CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Aurland - Lærdal area offers public access to approx. 40 culture-related tourist attractions and activities. These include ancient monuments, museums, art galleries, farmyards, groups of buildings, visitor centres and events. Some of the tourist attractions are open all year round and some throughout the summer (1/5 – 30/9), whereas others have a shorter season. Most tourist attractions welcome individuals as well as groups, and many venues are particularly well suited for hosting events. We are constantly working to boost the number of visitors to these cultural tourist attractions, in order to ensure wider access to the experience of local character associated with particular environments, local culture, aesthetics and heritage.

The World Heritage Site as a cheese-making region

By Johs. B. Thue

Inner Sogn has been a cheese region since ancient times, with brown and white goats cheese a particular speciality. However, the pungent “gamalost” cheese also had a devoted following. The Undredal Stølsysteri cheese-makers and the Vik Dairy are the proud bearers of a long and well-rooted culinary tradition which is based on local ingredients and the passing down of local knowledge for generations. In fact, you’ve not really visited Sogn till you’ve tasted the cheese. Tradition is important when it comes to food. Produce tend to bear evidence of the soil, climate and environment of the area where livestock live and graze. The tasty goats cheese from the valley of Undredal most certainly owes its character to these factors. The goats of Undredal graze on fjord-green grass, juicy buds, shooting leaves and scented heathers: they soak up their energy from steep mountainsides in ecological balance. The waterfront at Undredal is a colourful carpet of flowers, as if the very rainbow had shattered, fallen to earth and settled in for the benefit of our eyes and the goats’ palates. Yet, the art of making delicious cheese is not only down to quality grass and leaves or flowers. This is a complicated, demanding craft based on knowledge. And the people of Undredal know their craft better than most, having modernised their methods while retaining the traditional full flavour and rich aroma. Their cheese is made from goats milk with a good dollop of cows cream added. The fjord-side villages distinguish themselves in this respect as well. Our very first humanist, Absalon Pedersen Beyer, grew up at Skjerdal in Aurland. He wrote that the cows of Inner Sogn graze on mountain grass so rich they produce pats of butter. He may well have passed this comment in the 16th century, but the mountain grass growing by the edge of the everlasting snow is still as rich. This is the reason why goats cheese from Undredal has a flavour of Norwegian fjords and mountains which gives us the nourishment and nutrients we need. Goats cheese is an indispensable part of the diet for any Norwegian male or female athlete when taking part in long-distance races. On occasion, the cheese has even been concealed and smuggled into foreign countries, so as not to let other competitors in on the reason why Norwegians can cope better with gruelling toil than anybody else. And why is it that people from Voss have been particularly successful in winning home World Championships and Olympic medals? It is of course due to the proximity of Voss to Undredal. Do you remember biathlon star Eirik Kvalfoss, Mr. Golden Foss himself? His mother came from Undredal, and he won just about everything on the biathlon scene due to his craving for goats cheese, which made him ski even faster towards the end of a gruelling race. The white goats cheese, which Pascale Baudonnel has developed further in recent years, is one of our most scrumptious culinary delights. Have you ever tried buttered flatbread from potatoes with thick slices of white goats cheese, topped with cured fjord trout or marinated herring? Be assured, we’re not talking food here; this is sheer medicine, a true cure-all. Also, white goats cheese topped with salmon smoked in traditional Lærdal fashion brings tears to our eyes, in praise and gratitude. When celebrating significant anniversaries, the Royal Family sometimes organise grand parties. The bountiful spread will inevitably include “gamalost” cheese from Vik, round and PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com well matured. The cheese is a good conversation starter; “gamalost” is a familiar talking point, a link between all Norwegians; everyone has a story about the sharp flavour, and about Sogn. “Gamalost” cheese is Norwegian, low in fat, and strong. And it forms an indispensable part of the royal table, suitable for kings and queens, and for you and me. The craving for “gamalost” cheese is part of our identity; part of being Norwegian, free and democratic. Consistently democratic. Sogn is the Norwegian cheese region par excellence. The partnership between Vik Dairy to the cheese-makers at Undredal Stølsysteri is unique, and no other region can compare. Brown and white goats cheese, and the pungent “gamalost” cheese, form part and parcel of our cultural baggage. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

AURLAND IN THE MIDDLE AGES

A Heritage Journey from Iceland to Aurland in the 10th Century?

