Jølster
Encyclopedia
Jølster is a municipality in the county
of Sogn og Fjordane
, Norway
. It is located in the traditional district
of Sunnfjord
. The administrative centre is the village of Skei
. Other population centers in the municipality include Vassenden
and Langhaugane
.
Jølster lies at the centre of Sogn og Fjordane county and is known for its rich cultural traditions in home crafts, folk music
, song, dancing and creative arts. Agriculture
is the largest and most important industry. The principal attractions being the beautiful scenery, easy access to the glacier
s. Jølster is home to part of the largest glacier of continental Europe
, the Jostedalsbreen
as well as a clear green lake named Jølstravatn
. The trout
caught in Jølstravatn are renowned throughout Norway
and beyond.
). The original municipality was identical to the Jølster parish
(prestegjeld
) with the sub-parishes (sokn) of Ålhus
and Helgheim. On 1 January 1964, the farm area of Førde in Breim
(population: 38) was transferred to Jølster.
) is named after the Jølstra river which runs through the lower parts of the municipality. The name (Old Norse
: Jólmstr) is a word that describes the noise and rumble of the river.
is from modern times. They were granted on 22 July 1983. The arms are derived from the arms of Audun Hugleiksson
from Hegranes in the present municipality, who died in 1302. He was a Middle Ages
nobleman
who lived in Jølster and built Audunborg
, one of only two private stone castle
s in Norway
. On his seals, he used a shield
with a rose
, surrounded with a bordure
of fleur-de-lis
. The arms of Jølster are derived from this bordure.
has three churches within the municipality of Jølster. It is part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin
and the Rural Deanery
(Prosti) of Sunnfjord
.
(through 10th grade), outpatient health services
, senior citizen
services, unemployment
and other social services
, zoning
, economic development
, and municipal road
s. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor
.
breakdown is as follows:
(ordførar) of a municipality in Norway is a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. Gerd Dvergsdal
of the Centre Party
(Senterpartiet) was elected mayor for the 2007-2011 term.
lake splits the municipality in half—creating two centres of population at each end: Skei
in the eastern end of the lake and Vassenden
(English: the water-end) in the western part, where the river Jølstra starts. Lake Breimsvatn
is also partially located in Jølster.
Jølster is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Stryn
and Gloppen
, to the east by Luster
, to the southeast by Sogndal
, and to the south and west by Førde
.
is one of the largest industries in Jølster, and there are hotels, campsites and a number of tourist facilities in each centre of the municipality. In addition to tourism, agriculture and construction are the other most important industries.
. The barn was torn down and rebuilt as a gallery, but in the same style as the old barn. The gallery has permanent exhibitions of Astrup's work such as paintings, graphics, wood-engraving plates and sketches. Most of his scenes have been taken from Jølster and Nikolai Astrup has since remained one of the most Norwegian of our national artists.
Nikolai Astrup lived most of his life in Jølster. Astrup often is regarded as the artist of Western Norway, as he found virtually all of his motives in his home surroundings. He's considered the "most Norwegian" of all the national artists of Norway.
, also is closely connected to Jølster. The artist grew up in Jølster, but later moved to Oslo
. He is among other things famous for his non-figurative art and portrait
s/self-portrait
s.
The Eikaas Gallery was originally an old dairy farm in Ålhus
that was purchased by the municipality of Jølster and converted to a modern art gallery. The collection contains about 300 works of art by Ludvig Eikaas. Since the opening of the Eikaas Gallery in 1994, many tourists have stopped to enjoy the "humorous madness" and other varieties of the art of Ludvig Eikaas.
. Here you can enjoy yourself on the slopes or you can take the lift to the top and crosscountry ski through the valley. There are lighted ski trails in Årdal
and in Dvergsdalen. Jølster also has many wild and beautiful mountains just right for Telemark skiing
enthusiasts.
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
of Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is located in the traditional district
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Sogn og Fjordane county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Jølster, Naustdal, and the southernmost parts of Bremanger...
. The administrative centre is the village of Skei
Skei, Sogn og Fjordane
Skei is the administrative centre of the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located at the northeastern end of the lake Jølstravatn along the highway...
. Other population centers in the municipality include Vassenden
Vassenden
Vassenden is a village in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located along the river Jølstra at the western end of the lake Jølstravatn. The population of Vassenden was 314 in 2009, and the village is about ....
and Langhaugane
Langhaugane
Langhaugane is a village along the river Jølstra in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located along the highway about west of Vassenden, near the western end of the lake Jølstravatnet. The municipal center of Skei is northeast of Langhaugane and the town of...
.
Jølster lies at the centre of Sogn og Fjordane county and is known for its rich cultural traditions in home crafts, folk music
Music of Norway
Music based on traditional Norwegian form usually includes minor or modal scales , making a sober and haunting sound. Pure major key dance music forms also exist. Prior to the 18th century, there is scant written record of what kind of music was played in Norway, but there is a large aural tradition...
