mads Haga ( V) * 1935–1937: Lars L. Hustveit ( Bp) * 1938–1938: Mads Haga ( V) * 1939–1941: Isak Hjelle ( Bp) * 1941–1941: Amund Gjersvik ( NS) * 1942–1945: Halle N. Vinsand ( NS) * 1945–1945: Mads Haga ( V) * 1946–1954: Isak Hjelle ( Bp) * 1955–1955: David Gjerme ( V) * 1956–1957:

Lars Leiro Lars Leiro (13 April 1914 – 22 March 2005) was a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party. He was born in Haus, Norway, Haus. He was elected to the Storting, Norwegian Parliament from Hordaland in 1958, and was re-elected on two occasio ...

( Bp) * 1958–1959: David Gjerme ( V) * 1960–1963:

Arne Nilsen Arne Nilsen (21 January 1924 – 16 April 2020) was a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party, Labour Party. He was Minister of Local Government and Regional Development (Norway), Minister of Local Government from 1978 to 1979, as well ...

( Ap) * 1964–1971: Lars Nesheim Hovda ( Sp) * 1972–1975:

Nils Mugaas Nils Rustung Mugaas (1921–1992) was a Norwegian trade unionist and civil servant. He chaired Statstjenestemannskartellet from 1969 to 1974 and Statens Personaldirektorat from 1974 to 1990. Statens Personaldirektorat was abolished after 1990 ...

( Ap) * 1976–1983: Anders S. Ringheim ( Sp) * 1984–1991: Peder Vangsnes ( Ap) * 1992–1999: Ragnhild Skjerveggen ( Sp) * 1999–2007: Bjørn Christensen ( Ap) * 2007–2011: Gunn Berit Lunde Aarvik ( Ap) * 2011–2023: Hans-Erik Ringkjøb ( Ap) * 2023-present: Tonje Såkvitne ( Sp)

Geography and climate

Voss is in the innermost part of Bolstadsfjorden and includes the valleys that head inland from there. Voss has several large lakes:

Evangervatnet Evangervatnet or Lake Evanger is a lake in Voss Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The Vosso River flows through both Vangsvatnet and Evangervatnet before it empties into Bolstadfjorden by the village of Bolstadøyri. Evangervatnet is ...

Hamlagrøvatnet Hamlagrøvatnet is a lake on the border of the municipalities of Voss and Kvam in Vestland county, Norway. The lake is the largest lake in all of Hordaland county. The lake is located about southeast of the village of Dalekvam and about sou ...

, Lønavatnet,

Oppheimsvatnet Oppheimsvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Voss in Vestland county, Norway. The lake lies in the northern part of the municipality, about east of the village of Vinje. The European route E16 highway runs along the northern side of the ...

, Torfinnsvatnet, and

. In the north, Voss reaches to the Nærøydalen valley, which leads to the Nærøyfjorden. The

Stalheimsfossen Stalheimsfossen is a waterfall located in the village of Stalheim in Voss Municipality in Vestland county, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Nor ...

waterfall near

sits just above that valley. The

Raundalen Raundalen () is a valley in Vestland county, Norway. The long valley stretches from Uppsetedalen in the northwest corner of Ulvik municipality all the way to Urdland in central Voss municipality. The Bergen Line and Norwegian County Road 307, C ...

valley in the east is the main route of the

Bergensbanen The Bergen Line, or the Bergen Railway ( or ), is a long scenic overlook, scenic standard gauge railway line between Bergen and Hønefoss, Norway. The name is often applied to the entire route from Bergen to Oslo, including the Randsfjord Line ...

railway line, which connects eastern and western Norway. Voss 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 cold ...

(Dfb in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

if is used as winter threshold. If the original is used, then Voss will be classified as an oceanic climate (Cfb). The wettest time of year is October - January, and the driest season is April - July. The all-time high temperature is recorded 24 July 2014; the all-time low is recorded 8 January 2010.

