Vinje

Infobox_Kommune
name=Vinje
idnumber=0834
county=Telemark
landscape=Vest-Telemark
capital=Vinje
governor=Arne Vinje (SV)
governor_as_of=2003
arearank=12
area=3106
arealand=2732
areapercent=0.96
population_as_of=2004
populationrank=238
population=3,756
populationpercent=0.08
populationdensity=1
populationincrease=-6.8
language=Nynorsk
lat_deg=59| lat_min=48| lat_sec=5| lon_deg=7| lon_min=46| lon_sec=45
utm_zone=32V| utm_northing=6629925 |utm_easting=0431503| geo_cat=adm2nd

munwebpage=www.vinje.kommune.no

Vinje is a municipality in the northwestern corner of the county of Telemark, Norway. The administrative center is Åmot.

History

Vinje was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The municipality of Rauland was separated from Vinje 1860, but was again incorporated back with Vinje on January 1, 1964. Rauland has since been part of the larger Vinje municipality. The local traditions of arts and crafts have been well maintained, and Rauland hosts a national academy for arts, crafts and traditional music.

Vinje became a site of heavy battles in World War II, at the Battle of Vinjesvingen when Norwegian forces held out for over a month against superior German forces.

Geography

Vinje is situated on both the Hardangervidda and parts of the Setesdalsheiane Mountains plateaus. Highway E134 passes through Vinje, which is located halfway between Oslo and Haugesund, which is on Norway’s west coast. The locally renowned mountain ski resort Haukelifjell is also found nearby. The isolated and sparsely populated area is known for its rugged, mountainous terrain that supports a wide variety of outdoor activities, amongst them hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, fishing, and canoeing.

Arabygdi lies on Lake Totak in the western part of Rauland. Its famous attraction is the "Urdbøuri", the largest stone scree in Northern Europe, with huge boulders lying helter skelter on the floor of the valley.

The name

The municipality Vinje (originally the parish) is named after the old farm Vinje (Norse "Vinjar"), since the first church was built here. The name is the plural form of "vin" f 'meadow, pasture'.

Notable people from Vinje

* Aasmund Olavsson Vinje,author
*Tarjei Vesaas,author
*Aslaug Vaa,author
*Odd Nordstoga,popular musician
*Terje Håkonsen, snowboard legend
*Aslak Brekke, folk musician
*Myllarguten, or Torgeir Agundson Øygarden,Master fiddler
*Dyre Vaa, sculptor. Sculptures by him,are to be found in Oslo and Vinje.

Places of interest

*Home of Myllarguten. Now a small museum. (The cotters place Kosi in Arabygdi.)
*The monument of Myllarguten, the 19th century musician, who played for kings and who inspired Edvard Grieg . It is located on the roadside vis-a-vis Kosi.

ee also

*Vest-Telemark

*Setesdal Valley