, song, dancing and creative arts. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
is the largest and most important industry. The principal attractions being the beautiful scenery, easy access to the glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s. Jølster is home to part of the largest glacier of continental Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the Jostedalsbreen
Jostedalsbreen
Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It is situated in Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Balestrand, Jølster, and Stryn. The highest peak in the area is Lodalskåpa at a height of .Jostedalsbreen has a total area...
as well as a clear green lake named Jølstravatn
Jølstravatn
Jølstravatn is a lake in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The lake empties its water into the long Jølstra river which then flows into the Førdefjorden. The impressive eastern arm of Jølstravatn is called Kjøsnesfjorden, although it is not a true fjord that is...
. The trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
caught in Jølstravatn are renowned throughout Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and beyond.
General information
Jølster was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). The original municipality was identical to the Jølster parish
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
(prestegjeld
Prestegjeld
A Prestegjeld is a geographic and administrative area of the Church of Norway roughly equivalent to a parish. A prestegjeld can consist of one or many congregations...
) with the sub-parishes (sokn) of Ålhus
Ålhus
Ålhus is a small village in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located on highway on the northern side of the lake Jølstravatnet, in a largely agricultural area. Ålhus is located west of the village of Skei and northeast of the villages of Vassenden and...
and Helgheim. On 1 January 1964, the farm area of Førde in Breim
Breim
Breim is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Nordfjord in the eastern part of the present-day municipality of Gloppen...
(population: 38) was transferred to Jølster.
Name
The municipality (originally the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
) is named after the Jølstra river which runs through the lower parts of the municipality. The name (Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Jólmstr) is a word that describes the noise and rumble of the river.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 22 July 1983. The arms are derived from the arms of Audun Hugleiksson
Audun Hugleiksson
Audun Hugleiksson was a Norwegian nobleman at the end of the 13th century. He was the king's right hand, both under King Magnus Lagabøte and King Eirik Magnusson, and was seen as an important politician and lawman in his time. He played a central role in reforming the Norwegian law system...
from Hegranes in the present municipality, who died in 1302. He was a Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
nobleman
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
who lived in Jølster and built Audunborg
Audunborg
Audunborg or Hegrenes-borga was a castle and fortification built by Audun Hugleiksson on his inherited estate at Ålhus on the shore of the Jølstravatn in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is about northeast of the village of Vassenden.-History:The castle was built...
, one of only two private stone castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. On his seals, he used a shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
with a rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
, surrounded with a bordure
Bordure
In heraldry, a bordure is a band of contrasting tincture forming a border around the edge of a shield, traditionally one-sixth as wide as the shield itself...
of fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
. The arms of Jølster are derived from this bordure.
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has three churches within the municipality of Jølster. It is part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin
Diocese of Bjørgvin
Bjørgvin Diocese is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers churches located in the counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. The cathedral city is Bergen. Bergen Cathedral, formerly the Church of Saint Olaf, serves as the seat of the presiding Bishop...
and the Rural Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
(Prosti) of Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Sogn og Fjordane county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Jølster, Naustdal, and the southernmost parts of Bremanger...
.
| Parish (Prestegjeld) | Sub-Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jølster Parish | Helgheim | Helgheim kyrkje | 1877 | Helgheim |
| Ålhus | Vassenden kyrkje | 2002 | Vassenden Vassenden Vassenden is a village in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located along the river Jølstra at the western end of the lake Jølstravatn. The population of Vassenden was 314 in 2009, and the village is about .... |
|
| Ålhus kyrkje | 1795 | Ålhus Ålhus Ålhus is a small village in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located on highway on the northern side of the lake Jølstravatnet, in a largely agricultural area. Ålhus is located west of the village of Skei and northeast of the villages of Vassenden and... |
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Jølster, are responsible for primary educationPrimary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
(through 10th grade), outpatient health services
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, senior citizen
Old age
Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...
services, unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
and other social services
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
, zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
, economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
, and municipal road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
.
Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Jølster is made up of 25 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2007–2011, the partyPolitical party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
breakdown is as follows:
Mayor
The mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
(ordførar) of a municipality in Norway is a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. Gerd Dvergsdal
Gerd Dvergsdal
Gerd Dvergsdal is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party.She served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Sogn og Fjordane during the term 2001–2005....
of the Centre Party
Centre Party (Norway)
The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...
(Senterpartiet) was elected mayor for the 2007-2011 term.
Geography
The JølstravatnJølstravatn
Jølstravatn is a lake in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The lake empties its water into the long Jølstra river which then flows into the Førdefjorden. The impressive eastern arm of Jølstravatn is called Kjøsnesfjorden, although it is not a true fjord that is...
lake splits the municipality in half—creating two centres of population at each end: Skei
Skei, Sogn og Fjordane
Skei is the administrative centre of the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located at the northeastern end of the lake Jølstravatn along the highway...
in the eastern end of the lake and Vassenden
Vassenden
Vassenden is a village in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located along the river Jølstra at the western end of the lake Jølstravatn. The population of Vassenden was 314 in 2009, and the village is about ....