Tourism

Voss is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, forests, lakes and fast-flowing whitewater rivers. This has led to its development as a notable center of

ski Skis are runners, attached to the user's feet, designed to glide over snow. Typically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partially secured heel. For climbing slopes, ski skins c ...

ing,

water sports Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms ...

skydiving Parachuting and skydiving are methods of descending from a high point in an atmosphere to the ground or ocean surface with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or multiple parachutes. For hu ...

paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...

and other adventure sports. Every year in the last week of June the area hosts the

Ekstremsportveko Ekstremsportveko (Extreme Sports Week), or "Veko" as it is commonly called by the locals, is a festival held annually in Voss, Norway. Established in 1998 by Einar Raa Nilsen, Frode Solbakk, Øyvind Kindem and Even Rokne, ...

(Extreme Sports Week), which is regarded as the world's premier

extreme sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extre ...

festival. Bømoen, the local airstrip, is home to Skydive Voss, one of the largest dropzones in Norway, as well as a gliding club. The rivers provide various levels of white water, attracting kayaking, rafting and river boarding. Kite surfing and para-bungee may be seen on lake Vangsvatnet. The ski area, to the north of the town, is accessible via a

cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** ...

Hangursbanen Hangursbanen was a cableway in Voss, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago ...

. There is also

chair lift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers. They are the primary on-hill tran ...

access from Bavallen, a short distance northeast of Voss. The town's proximity to the

Sognefjord The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, ), nicknamed the King of the Fjords (), is the list of Norwegian fjords, longest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the small village ...

and its position between Bergen and

Flåm Flåm () is a village in the Flåmsdalen valley which is located at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjorden, a branch of Sognefjorden. The village is located in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. In 2014 its inhabitants numbered 350. ...

on the

scenic railway Scenic railroad (American English) or Scenic railway (British English) may refer to: * Heritage railways operating leisurely train tours of sights such as mountain scenery, historic areas, and foliage tours * Scenic gravity railroad, early terminol ...

have made it popular with tourists. One of the sights on the road to Flåm is the waterfall Tvindefossen. The Voss Museum displays several old farmsteads, including a larger-than-life stone statue of Lars O. Kindem. Next to the open-air part, there is a museum with over 20,000 items from traditional farm life.

Bird life

Voss has a wide range of habitats, from high barren mountains to rich fertile valleys. The large areas of coniferous forests provide food and shelter for a host of species, while the many wetland areas are regarded as some of the most interesting birding habitats in the county. There is a bird reserve at Lønaøyane with marked paths and a tower hide. Over 155 species have been seen there. Many are common in Scandinavia, but the area has also produced such unexpected species as the

great egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, great white egret, or great white heron, is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. R ...

, European hobby, and

woodlark The woodlark or wood lark (''Lullula arborea'') is the only extant species in the lark genus ''Lullula''. It is found across most of Europe, the Middle East, western Asia and the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident (non-bird migrati ...

Notable people

The Arts

* Christiane Schreiber (1822–1898), a portrait painter *

Knud Bergslien Knud Larsen Bergslien (15 May 1827 – 27 November 1908) was a Norwegian painter, art teacher and master artist. In his art, he frequently portrayed the lives of the Norwegian people, their history and heroes of the past. Bergslien is most asso ...

(1827–1908), a painter, art teacher and master artist *

Ola Mosafinn Ola Mosafinn (14 July 1828 – 28 December 1912) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle player and composer. Mosafinn is regarded among the more important fiddlers in Norway in the late 19th century. Ola Sjursson was born in Voss in Hordaland Cou ...

(1828–1912), a

Hardanger fiddle A hardanger fiddle () is a traditional stringed instrument considered the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than four as on a standard v ...

player and composer *

Brynjulf Bergslien Brynjulf Larsen Bergslien (12 November 1830 – 19 September 1898) was a noted Norwegian sculptor. Background Bergslien was born in Voss in Hordaland county, Norway. He was a son of Lars Bergeson Bergslien and Kirsten Knutsdotter Gjelle. He was ...

(1830–1898), a sculptor *

Nils Bergslien Nils Nilsen Bergslien (26 February 1853 – 18 December 1928) was a Norwegian illustrator, painter and sculptor. Nils Berglien was inspired from the legends, the history of Norway and the west Norwegian mountain landscape. He was known for his na ...