In order to give this story a broader base, I have interpreted Aurland's local and national history in the unique setting of fjords and mountains. For many years I have been interested Aurland's medieval history, especially the period 800-1350 AD. We find that our local history quite often has ties to our national history, and vice versa. They overlap and supplement each other. This has entailed both advantages and disadvantages: an advantage when the sources can support each other, and a disadvantage when the national historians did not have access to materials available locally. A careful study of local topography would have been desirable both for local and national history. Numerous mistakes could have been avoided if the historians had known more about the local history and topography. [The field names and family farm names often tell their own story. For that reason, a short interpretation of the names has sometimes been included in this translation]. The name Grimsete in the lower Låven Valley is a source of abundant local history. [Grim is an Old Norse name meaning a masked or helmeted parson Sete means living-place, in recent centuries used mostly for seasonal mountain farming]. It must have been a strategic point for hunters because of its location. From there the hunters could observe and control the reindeer herds while grazing, as well as when they were moving swiftly long their regular runs. There was no better observation point, as they could see the entire Låven Valley, both the north and the south sides, where the Lyngvellene (fields of heather shrubs) and Knutseggi (Knut's Ridge) had a large number of animal traps, pitfalls, bow and arrow positions [low stone walls behind which the hunters lay ready to kill reindeer] and deer cliffs [over which the animals could be driven]. This was also the case on the north side of the Aurland River, where the hunting grounds around Blåskavlen (the Blue Snow Pack/Glacier) also have a multitude of reindeer traps, especially around Leimseggi, where there must have been extensive hunting. [Leimseggi probably should have been Leinseggi, in which case it would mean 'slope ridge'. In Old Norse lein was spelled hlein, which is a cognate of English lean (Old English hlinian) and the cline in incline 'upward slope', from Latin]. Here quite a few, perhaps a whole neighborhood of farmers, have hunted together. The hunting grounds around Blåskavlen are equal to, perhaps even larger than, those around the Låven Valley. At the foot of this hunting field we find that the farms Skjerdal (Skirdal), Ty, Kvam, Aas, Gjerlå, Vinjum, Skaim, Tero, and the farms in Vassbygdi form a half-circle around this mountain massif (a group of connected mountains that form a mountain range), which rises 1809 meters (5935 feet) above sea level. These big hunting grounds are divided in two by the Aurland River. How do we know that the Buna family of Aurland have hunted here before the 880s, when Harald the Fairhaired [the king who united Norway to one kingdom about 885] started to persecute and expel old leaders and chieftans who refused to be subjugated and to pay tax? Here the saga of Aud the Deep-minded can be of help. But first we must look at the serious division of the Buna Family, PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com The old chieftans did not want to accept a king as an overlord. If they could not beat King Harald in battle, they preferred to leave the country--and indeed they did. They settled in Ireland, Scotland (Caithness), Shetland, Orkneys, the Faroe Islands and finally in Iceland. Things went well in Ireland and Scotland to begin with, but finally they had to flee from the Kelts. Both Aud's husband, King Olaf the White, and her son Thorstein the Red fell in battle. Aud gave two of Thorstein's daughters (her granddaughters) in marriage in the Faroe Islands. She herself ended up in Iceland, where she became one of the most influential early settlers and parceled out land to her family and friends and called her farm Kvam (Hvammur). [The pronounciation/spelling of kv and hv have fluctuated in Iceland and Norway since Old Norse times. The name designates a hollow or dip sheltered by hills and not visible from a distance. Norsk Ordbok, Vol 6, 2007]. We infer from the sagas that Aud never quite could forget Aurland and the Kvam farm, where she had grown up. I believe that this bond to Kvam and to Aurland is the background for the delegation she recommended from Iceland to Aurland, in which her grandson Höskuld was the leader. [It needs to be noted that the Icelandic sagas do not agree about where Aud and her famous father Ketil Flat-nose grew up. However, the Eyrbyggja Saga, Chapter I, which seems quite reliable, states that Ketil Flat-nose was "a noble lord in Norway. He was the son of Bjørn Buna, the son of Grim, a lord of Sogn"]. Probably, at the urging of Aud, they did not sail by Kyrkjebø [on the north side of the Sognefjord about half-way between Aurland and the entrance to the Sogn Sea] because King Harald's loyalists had assumed control of that area. Therefore, they sailed straight to Bergen, and put their ships ashore there. It would have been dangerous to sail in the Sognefjord also because King Harald's people were in control of the royal farm at Husabø in Systrond (Leikanger). There they had full control of all the comings and goings on the fjord. Aud must have asked them to put the ships ashore and take the main-traveled water route (fjords, river and lakes) from Bergen to Voss, and the mountain path from there to Flåm and on to Kvam in Aurland. This trip seems to have been successful. [Here it should be noted that if Höskuld traveled to Aurland via Voss, he would probably not have left his ships in Bergen, but sailed east on the Oster Fjord and all the way to Bolstadøyri, now in the municipality of Voss. We know that when the famous Viking Egil Skallagrimsson earlier visited king Harald the Fairhaired in Voss he used that route (King Harald died about 930). I walked part of that mountain route often in my youth, and it would have taken Höskuld and his people less than half the time to use that route compared to rowing the Sognefjord. The Laxdöla Saga reports that Höskuld's delegation visited "important kinsmen, … although they are not mentioned by name". Although they had more than half a year at their disposal, they did not go to visit the king (Haakon the Good 935-965) near Oslo, but they remained with their kinsmen "who received them with open arms"]. The Kvam farm in Aurland must have been the main farm of the Buna family, before half of them had to flee the country. From here they had an excellent view of the Aurland Fjord north-east toward the main Sognefjord and south toward Flåm. Besides, this farm had good soil, which is old fjord bottom, and, as mentioned earlier, excellent hunting grounds around Blåskavlen and eastward. The Buna family could choose whichever farm they wanted, and Kvam on the slopes of northern Aurland had a lot to offer. It looks like the Buna family, since time immemorial, had been hunters who lived in the mountains. About two thousand years ago they started to descend into the valleys and formed neighborhoods and settlements. There the rivers were teeming with salmon and trout, and PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com they could grow grain and raise cattle. There they no longer needed to track the reindeer in the high mountains. The mountains could now be used for the domestic animals during the summer. That was the beginning of the use of the seter (in western Norway called støl). The hunter was about to find a new way of sustenance. However, hunting continued to be important. We are told that the farms situated high up on the slopes were the oldest, and the farmers there continued enjoying the mountains. The valleys, however, also had much to offer. Gradually, the nomadic hunters became more permanent residents. The Norwegian word for farmer, bonde is derived from an older word búandi, a present participle of búa, "living (in permanent settlements)". They found that tilling the soil along with animal husbandry was easier and more valuable than hunting in the mountains. This change ocurred gradually, because today the residents still enjoy hunting and fishing. Many of our west Norwegian farms combine agriculture, mountain farming and fishing. The people of Aurland still hunt reindeer every fall. Some hunt for additional food supply, but for many it is probably mainly a sport. The people along the coast of Norway have combined farming and fishing. Those who live in the fjord and mountain areas have combined regular farming, summer mountain farming and hunting. Inland fishing has increased in recent years. Archaeological specimens in Danish swamps and bogs from the time 200-500 AD have been a sensation. Large amounts of weapons, swords, riding saddles and horse bits must have been equipment for large armies. Many of the weapons have been inlaid with silver and gold. The Danish archaeologist Jørgen Illerup believes that many of these warriors came from western Norway, and that Avaldsnes (in Karmøy) must have been a center. They raided both Jutland in Denmark and southern Sweden. It seems they have even had contact with the Roman Empire. The Danish archaelogical bog finds tell about an extensive activity during the first 500 years of our era, and it is tempting to believe that the Buna family has participated in these raids, which may also have been commercial journeys. Bog iron and weapon production have surely also been objects of trade. How much members of the Buna family have participated in raids or commercial excursions is difficult to say, but we know that the family was divided when Harald the Fair-haired wreaked havoc in the second half of the 800s. The saga farm Hvammur and Kvam in Aurland have a common name. Aurland must have been a center for the Buna family. It is tempting to believe that the Buna family members have more or less participated in the old Viking raids as well as in peaceful trade. As we have mentioned, many of the richest and the strongest chieftans of Aurland fled Norway when Harald the Fairhaired assumed total power. How was life for those who remained in Aurland? Brynjulv Bjørnson became their leader. They must have had their main location on the south side of the valley where the farm Sult (Ohnstad) was the center. It appears from Aud the Deep-minded's story that the chieftans Kjetil, his daughter Aud and the son Bjørn Buna must have had their headquarter on the north side of the valley, probably with Kvam (Hvammur) as their senter. After their departure, Brynjulf became the leader of those who remained. It is quite likely that Brynjulv and his people took over the properties and hunting rights of those who left. This part of the Buna family developed more and more of a center in Aurland generally, where the old family farm Sult was a center. On that farm we still find the Tinghaug (mound PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com from which civil and criminal justice was announced), Leikvollen (play ground), which indicate local juditial matters as well as playful activity, From Aurland the distance was relatively a short to Bergen and there were connections eastward both through Hallingdal and Valdres. Sult was a center until the 1800s. However, in the 1870s, this center was more and more moved to the holy site of Vangen The old name Sult was more and more abandoned, and the name Unestad---Onstad (Ohnstad)---named after the rural estate owner Une, came into use. The name Sult still survives in place names like Sulthella (Salthella), Sultøyri and Sultadalen by Håvasete (high mountain summer farm) in the Frondal Valley. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