(English: the water-end) in the western part, where the river Jølstra starts. Lake Breimsvatn
Breimsvatn
Breimsvatn is a lake in the municipalities of Gloppen and Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. At , it is the largest lake in Gloppen . The highway runs along the north end of the lake, connecting the two nearby areas of Sandane and Byrkjelo...
is also partially located in Jølster.
Jølster is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Stryn
Stryn
Stryn is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Stryn which had a population of 2,177 in 2009. The municipality is located along the innermost part of the...
and Gloppen
Gloppen
Gloppen is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. Gloppen is generally subdivided into three areas: Hyen in the west, Gloppen in the center, and Breim in the east. Each of the areas have their own main service centres. ...
, to the east by Luster
Luster, Norway
Luster is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative centre is Gaupne. Other villages include Skjolden, Hafslo, Jostedal, and Veitastrond....
, to the southeast by Sogndal
Sogndal
Sogndal is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Sogndalsfjøra is the administrative center of Sogndal municipality. Other main villages include Kaupanger, Kjørnes, and Fjærland...
, and to the south and west by Førde
Førde
Førde is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative center is the town of Førde which in 2010 had 12,035 inhabitants. The historic village of Bruland is located just east of the town of Førde...
.
Economy
TourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is one of the largest industries in Jølster, and there are hotels, campsites and a number of tourist facilities in each centre of the municipality. In addition to tourism, agriculture and construction are the other most important industries.
Attractions
Astruptunet
Astruptunet was the home of the painter Nikolai Astrup (1880–1928) for the last fourteen years of his life. The Astrup Farm (Astruptunet) was the artist's home and small farm, but today it is a museum and art gallery, kept as it was in Astrup's days, nestled among the steep but fertile slopes on the south side of JølstravatnJølstravatn
Jølstravatn is a lake in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The lake empties its water into the long Jølstra river which then flows into the Førdefjorden. The impressive eastern arm of Jølstravatn is called Kjøsnesfjorden, although it is not a true fjord that is...
. The barn was torn down and rebuilt as a gallery, but in the same style as the old barn. The gallery has permanent exhibitions of Astrup's work such as paintings, graphics, wood-engraving plates and sketches. Most of his scenes have been taken from Jølster and Nikolai Astrup has since remained one of the most Norwegian of our national artists.
Nikolai Astrup lived most of his life in Jølster. Astrup often is regarded as the artist of Western Norway, as he found virtually all of his motives in his home surroundings. He's considered the "most Norwegian" of all the national artists of Norway.
Eikaas Gallery
Another famous Norwegian painter and graphic artist, Ludvig EikaasLudvig Eikaas
Ludvig Eikaas was a Norwegian painter, graphic artist and sculptor. Eikaas was among the first artists in Norway to work in a purely non-figurative idiom.-Biography:...
, also is closely connected to Jølster. The artist grew up in Jølster, but later moved to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. He is among other things famous for his non-figurative art and portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
s/self-portrait
Self-portrait
A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Although self-portraits have been made by artists since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid 15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting...
s.
The Eikaas Gallery was originally an old dairy farm in Ålhus
Ålhus
Ålhus is a small village in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located on highway on the northern side of the lake Jølstravatnet, in a largely agricultural area. Ålhus is located west of the village of Skei and northeast of the villages of Vassenden and...
that was purchased by the municipality of Jølster and converted to a modern art gallery. The collection contains about 300 works of art by Ludvig Eikaas. Since the opening of the Eikaas Gallery in 1994, many tourists have stopped to enjoy the "humorous madness" and other varieties of the art of Ludvig Eikaas.
Jølstra Museum
The Jølstra museum is a private village green with many original Jølstra buildings and a collection of around 3,000 artifacts. There are also exhibitions of paintings by Ludvig Eikaas and Oddvar Torsheim and of Jølster textiles.Jølster Alpine Ski Centre
Jølster can offer you several alternatives for skiing enthusiasts. Jølster alpine ski centre lies at VassendenVassenden
Vassenden is a village in the municipality of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located along the river Jølstra at the western end of the lake Jølstravatn. The population of Vassenden was 314 in 2009, and the village is about ....
. Here you can enjoy yourself on the slopes or you can take the lift to the top and crosscountry ski through the valley. There are lighted ski trails in Årdal
Årdal
Årdal is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Årdalstangen is the administrative center of the municipality. Årdal was separated from Lærdal in 1860....
and in Dvergsdalen. Jølster also has many wild and beautiful mountains just right for Telemark skiing
Telemark skiing
Telemark skiing is a form of skiing using the Telemark turn. Unlike alpine skiing equipment, the skis used for telemarking either have a binding that only connects the boot to the ski at the toes, just as in cross-country skiing, or may be released to only connect there.Telemark turns are led with...
enthusiasts.
Notable residents
- Asgeir ÅrdalAsgeir ÅrdalAsgeir Mandelid Årdal is a Norwegian cross-country skier. He made his FIS Cross-Country World Cup debut in March 2005 in Drammen, Norway. He collected his first World Cup points with a 24th place finish in Drammen in March 2008....
(born 1983)–a Cross-country skierCross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...