(1853–1928), an illustrator, painter, and sculptor *

Brita Bjørgum Brita Josefsdotter Bjørgum (11 March 1858 – 16 January 1906) was a Norwegian writer, teacher and women's rights activist. She was one of the first feminist writers to write in Nynorsk. Early life Brita Bjørgum was born on 11 March 1858 in ...

(1858–1906), a writer, teacher and women's rights activist * Sjur Helgeland (1858−1924), a Norwegian

hardingfele A hardanger fiddle () is a traditional stringed instrument considered the national instrument of Norway. In modern designs, this type of fiddle is very similar to the violin, though with eight or nine strings (rather than four as on a standard v ...

fiddler and composer *

Lars Tvinde Lars Tvinde (11 September 1886 – 25 June 1973) was a Norwegian stage and film actor. Biography Tvinde was born at Voss in Hordaland, Norway. He was the son of Knut Haldorsen (1843–1927) and Eli Jørgensdotter Leidal (1842–1927). He attend ...

(1886–1973), a stage and film actor *

Lars Fletre Lars Fletre (June 22, 1904 – September 9, 1977) was a prominent Norwegian-American designer and sculptor. Biography Lars Olavson Fletre was born in Vossestrand, Voss, Hordaland, Norway. He was the youngest of seven children born to Ola Odd ...

(1904–1977), a Norwegian-American designer, sculptor, and painter * Liv Bernhoft Osa (born 1957), an actress. Retrieved 06 September 2020. * Olav Dale (1958–2014), a composer, orchestra leader, and jazz saxophonist *

Kåre Kolve Kåre Kolve (born 10 August 1964) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone), and the older brother of the vibraphonist Ivar Kolve. He is known as bandleader of his own Kåre Kolve Quartet, several album releases and the collaborations within th ...

(born 1964) &

Ivar Kolve Ivar Kolve (born 31 March 1967) is a Norwegian jazz musician (xylophone, vibraphone, marimba and percussion), the younger brother of the saxophonist Kåre Kolve, and known from several album releases as soloartist and for collaborations with Ma ...

(born 1967), a jazz musicians

Athletes

Jon Istad Jon Istad (29 July 1937 – 17 May 2012) was a Norway, Norwegian biathlon, biathlete and sport shooter. He was born in Voss and represented the club Voss IL. He was the father of Sverre Istad and uncle of Gro Marit Istad Kristiansen, Gro Marit I ...

(1937–2012), a biathlete and sport shooter * Rune Hauge (born 1954), a football agent *

Odd Lirhus Odd Lirhus (born 18 September 1956) is a former Norwegian biathlete. At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo he won a silver medal in the relay. He also won a gold medal in the 20 km individual at the 1978 Biathlon World Championship. In a ...

(born 1956), a 1978 World Cup winner in biathlon *

Gisle Fenne Gisle Oddvar Fenne (born 9 June 1963) is a former Norwegian biathlete. His best-known international achievement was the silver medal in the 20 km individual in the World Championships 1989 in Feistritz an der Drau. He succeeded in many du ...

(born 1963) a former World Cup silver medalist in biathlon *

Trond Egil Soltvedt Trond Egil Soltvedt (born 15 February 1967) is a Norwegian former footballer who played as a midfielder. After playing for Viking, Brann and Rosenborg in Norway, he played in England with Coventry, Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday before h ...

(born 1967), a former footballer with 350 caps and 4 for

Hilde Synnøve Lid Hilde Synnøve Lid (born 18 March 1971) is a Norwegian freestyle skier. Her achievements include winning an Olympic medal in aerials in 1994, a silver medal in aerials at the 1999 world championships, and placing third overall in aerials in the ...

(born 1971), a freestyle skier Olympic medallist * Astrid Lødemel (born 1971), a retired alpine skier and 1992 World Cup silver medalist *

Gro Marit Istad Kristiansen Gro Marit Istad Kristiansen (born 9 February 1978) is a retired Norwegian biathlete from Voss Voss () is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. ...