BLEIA – a mountain of stark contrasts

by Magnhild Aspevik

Many of the land formations along the Sognefjord may resemble those found beneath and round Bleia, but none can boast the grandeur of the Bleia Nature Reserve. From the summit of Mount Bleia to the bottom of the Sognefjord there is a height difference of 2850 metres. This is the highest continuous slope in Norway. The anorthosite rock is susceptible to erosion, generating continuous blockfields at 900 – 1000 metres above sea level. The fjord glaciers of the Sognefjord have shaped the towering rock faces of Bleia’s north western wall over a number of ice ages. It is probable that this mountainside has been eroded by local basal glacier ice. After all, conditions are better for glaciers in the shade than on the sunny side. Nevertheless, the three largest valleys of today’s Nature Reserve show few glacial characteristics. This may be because the rock is easily worn away, thus giving rise to substantial landslide activity. Large amounts of snow accumulate in ravines and gorges, and the frequency and scale of avalanches is such that they reach the fjord. Evidence of landslides make up the most characteristic feature of the mountainside, but there are also numerous deep canyons, and land formations have often combined so that rivers follow the route of landslides and vice versa. The gentle gradient of Bleia’s summit plateau is covered by a blockfield which probably dates back to an era before the last ice age, which means it used to be free of ice at the time. The question of whether rock was protruding through the glacier during the last ice age is an important issue for geologists as well as botanists. A rare sub-species of the Arctic poppy (Papaver radicatum ssp. relictum) can be found at Inste Drøfti. Growing in only one other location in Norway (Helin at Valdres), the poppy lends special scientific interest to the areas north of Bleia, particularly for botanists. It grows in scree fields between approx. 350 and 900 metres above sea level. On the fjord bank beneath Bleia, the ancient pinewoods show little evidence of human intervention. The qualities of these areas stand up to comparison with any other coniferous reserve in Inner Sogn. A number of fungi and lichen on the red list of threatened species have also been recorded in the Nature Reserve. The objective of the Bleia Nature Reserve is to protect an area of special scientific interest in which the Arctic poppy (Papaver radicatum ssp. relictum) thrives, and a special fjord-side Quarternary landscape of unusually large ravines and mountain ridges, as well as a botanically valuable area with woodlands reminiscent of primeval forest, stretching from the banks of the fjord to the mountain summits. Sources: Aa. Asbjørn Rune: Bleia – eit fjell med store kontrastar [Bleia, a mountain of stark contrasts] The Governor of Sogn og Fjordane: Report no. 2 - 2005, Local plan for the Nærøyfjord area (proposal) PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Communication on the Nærøyfjord

Long ago, there were only footpaths or bridle paths along the fjord. Boats were therefore very important when people wanted to get to other farms and hamlets. The Viking Age Gudvangen is one of the oldest market-places in Norway. The Nærøyfjord is named after the god of seafaring, Njord. He created the wind for the sails and made sure that it was not so strong that boats capsized. People have lived in the Nærøyfjord since time immemorial, and during the Viking Age there was a great deal of traffic both on land and by sea. The Nærøyfjord had already become important as a transport route between Western and Eastern Norway. Rowing boats and sailing boats Until 1859, people who lived in the Nærøydalen valley and beside the Nærøyfjord attended church in Undredal, and the only way to get there was by sea. Church services were usually held once a month. However, people also had other reasons to travel, such as attending assemblies (ting), auctions and dealings with the police or priest. Weddings, funerals and feasts were other important events and social gatherings. Officials such as bailiffs, local judges and policemen used the fjord when travelling on official business within and between local communities. The farmers were often obliged to ferry officials, and there were rules governing the size of the boat to be used and how many rowers were required. Trade also played an important role in former times. There was a market-place at Lærdalsøyri, and people from the different communities in Sogn went there to sell their wares and to buy goods. Many goods were transported to Bergen, and sailing boats (jekts) were often used for this purpose. They had large sails and good cargo capacity. The fjord was also the main means of getting from one farm or hamlet to another. The fjord joined people together and was often the most important means of travel when bringing home firewood or fodder from outlying fields. The Royal Post Road The modern Norwegian postal service was established in 1647. The post road between Kristiania and Bergen went up through Valdres to Lærdal. The mail was taken by rowing boat from Lærdal to Gudvangen. The trip could take 10-12 hours, but this included stopping at a number of farms to deliver mail. The post road continued from Gudvangen to Voss and Bergen. The postal system was so organised that farmers along the route carried the mail from their farm to the next farm. These farmers were often called post farmers. This system was in operation up until the middle of the 19th century. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com The first tourists A new type of traffic emerged in the early 19th century. Wealthy people, both Norwegians and foreigners, travelled from village to village to see and explore the country. Many travel accounts have been written about the area between Lærdal and Gudvangen. The travellers observed the landscape, fauna, birdlife and the clothes and behaviour of the locals. The youths who were given the task of rowing from place to place earned money from this traffic. Modern roads In the 1840s, a good, modern bridle road was built between the Nærøydalen valley and Stalheim. Horses with carriages could now travel the whole way from Gudvangen to Voss. The road itself, known as Stalheimskleiva, was so impressive that people came just to see it. There was a great increase in traffic, both on the road and on the fjord. Fylkesbaatane In 1858, Fylkesbaatane i Sogn og Fjordane started a regular boat service to and from Bergen. This was an important development, since the district exported a great deal of agricultural produce. For the first few years, a steamboat sailed as far as Styvi, which meant that the farmers who lived further up the fjord and in the valley had to pick up and transport their goods there. In the 1860s, a steamboat sailed to Gudvangen during the summer months and, otherwise, out to Styvi. The boat then started calling at Gudvangen throughout the year. Potatoes, butter, cheese, meat, hides and tallow were the most important produce sold by the farmers. Salt, sugar, coffee and all manner of equipment were imported to the district. In 1875, a local service was started between Lærdal and Gudvangen. This service improved communication between the villages in the Voss district and Eastern Norway, and communication between Sogn and Hardanger also improved. Cruise tourism Around 1890, a new type of tourism arrived in Norway. Large English and German steam ships visited the fjords of Western Norway. The ships had pleasant cabins and offered good service, and the wealthy could enjoy life on board while admiring the Norwegian scenery. The Nærøyfjord and Sørfjord in Hardanger were very popular tourist destinations. The amount of traffic increased as the years passed, and it was very great by the time the first world war broke out in 1914. After the war, cruise traffic declined, but it picked up again in the 1930s. Cars and ferries At the end of the 1930s, the Stalheimskleiva road was extended to make it passable by cars and buses. This led to a new increase in traffic, both on the road and on the fjord. Fylkesbaatane started a car ferry service between Gudvangen and Lærdal using a small ferry with space for a few cars. Car ferries were a new type of boat, designed to carry many cars and passengers. Around 1950, the war long over, Fylkesbaatane introduced a large, modern ferry called ”Gudvangen”. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com The tourist route Gudvangen-Flåm The new road between Gudvangen and Voss made it possible to make a round trip by travelling from Flåm to Voss by train, continuing from Voss to Gudvangen by car and from Gudvangen to Flåm by boat. The round trip immediately became very popular and around 1950, Fylkesbaatane put a new, modern boat called ”Balholm” into service. This boat sailed the fjord every summer until the mid-1970s. In 1991 a new road opened between Gudvangen and Flåm, and in 2000 the tunnel between Aurland and Lærdal was opened. This meant that it was no longer necessary to transport people and cars on the fjord. Since then, tourists have constituted virtually the only traffic on the Nærøyfjord. Mining and transport on the fjord In the 1960s, the mining of stone, white anorthosite, started at Jordalsnuten in the Nærøydalen valley. Large quantities of stone were to be transported to buyers in Norway and abroad. The only good solution was to transport the stone by ship on the fjord and today, in 2006, large cargo boats come to Gudvangen to ship the stone to European ports. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Åtnes Farm

