Hemsedal

Infobox_Kommune
name=Hemsedal
idnumber=0618
county=Buskerud
landscape=Hallingdal
capital=Hemsedal
governor=Oddvar Grøthe (Sp)
governor_as_of=2003
arearank=145
area=753
arealand=711
areapercent=0.23
population_as_of=2004
populationrank=341
population=1,876
populationpercent=0.04
populationdensity=3
populationincrease=13.2
demonym=Hemsedøl
language=Nynorsk
lat_deg=60| lat_min=54| lat_sec=21| lon_deg=8| lon_min=30| lon_sec=53
utm_zone=32V| utm_northing=6752420 |utm_easting=0473683| geo_cat=adm2nd



munwebpage=www.hemsedal.kommune.no

Hemsedal is a municipality in the county of Buskerud, Norway.

Hemsedal was separated from Gol in 1897.

The municipality is bordered in the north by Vang and Vestre Slidre in Oppland county, in the east by Nord-Aurdal, Oppland and Gol, in the south by Ål and Hol, and in the west by Lærdal in Sogn og Fjordane county.

Hemsedal is the second largest ski resort in Norway and has the largest number of millionaires per capita.

From the museum farm "Øvre Løkji" there are several trails up into the mountains.

The name

The Norse form of the name was "Hemsudalr". The first element is the genitive case of a rivername "Hemsa" (now Hemsil), the last element is "dalr" m 'valley, dale'. The meaning of the rivername is unknown.

History

One of the last stave churches to be dismantled was Hemsedal stave church, dismantled in 1882. After the dismantling of this church the interest changed and the remaining churches in Hallingdal survived.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1992). It shows the head of a lynx.

(See also the coat-of-arms of Bygland and Hamarøy.)

What to see

Hemsedal Bygdetun located at "Øvre Løkji" in the village Ulsåk. The museum has houses and artifacts from the first part of the 18th century and all the way to modern times. The farm is located in the middle of an agricultural landscape formed by old methods.

The waterfall Rjukandefossen located in the vicinity of the village Tuv.

eason Activities

During every autumn, winter and part of spring tourists travel to Hemsedal for skiing. In the summer Hemsedal offers a great deal of activities such as hiking (Hemsedal Top 20), mountain biking, paragliding and fishing.

Trivia

The Norwegian word "hems" ('bed built in a small loftroom') is named (ironically) after the valley Hemsedal.

References