(born 1978), a 2005 World champion in biathlon *

Jori Mørkve Jori Mørkve (born 29 December 1980) is a Norwegian former biathlete. Career Mørkve debuted in the World Cup in 2001 in Oberhof with a 77th-place finish. In 2005, she came in 49th in the 15 km in Antholz-Anterselva. Her best achievement ...

(born 1980), a Norwegian former biathlete * Alexander Ødegaard (born 1980), a former footballer with 4 caps for

Sjur Røthe Sjur Røthe (born 2 July 1988) is a Norwegian cross-country skier. He is a three-time World champion. Career He made his World Cup debut in March 2009 in Trondheim, but did not finish the race, and collected his first World Cup points in Novembe ...

(born 1988), a cross-country skier *

Hilde Fenne Hilde Fenne (born 12 May 1993) is a Norwegian biathlete. Career She took a bronze medal and a silver medal in mixed relay at the 2011 European Youth Winter Olympic Festival, and then two gold medals at the 2012 World Junior Champi ...

(born 1993), a retired biathlete * Hedda Hosås (born 2001), a rallycross driver

Olympic champions

Voss is a winter sports center and has in recent times been the home of many world-class athletes in several winter sports, most prominently

biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not ti ...

, but also

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...

nordic skiing Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel. Re ...

and

freestyle skiing Freestyle skiing is a skiing discipline comprising aerials, Mogul Skiing, moguls, Ski Cross, cross, Half-pipe skiing, half-pipe, slopestyle and big air as part of the Freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics. It can consist of a ...

. In all, athletes from Voss have won 6 gold medals, 5 silver medals and 7 bronze medals at winter Olympic games. Athletes from Voss have been present, representing Norway, at every winter Olympic games except one since

1948 Winter Olympics The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games (; ; ; ) and commonly known as St. Moritz 1948 (; ), were a winter multi-sport event held from 30 January to 8 February 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the ...

, the exception being

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

. *

Eirik Kvalfoss Eirik Kvalfoss (born 25 December 1959) is a Norwegian retired biathlete. Life and career He won three medals during the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo: gold in the 10 km sprint, silver in relay and bronze in the 20 km individual. In ...

1984 Winter Olympics The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian language, Serbo-Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: ; ) and commonly known as Sarajevo '84 (Serbian Cy ...

(

, sprint) *

Kristen Skjeldal Kristen Skjeldal (born 27 May 1967) is an Olympic champion and cross-country skier from Norway. He has won three olympic medals: two gold and one bronze. He won his first gold medal in the 4 × 10 km relay at the 1992 Winter Olympics in A ...

1992 Winter Olympics The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Albertville '92 (Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile '92''), were a winter multi-sport event held from 8 to 23 February 1992 in and aroun ...

(

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

, relay) *

1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Hav ...

bronze medal winner in freestyle *

Jan Einar Thorsen Jan Einar Thorsen (born August 31, 1966) is a former Norwegian Alpine skier, active between 1987 and 1994.Jan Einar Thorsen< ...

, bronze medal winner in downhill *

Kari Traa Kari Traa (born 28 January 1974) is a Norwegian former Olympic freestyle skier. She won the Olympic title in the moguls event at the 2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly k ...

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...

(

, moguls) *

Egil Gjelland Egil Gjelland (born 12 November 1973) is a Norwegian former biathlete. He is olympic champion in the biathlon relay from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Egil Gjelland grew up in Voss, the home of many world class biathletes, and sta ...

(

, relay) *

Lars Bystøl Lars Kristian Bystøl (born 4 December 1978) is a Norwegian former ski jumper who competed from 2002 to 2008. His career highlights include an individual gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics, one individual World Cup victory, a gold medal in th ...

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...

(

ski jumping Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final ...

, K90)

Public Servants & TV

* Jens Gran Gleditsch (1860–1931), a theologian and Bishop of

Nidaros Nidaros, Niðarós or Niðaróss () was the medieval name of Trondheim when it was the capital of Norway's first Christian kings. It was named for its position at the mouth (Old Norse: ''óss'') of the River Nid (the present-day Nidelva). Althou ...