by Åsmund Ohnstad

Clearing the ground Åtnes Farm is probably one of the oldest in the Aurland area; 2000 years plus. The farmyard, beautifully sited on a wide crag, commands unimpeded views up and down the Aurland fjord. The mountainside above the farmyard offers woodland, hayfields and summer grazing. Most of the meadows lie beneath the farmyard. The farm enjoys good soil, although draught can be a problem at times. At Fronnes, across the fjord, there are eight burial mounds made from rocks. It was the custom to ensure that the dead would have a view of their home, and these burial mounds are facing Åtnes straight on. The mounds may be as ancient as the farm itself. Population increase after the Black Death In 1522, Åtnes had two farmers, Halvar and Olaf, and we believe there were 12-15 people living here at the time. We also believe that the farm has been inhabited ever since the Black Death in 1349/50. The households grew relatively rapidly round 1600, and in 1666 there were five farmers at Åtnes. Their harvest was 40 barrels of cereal, and their livestock included 4 horses and 60 cattle and sheep. We estimate that at the time, the farm was home to 30 - 40 people. The 18th century and the first half of the 19th century saw a significant population increase, and in 1845 the farm was home to 58 people, five of them farmers and five of them crofters. The crofters would be renting a strip of land nearby, while working for the farmers in spring and autumn. The farmyard The farm changed hands round 1700, and it is likely that the oldest buildings date back to this period. The Guttormstova building is a robust timber house, now extended with a loft. Most of the other buildings on the farm were built in the 19th century. Four of the holdings were sited on the crag itself, while one was sited further to the north and closer to the sea. This holding was probably established in connection with the redistribution of land in the 17th or 18th century; its buildings were demolished in the 1900s. The crofts were also sited north of the farmyard and further down towards the sea. Woodland and outlying fields There was only limited farmland available for crops; in the 1860s there were approx. 55 acres, of which 19 were used for growing cereal and potatoes, and 36 were used for grass production. Nevertheless, they collected half their feed from the outlying fields: grass from the hayfields and leaves from the woodland. The farming method involved the use of simple tools such as long and short handled scythes, hoes and forks. This was labour intensive work, and the assistance provided by servants and crofters was essential to keep the farm going. In 1845, there were four crofters and four servants. The crofters and their wives would work on the farm in the spring and during the harvest against an agreed daily wage. Servants were normally hired a year at a time and were given lodgings, food and rather meagre pay. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com Summer grazings In the spring and summer, all livestock was transferred to grazing land in three different locations, two on the mountainside and one further inland to the mountainous east. The Høgsete shieling was used in spring and Joasete and Liverdalen in summer. The latter was a mountain shieling, and it took 4-5 hours to get there on foot. There are a number of deep ravines in the mountainside above the farm. This land formation is called a jo in the local dialect, and has lent its name to the summer shieling called Joasete. The summer pastures were used for as long as possible, from early/mid June to the end of September. When the grass was getting poorer in one place, they would transfer to the next. Because the grazings were found at different altitudes, the grass would tend to flourish at different times over the summer. In the 1970s, when rivers and lakes were dammed for the benefit of hydro electric power stations, the Liverdalen mountain shieling was submerged. Emigration The emigration to America started in 1851. …….. –year-old Guttorm Olsen emigrated with his sweetheart, Brita Frondal, and settled in the southern part of Minnesota in the Mid West. In 1850, there were 15-16 young people between the ages of 20 and 30 living at Åtnes. Only a few of them would be given a chance to take over a farm; the others would have to become crofters or move elsewhere. Two of them moved to Bergen, one to Norland, and eleven of them moved to America, where they did well for themselves. Many built large farms and were blessed with numerous children. Towards a new era The slopes at Otternes are rather steep; even as agricultural modernisation gained momentum after the war, it was difficult to put tractors and other large machinery to good use at Åtnes. Also, the farm was run by elderly people in the 50s, and as most of them were unmarried, there was no surge of renewal and modernisation. The old houses remained as they were. In the 1980s, Aurland Council bought the houses and the farmyard with a view to restoration and conservation and continued to work the farm into the 1990s. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Gamle Lærdalsøyri

