Fyresdal
Fyresdal is a
municipality in the
county of
Telemark,
Norway. The main ways of living are agriculture, forestry, trade, industry and tourism.
Fyresdal is known for being one of the most beautiful valleys in Telemark, the heart of Norway. Fyresdal was the birthplace of the
Minister-president in
Norway during the
World War II German
occupation,
Vidkun Quisling. Fyresdal is known for its many findings from the Viking Age, its mighty Viking graves, heaps of slag and the former pilgrim church that once stood proudly north of the village centre. People travelled to this church from all over Norway and even from Europe. It was said that the stream running behind the church had healing powers. A few miles south of the site where the Pilgrim Church (
Heggland Kyrkje), once stood, at
Molandsmoen, a stone with Runic inscriptions can be found. This is a reminder from the Viking Age when horse battles were held there. Originally, one believes, there were four of them. At
Klokkarhamaren, a little mountain/peninsula in the municipal centre, one finds a cave called
Munkhola. It is believed that a certain number of monks in
Medieval times resided, held masses and sought refuge here.
The word "Fyresdal" means, literally, "Pine Valley". "Fyrir" was the Old Norse name for "Pine", whereas "dal" is the Norwegian name for "valley". Even though it is spelled as "Fyresdal", the dialect form of the word is
"Førsdal".
The municipality of Fyresdal consists of several little villages north of the municipal centre, in the main valley area of Fyresdal, and on the western and south-eastern shores of
Fyresvatn (Lake Fyresdal), one of Norway's deepest lakes. The municipal centre of Fyresdal is
Moland. Here one finds the municipal assembly, the school, the community house, kindergartens, the home for the elderly, one of Fyresdal's two churches (
Moland Kyrkje, which according to Telemark Folklore
the Troll of Røykjenes moved across the lake because the bells was disturbing its nap) and the Vicarage (
Fyresdal Prestegard, where
Vidkun Quisling was born) and most of the commercial enterprises in the village.
Moland is the most heavily populated aea of Fyresdal. Within Moland one also finds the old village centre,
Folkestadbyen and the park
Øyskogen, which contains Viking graves and a lot of traditional Telemark houses (e.g. lofts and stabburs, or food storage houses). Øyskogen also hosts
Fyresdal Bygdemuseum, the village museum. Folkestadbyen was named the prettiest town/village centre in Telemark in 2003.
Within the village centre of Moland one also finds the airport and hotel. This is a joint operation under the name Airparc Fyresdal, managed by Rian Jacobs and Toncko Zwolsman.
Following the main road north from Moland, the
RV 355 that runs straight through the municipality from north to south, one comes to the little villages that are
Hegglandsgrend,
Veum and
Hauggrend. Hegglandsgrend is the home of the above-mentioned site of the old Pilgrim Church (
Heggland Gamle Kyrkjegard), whereas Veum is the home of Fyresdal's second existing Lutheran Church, aptly named
Veum Kyrkje. At
Foldsæ in
Hauggrend, one finds one of
the Rudolf Steiner Schools at Upper Secondary level. This is a so-called "friskole" ("Free school") based on the thoughts and ideas of
Rudolf Steiner. In Hauggrend one also finds the highest mountain in Fyresdal,
Roan. This peak is about 1200 meters above sea level.
North of Moland, to the west from the main valley we find the little settlements of
Kleivgrend,
Åslandsgrend and
Fjellgardane. Turning left of the RV 355 in Hegglandsgrend one comes to Kleivgrend and Åslandsgrend. Between Kleivgrend and the neighbouring municipality
Valle i Setesdal on the western side of the mountains, one finds an old track that priest and bishops used to get between the counties of
Agder and
Telemark. This track is named
Bispevegen ("Bishop's Road") and every year a march called "Bispevegmarsjen" ("The Bishop's Road March") starts in Kleivgrend. In Fjellgardane, Germans ran mines in the 1500s at
Moisesberg.
On the western shores of
Fyresvatn (Lake Fyresdal), to the southwest of Moland, one finds the villages of
Fardal,
Breivik and
Birtedalen. Here one finds an old and interesting stone called
Røykjenessteinen. In 2005 one also found some arrowheads in this area that one believes may be 4000-4500 years old. Birtedalen is a popular place for people who set up mountain cabins.
South of Moland, at the southern end of RV 355 across the scenic and mighty mountain of
Våmur where one can catch a heartstopping look at Fyresdal's great lake from up above, one comes to the little village of
Kilegrend. In the old days there was no road connecting Kilegrend with the municipal centre. Thus one had to travel to and fro by boat. For years on end the steamboats
Teisner (named after a vicar) and
Fyresdølen travelled between Moland and Kilegrend. The latter eventually capsized and sank. The wreck is still visible in Kilegrend.
Fyresdal is the westernmost municipality in Telemark. It borders the municipalities of
Tokke,
Kviteseid and
Nissedal in Telemark. It also shares borders with the municipalities of
Åmli,
Bygland and
Valle in the county of
Aust-Agder.
Fyresdal has bus communication towards the city centres of
Skien and
Porsgrunn in
Telemark,
Arendal in
Aust-Agder,
Bergen in
Hordaland,
Haugesund in
Rogaland and the capital
Oslo. A bus also travels between Fyresdal and
Dalen, the municipal centre of
Tokke, every school day of the year.
*Geitstadgrend
*Spockeligrend
*Momrak
*Stykkjevika
*Klokkarhamaren
*Sitje
*Geitnetten
*Skrevatn
*Øysteinsfjell
*Høgenut
*
The Municipality of Fyresdal*
Visit Fyresdal*
Airparc Fyresdal Hotell & Flyplass*
Fyresdal Events Adventures*
Åmsberg Horsing*
Vest-Telemark Local PaperSugar Plum Fairies -
Vest Telemark -
Vinje -
Seljord