Johannes Lid Johannes Lid (11 January 1886 – 29 September 1971) was a Norwegian botanist. He was born in Voss, and he married the illustrator Dagny Tande Lid in 1936. He is particularly known for his works on Scandinavian flora, and for his widely use ...

(1886–1971), a Norwegian botanist *

(1914–2005), a Norwegian politician and former Transport Minister * Svein Blindheim (1916–2013), a military officer known for his resistance work * Jon Lilletun (1945–2006), a politician who was Minister of Education and Research from 1997-2001 * Gunnstein Akselberg (born 1949), a linguist and academic *

Ingvild Bryn Ingvild Bryn (born 18 March 1961) is a Norwegian journalist. She is a news anchor for the evening news '' Dagsrevyen'', aired on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Biography She started as a news anchor in 1990, was then a correspondent in ...

(born 1961), a journalist and news anchor for NRK *

Arne Hjeltnes Arne Hjeltnes (born August 9, 1963) is a Norwegian writer, television personality, marketer and politician. Biography Hjeltnes was born in Kristiansand, but grew up in Voss. He first moved to Bærum in 1982 to attend the BI Norwegian Business Sc ...

(born 1963), a writer and presenter for TV2 * Linda Eide (born 1969), a TV and radio presenter, comedian, actor, and chat-show host *

Guri Solberg Guri Solberg (born 15 July 1976) is television host at the Norwegian TV station TV 2 (Norway), TV 2. She was host of ''Absolutt Underholdning'' in 2004-2005, ''Skal vi danse?'' four times in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2013 (on TV 2), and award ceremonie ...

(born 1976), a TV host at TV2

Norwegian-Americans

Like the rest of

, Voss saw large-scale emigration, particularly to the United States, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. *

Elling Eielsen Elling Eielsen (September 19, 1804 – January 10, 1883) was a Norwegian-American minister and Lutheran Church leader. He was the first Norwegian Lutheran minister in the United States. Background Eielsen was born and raised on the farm of Sundve ...

(1804–1883), the first Lutheran Church leader in the USA * Iver Lawson (1821–1871), a real estate investor and newspaper publisher *

John Anderson John Anderson may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * John Anderson (jazz trumpeter) (1921–1974), American musician * Jon Anderson (John Roy Anderson, born 1944), lead singer of the British band Yes * John Anderson (producer) (1948–2024 ...

(1836–1910), the founder and publisher ''

Skandinaven ''Skandinaven'' was a Norwegian language newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois from 1866 until 1941. Background ''Skandinaven'' was established by three Norwegian immigrants; John Anderson, Knud Langeland (1813–88), and Iver Lawson ( ...

'' * Eli Pederson (1837–1909), a

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

man *

Knute Nelson Knute Nelson (born Knud Evanger; February 2, 1843 – April 28, 1923) was a Norway, Norwegian-born United States, American attorney and politician active in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he served in sta ...

(1843–1923), a

US Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

and the 12th

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory ...

1893-1895 * Canute R. Matson (1843–1903), the Sheriff of

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the List of counties in Illinois, most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the List of the most populous counties in the United States, second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, C ...

* Aad J. Vinje (1857–1929), the Chief Justice of the

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...

* Thorstein Himle (1857–1925), a missionary with the Lutheran

Hauge Synod The Hauge Synod (formally Hauge's Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America) was the name of a Norwegian Lutheran church body in the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Background The Hauge Synod (Norwegian: ) wa ...

* Ragnvald Nestos (1877–1942), the 13th Governor of North Dakota from 1921–1925. * Torkild Rieber (1882–1968), a chairman of Texaco * Knute Rockne (1888–1931), an American footballer and coach who was commemorated by a memorial in

(1904–1977), a designer and sculptor

Science

* Aad Knutsson Gjelle (1768–1840), a cartographer

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway
The Norwegian Birding Route
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Voss, Municipalities of Vestland 1838 establishments in Norway Petty kingdoms of Norway