One of Lærdal`s main attractions is the old village centre. 161 houses are included in a protection program administered by the local authorities and a local voluntary organisation. Most of the houses are between 100 and 170 years old, but a few date back to 1750`s. With its safe harbour, and the old main roads coming down the valley, Lærdalsøyri by the middle of the last century held a position as an important centre of trade and communication between East and West Norway. However, trade and transportation patterns changed, and Lærdalsøyri became less important. By the turn of the century, the population had decreased. Today, both visitors and residents enjoy the area. The small shops, the offices and the cafè have brought new life into the old town. The Lieutenant’s Wharf The new road, completed in 1793, gradually led to a great increase in trade and traffic between East and West Norway, across the Filefjell mountain. The journey continued by boat from Lærdalsøyri, which meant that until the first steamship quay was built in the 1860s all transport of goods and persons went via this wharf. The wharf bustled with life during the traditional Lærdal market, a venue for traders and travellers from Norway and abroad. Most of the «seahouses» were let to traders during the market. In the olden days there were rows of different seahouses along the shore, facing the sea. Seven of the original eleven seahouses on the Lieutenant’s Wharf have been conserved. The biggest one is purely a warehouse, of the type found in different variations along the coast. In the same row are two seahouses which also accommodated people and animals in separate rooms behind the boathouse. The smallest of these just had a sleeping alcove above the boathouse. The ones with lofts also had an outside staircase to the small balcony in front of the first-floor living quarters. The wharf was named after Lieutenant Hans Lem of the Lærdal Company, established in 1801. The lieutenant lived here when there were drills at Øyramarki. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

The Nærøyfjord - geology and formation

The 17-km-long Nærøyfjord, innermost in the 204-km-long Sognefjord, is one of the wildest and most impressive fjords in the world. The fjord is extremely narrow and steep-sided with mountains and glaciers towering 1700 metres above sea level on either side. At its narrowest point, the fjord is only 250 metres wide. The oldest rocks in the area around the Nærøyfjord were created during the Precambrian Age more than a thousand million years ago. Around 425 million years ago, the North American and European continents collided, and the Caledonian mountain range was formed. The rocks were exposed to high pressure and high temperatures and were transformed, creating different rock types. The predominant rock types in the area are mangerite, gabbro and anorthosite. During the Tertiary period, between 66 and 2.5 million years ago, the Norwegian mountains rose and the rivers started carving out valleys. During the Quarternary period, (the last 2.5 million years) there have been 40-50 ice ages in Northern Europe. Glaciers have gouged out the valleys, making them deeper and wider, and later gouged deep troughs below sea level. When the glaciers melted the sea filled these troughs, creating fjords. During the last Ice Age, from around 115,000 to 10,000 years ago, the glacier that covered Scandinavia was up to 3,000 metres thick and the land was pressed down. When the glacier calved and receded, the edge of the glacier was for a period where Bakka is today, and a moraine ridge was formed, which is why the fjord is particularly shallow there. At the mouth of the Jordalen valley, it also deposited gravel in a delta out in the fjord, which shows that the sea level at that time (11,000 years ago) was 110 meters higher than it is today. The "Sogneelva" river and the great river theft in the Nærøydalen valley The Sognefjord is the largest fjord in Western Norway and, prior to the ice ages, the biggest river in the area flowed westwards through the "Sognedalen" valley where the fjord is now. In inner Sogn, there were many tributaries that flowed into the "Sogneelva" river. Traces of these rivers can be seen today as side valleys high up in the mountains. The sources of the tributary that flowed where the outer section of the Nærøyfjord is now were up on "Skammedalshøgdi" (1600 metres above sea level), east of Gudvangen. The watershed between Sogn and Voss was up in the mountains directly west of Bakka. When the ice ages started, the glacier in "Sognedalen" became much larger than the glacier that covered the valleys in Voss. It effectively carved out the Sognefjord to a great depth over many ice ages. The sea thus eventually came to extend all the way to Gudvangen, while the rivers that flowed towards Voss did not reach the open sea until Bolstadøyri. The Nærøyelvi river thus came to fall steeply, digging more quickly into the rock bed. As the rivers dug further and further back into the valleys, the Nærøyelvi river overtook the Vosselva rivers one after another. These tributaries therefore abruptly changed direction and flowed in the direction of Sogn. Before the ice ages (around two million years ago) the rivers in the mountain areas around Stalheim, Gudvangen and Bakka flowed in the direction of Voss. During the ice ages, glaciers carved out the Sognefjord and the Nærøyfjord and “stole” these rivers, so that today the watershed has moved from the area north west of Gudvangen almost all the way to PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com Oppheimsvatnet lake. We can see that both the Jordalselva and the Brekkeelva rivers turn sharply when they meet the Nærøyelvi river. Previously (before the ice ages), the watercourses above the waterfalls flowed towards Voss. The glaciers in the Sognefjord and the Nærøyfjord dug their way back into the mountains and “stole” the rivers, which is why they now form waterfalls running down the steep mountain sides. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Population, settlement patterns and occupations along the Nærøyfjord

Population development Farms and smallholdings – changes in the population. Farms Smallholdings Population a population of around 1350 has been calculated – somewhat uncertain. Farm = a demarcated area with buildings, infields and outfields, farmed by one or more families. Smallholding = an area with buildings and infields, farmed by one family. The family shares the outlying land (parcel of woodland, summer pastures) with others. Most farms were cleared after the birth of Christ. However, Undredal and Dyrdal may be a little older. After the Black Death in 1349/50, there were probably only people living in Undredal and Dyrdal. After 1850 some farms were abandoned when people emigrated to America. After 1900, new occupations arose, such as construction work, railway work, small industries and tourism. Undredal and Hjøllo, is a large hamlet/ small village with around 90 inhabitants. At most, it had a population of 280 (1850). Farming was the predominant occupation until around 1920, when construction work and railway work became an alternative. Today there are four farms in operation and people commute to Aurland/ neighbouring municipalities. Bakka/Tufte is a small hamlet with two farms in operation and a population of around 15. Goats and sheep are the mainstays of the farms. Two or three people commute to work. Gudvangen and Ramsøy comprises the old trading post and hotel and two farms. Today, it has a population of around 35. Two farms are in operation and there is a hotel, shop, petrol station and two campsites. The hotel and the shop employ around 15 full-time staff and many more during the summer season. Some people commute to Aurland, Flåm and Voss. The Nærøydalen valley has five farms, as well as a kindergarten, primary school, a furniture factory and a mine. One farmer has cows, one has cows and stables horses, two have sheep and one has goats. The school and the two businesses employ 15 to 20 people. The river that runs through the valley is a good salmon and trout river. The river owners lease fishing rights to anglers. Livestock/ summer pasture farming In former times people kept livestock and cultivated the fields. Cows and goats produced milk which was used in many ways. The farmers made butter and cheese, and the milk was used in many different dishes. The farmers only started delivering milk to dairies after 1900. The livestock were let out of the byre at the beginning of May. They spent the months from June to September in the summer mountain pastures, came home to graze in October and were kept in the byre from November to April. Milk production was very high at the summer pasture farms. The animals were out in the fresh air and could eat fresh and nutritious mountain grass. As summer progressed, new grass PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com grew higher up the mountains. This grass was more nutritious than the grass that grew in the lowlands. Cultivation Farmers grew barley and mixed grains, from the earliest times. Barley needed a dry climate, while mixed cereals did better in damper climates. Barley was grown in the Aurland and Undredal areas, while they mostly grew mixed cereals in Nærøy. The corn had to be cut, dried, threshed and transported to the grinding mill to be ground in order to produce flour for cooking and baking. The flour was used to make porridge and flatbread. It was common to grow cereals until 1900-1920, and potatoes until 1970-1990. Potatoes were first grown in the early 1800s. Priests were the first people to start growing potatoes, and it took people a long time to understand the value of this crop. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

