Fjærland
| Fjærland Mundal | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
|
View of Mundal in Fjærland | |
  Fjærland  Fjærland Location in Sogn og Fjordane county | |
| Coordinates: 61°24′08″N 06°44′19″E / 61.40222°N 6.73861°ECoordinates: 61°24′08″N 06°44′19″E / 61.40222°N 6.73861°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| Region | Western Norway |
| County | Sogn og Fjordane |
| District | Sogn |
| Municipality | Sogndal |
| Elevation[1] | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+01:00) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+02:00) |
| Post Code | 6848 Fjærland |
Fjærland is region in the municipality of Sogndal, at the end of the Fjærlandsfjorden, in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The Fjærlandfjorden is a branch going north off the Sognefjorden, the longest fjord in Norway. The primary development in the region is the village Mundal located about 31 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of the municipal center of Sogndalsfjøra, along the Norwegian National Road 5. The region encompasses rich farming country, including the areas of Bøyum and Oygard.
The glacier arms Bøyabreen and Supphellebreen (a part of the Jostedalsbreen glacier) and the Norwegian Glacier Museum are located nearby. Fjærland is also the Norwegian book town, with book shops situated in old cow sheds and pigpens; there are also book shops on the ferry quay and in the Hotel Mundal. The Hotel Mundal is an old wooden building in 19th-century style still in business as a hotel. The hotel was owned by the Orheim family for over a hundred years, until August 2008, when it was sold.
Fjærland Church is located in the village, serving the whole Fjærland area.
History
Fjærland was originally part of the municipality of Leikanger, but in 1849 it was transferred to the newly created Balestrand municipality. Historically, the only transportation to Fjærland had been by ferry along the Fjærlandsfjorden. In 1986, the Fjærland Tunnel was opened connecting Fjærland to the village of Skei in Jølster municipality to the northwest. In 1994, the Frudal Tunnel was opened to the southeast which connected Fjærland to Sogndalsfjøra in neighboring Sogndal municipality. These tunnels are now the best access from the large district of Norway's west coast toward the capital, Oslo. The completion of the Frudal Tunnel was the main reason why the Fjærland area left Balestrand municipality and merged into the municipality of Sogndal on 1 January 2000.[2]
Notable Residents
The paternal grandparents of Walter Mondale, the Democratic Party's nominee for president of the United States in 1984 were born in Fjaerland.
Panorama
References
- ↑ "Fjærland" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
- ↑ Store norske leksion. "Fjærland" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2010-09-04.