Ulvik

Infobox_Kommune

---

name = Ulvik
herad = yes
county = Hordaland
idnumber = 1233
landscape = Hardanger
language = Nynorsk
demonym = Ulvikje
capital = Ulvik


munwebpage = www.ulvik.kommune.no
governor = Mona Haugland Hellesnes (V)
governor_as_of = 2007
arearank = 153
area = 721
arealand = 670
areapercent = 0.22
population_as_of = 2008
populationrank = 394
population = 1,107
populationpercent = 0.03
populationdensity = 1.7
populationincrease = -10.1
lat_deg=60 | lat_min=37 | lat_sec=16 | lon_deg=7 | lon_min=4 | lon_sec=49
utm_zone=32V | utm_northing=6722123 | utm_easting=0394958 | geo_cat=adm2nd

Ulvik is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality stretches from the Hardangerfjord to 1,800 metres above sea level, and borders the municipalities of Granvin, Eidfjord, Ullensvang, Voss, Aurland, and Hol. It takes around two hours to drive from Bergen to Ulvik. The nearest airport is Bergen Flesland Airport. The railway station at Finse on the Bergensbanen at 1,222 metres is the highest station on the Norwegian railway system. Ulvik is visited by numerous foreign cruise ships in the summer.

History

The parish of "Graven" (Granvin) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt), which also included two annexes, Ulvik and Eidfjord. In 1858, Ulvik became the main parish, making Granvin and Eidfjord annexes to Ulvik, and the name of municipality was changed accordingly. Granvin and Eidfjord were separated from Ulvik as municipalities of their own on 1 May 1891.

The municipality is named after the Ulvik farm (Old Norse: "Ulfvík"), where the first church was built. The first element is "ulfr", which means "wolf", and the last element is "vík", meaning "bay".cite book|title=Kulturhistorisk Vegbok Hordaland|last=Brekke|first=Nils Georg|coauthors=Skaar, Ronny B., and Nord, Svein|date=1993|publisher=Nord4 no icon] The coat of arms is modern, having been granted on 19 December 1986. The figure shown on the arms is a traditional figure in the local folk-art and in local textiles. The pattern can be traced in local arts as far back as the 16th century, and is similar to the selburose. This figure is also used in the bunad of Ulvik. [cite web|url=http://www.ngw.nl/int/nor/u/ulvik.htm|author=Norske Kommunevåpen|date=1990|title=Nye kommunevåbener i Norden|accessdaymonth=27 September|accessyear=2008]

ettlements

Of the municipality's total population of 1,107 (as of 2008), the majority live in Ulvik village at the end of the Ulvik fjord. The vast majority of those who do not live at the end of the Osafjord or on the farms surrounding the village.

Ulvik

The population and administration centre of the municipality is Ulvik village, located at the end of the Ulvik fjord, a side arm of the Hardangerfjord. The Ulvik urban settlement, as defined by Statistics Norway, has 661 inhabitants as of 2008. As the urban area covers 0.97 km², the population density is 681 per km².Cite web|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/beftett_en/tab-2008-06-20-01-en.html|title=Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality. 1 January 2008|accessdate=2008-10-11|publisher=Statistics Norway no icon] The centre of the village, Brakanes, has a cinema as well as a few shops.

Famous residents

* Olav H. Hauge, poet
* Lars Sponheim, politician

References

External links

* [http://www.ulvik.kommune.no/ Municipality website] no icon
* [http://www.ssb.no/english/municipalities/1233 Statistics from Statistics Norway]
* [http://www.visitulvik.com?lan=3 Ulvik Tourist Office] "(available in English/German/Norwegian)"