PROPOSALS FOR TOURS

If you come to Aurland – Flåm – Lærdal as part of a group, large or small, we will be happy to put together a proposal for a tour to suit the group. We have natural, cultural and culinary attractions, exciting activities and knowledgeable guides. If you come in the spring or autumn, there are good deals to be had for accommodation. You can read about theme-based tours here. There are other areas that may also be of interest, including architecture and historical preservation, preservation of the cultural landscape, local food culture and organic farming. Contact us for more information. UNESCO World Heritage Highlights You’ll find two of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in the Sognefjord. These are the Nærøyfjord and the Urnes stave church. In 2005 UNESCO added the Nærøyfjord to the list of World Heritage Sites. The Nærøyfjord is the narrowest fjord in the world. In one place it is only 250 metres wide. The surrounding mountains rise up to more than 1700 metres above sea level. The Urnes stave church was built around 1130 and is the oldest of Norway’s stave churches. The special and impressive carvings on the northern portal come from an even older church. If you are interested in experiencing the most impressive aspects of Norwegian culture and nature, we will gladly put together a proposal for a tour which could include, for example, a visit to the Urnes stave church, a walk along the Styvi-Bleiklindi postal path overlooking the Nærøyfjord, a tour of the Styvi farm museum and a boat trip on the Nærøyfjord. Emigration to America Aurland and Lærdal comprise the area of Norway that saw the greatest ratio of emigration relative to the local population. There were many reasons: poor conditions for expanding agriculture, with little available land and small farms. Large families and few opportunities for finding work in something other than agriculture. The emigration PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com era as a whole is well-documented in both villages, and every year many Americans come here to combine a holiday with an investigation into their ancestors. A proposal for a tour on an emigration theme could, for example, include a visit to the Local History Centre in Aurland, a walk up to the tiny tenant farm at Galdane in Lærdal, a visit to the Postal Museum in Lærdal and lectures by local historians about emigration. Farming past and present Aurland and Lærdal have long agricultural traditions, and the sector still employs many people today. For nearly 3000 years agriculture has been an important part of the local economy, and the cultural landscape along the fjord reflects this. Potatoes and vegetables are grown in Lærdal. In recent years a focus on growing sweet cherries has proved to be extremely successful. In Aurland county, Undredal is particularly well known for cheese production, and Sogn School of Agriculture and Horticulture is known throughout Norway for its focus on organic issues. A proposal for a tour that covers both old-fashioned and new agricultural methods could include: Otternes rural museum, Styvi Farm Museum, Sogn School of Agriculture and Horticulture, Borlo rural museum, cheese production in Undredal and a lecture on the agricultural enterprise Lærdal Grønt and its foray into raising sweet cherries. In the footsteps of the artists Knut Rumohr, Hans Gjesme and Johannes Vinjum Since ancient times, many artists have taken our natural wonders as their subject. Three well-known artists have come from Aurland and Lærdal. Knut Rumohr (1916 – 2002) grew up in the hamlet of Frønningen in Lærdal, which is unreachable by road, where he also lived and painted as an adult during the warmer half of each year. Hans Gjesme (1904 – 1994) was a Lærdal artist. He left more than 1500 artworks to Lærdal municipality. The bequest from the Aurland artist Johannes Vinjum (1930 – 1991) is on display in Galleri Vinjum PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com in Heradshuset in Aurland. A proposal for a tour for groups interested in art should include: Galleri Vinjum, Gjesme Galleri, a walk around Gjesme, a visit to Frønningen and a thematic lecture on art. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

STALHEIM FOLK MUSEUM – THE TØNNEBERG COLLECTIONS:

Stalheim Folk Museum is associated with Stalheim Hotel and houses the collections of Kaare Tønneberg. The museum shows visitors the different sides to life as it was lived round Voss over the last two or three centuries. The museum has three different sections which aim to complement each other so as to provide a unified experience: The old farmyard: Visitors first encounter the charming old farmyard surrounded by 25 farm buildings from Voss and Vossestrand, including a 15th century blackhouse, a barn from 1650, a smithy and two stables. Walking on from there, visitors pass the magnificent Lofthus storehouse and the first staging inn at Stalheim from c. 1750, before ending up at a small schoolhouse from 1881. The exhibition hall: The 2-storey exhibition hall has approx. 5000 artefacts on display. The top floor focuses on indoor life on the farm – one room is themed on brewing, another on baking, while a third centres on traditional costumes, etc. On display in the basement is a range of tools and equipment for outdoor use, such as sleighs and wagons, ploughs, hay-making equipment, etc. The Lekve Building: In the top corner of Stalheim museum’s attractive grounds, lies a manor house from Lekve at Voss, dating back to 1725. The house has been beautifully restored, inside and out, to its appearance round 1750/60, and clearly demonstrates that Continental culture and luxury could be found even at Voss. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Stave churches – a Norwegian speciality

by Gro Osland

Norway’s ancient wooden architecture constitutes a significant, rich cultural heritage. We have an impressive collection of timber dwellings and storehouses from the Middle Ages (c. 1000 – 1550), but the most exciting feature is that Norway, as the only country in the world, can boast a total of 28 stave churches, although most of them have been re-built over the years. Originally, there were probably between 1000 and 1500 stave churches, all south of Trondheim. Living in a wooded country with scattered population and complicated transport arrangements, it was a natural choice for our forefathers to build numerous small churches, chiefly from wood. It is uncertain when the first stave churches were erected, but the construction period came to a halt in the mid 14th century when the Black Death tore away large sections of the population. Stave churches are built round a rigid frame of staves (poles) and outer walls from vertical panels. Originally, the staves used to be rammed into the ground, which meant they were relatively quickly affected by rot. Later on, it became the norm for the church building to rest on a wooden frame on top of stone foundations. Archaeological excavations have found holes left by the earth-bound poles of the first churches. It is probable that the stave churches were built by travelling teams of craftsmen who gradually developed their own «style». We can distinguish between different types according to the construction methods used. The complicated structure required the work of highly skilled builders with a good knowledge of the wood’s qualities as a building material. In 1851, a new law was introduced which stipulated that the dimensions of a church would need to reflect the number of parishioners. The remaining stave churches were too small, and short of comforts. Many were demolished, but thanks to the efforts of the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments and others, some were saved in their own grounds, while others were moved to museum sites. However, before demolition, a number of these stave churches were diligently surveyed and thus remain documented. Church art, portals and other building parts were conserved by the large museums. This is why we are still in a position to be impressed by the high artistic standards which characterise this part of our heritage, and which have helped create a framework full of atmosphere round Medieval religious life. The stave churches constitute Norway’s most important contribution to the world’s heritage. This has been confirmed by the inclusion of Urnes stave church on UNESCO’s World Heritage List which is a record of heritage assets whose significance reach far beyond the country to which they belong. Urnes stave church at Luster is the oldest of our 28 remaining stave churches. Samples from the ground beams tell us that the timber was felled in the period 1129–31. Before this church was erected, there had been two earlier stave churches on the same site, the last of which was built in the second half of the 11th century. Parts of this building are included in the present church: the portal, wall panels and a corner post, all decorated with the magnificent carvings from which the Urnes style takes its name. The stave churches are unique and constitute our country’s most significant contribution to world architecture. Urnes stave church is owned by the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments and was included on the World Heritage List in 1980. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com Borgund stave church at Lærdal has become the very prototype of the Norwegian stave church, and has therefore been used as a symbol of Norway in numerous contexts – on anything from T-shirts and mugs, to stamps and bank notes. The choice fell on Borgund stave church because it represents the largest and most spectacular churches, and because it is the Norwegian stave church which has best retained its Medieval appearance. Borgund stave church has also served as a model for the restoration of a number of other stave churches. Hopperstad stave church at Vik in Sogn was one of the many stave churches which would have been lost, had it not been for the lastminute intervention of the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments. This particular stave church is considered to be one of our very oldest, probably built c. 1140. In the course of its long life, Hopperstad stave church has experienced desperate disrepair as well as wonderful restoration in the 1880s. Except for the central nave and chancel, the church had lost most of its features. In 1881, architect Peter Andreas Blix offered his services free of charge. The stave church was restored, using other churches as models. The external gallery and the flèche are clearly inspired by Borgund stave church. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Susanna Ryum and the dream of a mother in Per Sivle’s soul

by Johs. B. Thue

There is a song that touch Norwegian hearts like no other – a motherless son’s tribute to the mother he lost: ”The very first song I ever heard, was my mother’s singing by my cradle”. Per Sivle wrote this song. Sivle was an important poet and a critical editor. As a child, his playing fields included the whole of Nærøyfjord and Flåm. The story of his mother’s life is a realistic female tragedy, typical of the times. Susanna Ryum, her maiden name, died at only 38 years of age, in the autumn of 1859, after giving birth to a third pair of twins in two and a half years. Per had an indistinct, blurred recollection of her, ”like the radiance or glow of her face”. Nevertheless, his mother and his maternal family were to become important to him, writes Bjarte Birkeland in his dissertation on Per Sivle. She was born into the Fretheim family, one of the most powerful in the area. They were competent, influential people. Susanna’s father, Anders Hylland from the Nærøydalen valley, married Kari Torsteinsdotter Fretheim who was the widow in charge of Ryum before Bachelor Anders Hylland popped the question and was rewarded with acceptance. Per was to feel close to his mother and his maternal family. As an adult, he often visited his maternal aunt, Gjertrud Flåm, and on those occasions he often said: ”Everything bad in me comes from Voss, everything good in me comes from Sogn”. This story of his yearning for home and the fjord, is especially touching: In the last summer of Per’s life, a visitor from his native Sogn called on him. At the time, Per Sivle lived in Drammen. He asked his visitor to take this greeting home with him from a distraught writer: ”When you get home, walk down to the pier, put your hand in the waters of the Sognefjord, close your hand, and say: Greetings from Sivle”. All the stories of Susanna Sivle coincide: she was a particularly competent and authoritative person. Furthermore, she was kinder than most. She showed special care for the poor and anyone in need. As he was growing up, Per would hear these stories everywhere he went. He came to be a mother’s boy, and it is obvious that this helped form his image of his mother. Stories and dreams combined to create this picture, which gave us Norwegian literature’s most beautiful tribute to mothers. Susanna Ryum fell pregnant before she was married. We are told that while carrying the child, she was often found sitting on the Stalheim precipice, crying. People’s gossip and a sense of shame was close to killing this strong woman. It was her brother who picked her up and took her home from Stalheim. It was wintertime, and there was ice on the Nærøyfjord. They were pulling a hay sled along the fjord. Suddenly, Susanna made moves to jump into a hole in the ice. Her brother managed to stop her at the last second, but she did break the neck of her femur. At home at Ryum they refused to take her in, this wayward woman who carried the child of that good-for-nothing horse dealer Eirik Sivle. She was therefore forced to lodge with her half PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com sister, Gjertrud, who had married and now lived at Frammigarden farm at Flåm. This is where Per was born, and Per always remained very close to his aunt Gjertrud at Flåm. Per Sivle took his own life. He bade farewell by writing two poems. One of them is entitled ”Hide me, Mother!” This poem reveals his longing for his mother, his yearning for closeness, safety and warmth. ”The lad is resting on his Mother’s arm, unfearing, warm, and for ever calm” This autumn, a memorial to Susanna Sivle will be erected in the old churchyard at Oppheim, where she is buried. This memorial will be a combined tribute to mothers, great poetry, and women’s lot in the old agrarian community, where family pride came before care for women and innocent children. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

Viking gods along the fjord

By Johs. B. Thue

In the early Viking Age, Norse or European gods were seen to form a protective ring round the people who worshipped them, along the lines of religious traditions elsewhere in Europe. The place names of our own fjord landscape in Inner Sogn provide clear evidence of this religious heritage. Gudvangen is God’s own vang (eng. meadow). The Nærøyfjord is named after the god Njord. Just as we enter the Aurlandsfjord, we encounter the lush village of Fresvik, which simply means Frøy’s bay. The Nærøyfjord is named after the god Njord, who lived at Noatun in heaven and ruled over winds and weathers. Furthermore, he governed the sea, and fire. Njord was the god to ask for help with sea journeys and fishing expeditions. Njord was incredibly rich. He was the god of trade and markets. It is easy to imagine that people from inland areas such as Voss, would approach the sea - the fjord - with fear and respect. They would clearly need to keep on good terms with this protector of the seas. Consequently, it is reasonable to assume it was the people of Voss who named the fjord. The Nærøyfjord was named in honour of Njord, in order to invoke all good forces in preparation for an encounter with the sea. Gudvangen lies at the head of the Nærøyfjord. All place names ending in –vang suggest they were religious venues, used for performing rituals. Vossevangen must have been such a venue, as must Gudvangen and Aurlandsvangen. These –vangen names are all lining the ancient trail between the western and eastern parts of Norway. This trail may well have provided a basis for market places to be established where the inland route reached the fjord. Anne Stine Ingstad is a Norwegain world-famous archaeologist. She proved that Norwegians and Europeans settled in North America five hundred years before Columbus stepped ashore. Her opinion is that Gudvangen may have been a very early market place, which is a plausible idea. The Krossneset headland sticks out into the fjord and is easy for everyone to see. The headland must have been named after a cross erected there. This leads us straight into the ongoing debate about these crosses, which tend to be found along our western coast, all the way from the county of Rogaland and northwards. The crosses carried significant symbolic power in the fight between the old mythology and the victorious Christian faith. One of these stone crosses can also be found at Voss; one of our extremely rare inland crosses. The Voss cross was erected on the route that linked the east to the west. The Krossneset headland bears witness of religious conflict between the new and the old. These days, there is general consensus among European religious scholars that the stone crosses were erected to signal that the land beyond was ruled by Christ. This was his land, albeit Njord’s name lived on till our present times. The same is the case of Frøy at Fresvik, the gateway to the Aurlandsfjord, which branches off by skewed-looking mount Beitelen. In Old Norse, “beitel” means chisel, a tool for shaping wood and stone. According to ancient beliefs, mount Beitelen was used by supernatural spirits to carve the narrow Nærøyfjord into the landscape. The name of Trollgjelet (eng. Troll Gorge) is evidence of people’s belief in these giants who put their mysterious marks on the landscape, and who shaped the headlands, fjords, mountains and ravines. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com In Old Norse mythology there were close family ties between Njord and Frøy. Njord of Noatun in heaven had two children by Skade. Their son was named Frøy, their daughter Frøya. They were both handsome and strong. Frøy ruled over rain and sunshine, which gave him the power to control the growth of the soil. He needed to be invoked to secure a good harvest and a rich yield. At Fresvik, Frøy’s bay, there is a farm called Hov. This must have been an important assembly place for the enactment of religious ceremonies. The lifeenhancing sun was key to their worship of natural forces. The farm of Hov at Fresvik lies at the very spot on which the sun first shines on its returns to this village after winter. At Solaløysa by Styvi however, there is no sunlight whatsoever, summer or winter. Yet Solaløysa is always green in summer. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

The West Norwegian Fjords

Fjords are among the most dramatic and spectacular landscapes on the planet. The World Heritage Area, the West Norwergian Fjords, embraces some of the longest, deepest, narrowest and most beautiful fjords in the world. Their scenery and cultural heritage have spellbound visitors down the ages. Many people consider the fjords the very symbol of Norway, the foremost nation of fjords in the world. It is through no mere chance that the Norwrgian word @fjord” has entered the international vocabulary. The World Heritage Area comprises two sub-areas, Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord. Together with their surroundings, the entire area covers 1227 km2 of which are sea. Scientists have regarded these areas as classic examples of fjord landscape. Great differences in attitude and short distances between sea and mountaintop create a great diversity of scenery and natural history. Both sub-areas lack major, man-made infrastructures. Natural geological processes linked with the formation and evolution of the fjords are not affected by the works of man. Together, these areas have qualities that resulted in them being inscribed on the Unesco list of world’s cultural and natural heritage after fulfilling two of the scientific criteria in the convention. When justifying the inscription, the committee stated that: The West Norwegian Fjords are classic, superbly developed fjords, considered as typically for fjord landscapes in the world. They are comparable in scale and quality to other existing fjords on the World Heritage List and are distinguished by the climate and geological setting. The property displays a full range of the inner segments of two of the world’s longest and deepest fjords. The Nærøyfjord and Geirangerfjord areas are considered to be among the most scenically outstanding fjord areas on the planet. Their outstanding natural beauty is derived from their narrow and steep-sided crystalline rock walls that rise up to 1400 m direct from the Norwegian Sea and extend 500 m below sea level. Along the sheer walls of the fjords are numerous waterfalls while free-flowing rivers rise up through deciduous and coniferous forest to glacial lakes, glaciers and rugged mountains. There is a great range of supporting natural phenomena, both terrestrial and marine such as submarine moraines and marine mammals. Remnants of old and now mostly abandoned transhumant farms add a cultural aspect to the dramatic natural landscape that complements and adds human interest to the area. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

The World Heritage List – a record of the world’s cultural heritage sites

Around the world, there are magnificent buildings and sites whose value extends far beyond the national boundaries of their homeland. Many are memorials of lost civilisations. Such heritage treasures are vulnerable; vandalism, war, fire, disrepair and wear are potent threats. Regrettably, the countries in which these sites are located, cannot always find the resources to protect them. This is why other nations give a hand to save these structures which help us understand the development of the human race. One example is the partnership which sought to save the 3000 year old Abu Simbel Temple from flooding when the Aswan Dam was built in Egypt. UNESCO has taken the initiative to raise awareness of buildings and sites, while mobilising the world’s nations for a shared push in the form of financial assistance and the offer of professional expertise. 1972 saw the introduction of the «Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage», which was ratified by Norway in 1977. This convention confirms that it is our joint moral and financial responsibility to preserve our cultural treasures for posterity. A «World Heritage List» has been drawn up to include the most prominent examples. In order to be included on this list, the nominated sites need to fulfil extremely stringent conditions. So far, more than 400 sites on five different continents have been included. Among the grandest are the Great Wall of China, the Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia, the pyramids in Egypt, and the Teotihuacan temple in Mexico. The list includes four Norwegian heritage sites of a more modest nature, but they are nevertheless valuable contributions to the world’s heritage. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com