Heidal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heidal is a district in the Gudbrandsdal in Norway, rich in beauty and tradition and lying along the narrow valley of the Sjoa River. It has the highest concentration of older protected timber houses and farmsteads in Norway (~1/5 of the buildings are from the 18th century and many are older).
Some locations allow guided tours, including Søre Harildstad farm and Bjølstad chapel. Farms like Bjølstad, which is not open to the public, are also located there; at Bjølstad the newest building was constructed in about 1820 and the farm has been in the same family since the 13th century.[1]
[edit] History
1177 - Ivar Gjesling (or Ivar Gjæsling) was King Magnus IV's lendmann for the Opplands. Gjesling, allied himself with the Birchlegs (Birkebeinerne) — who chose Sverre as their king at Øreting in 1177. In return Sverre granted him the valley of Heidal.[2]
1965 - Heidal was a separate Norwegian municipality until 1965, when Heidal became part of Sel municipality, for which Otta is the population center.[2]
[edit] References and notes
- ^ Welle-Strand, Erling (1996). Adventure Roads in Norway. Nortrabooks. ISBN 82-90103-71-9.
- ^ a b Stagg, Frank Noel (1956). East Norway and its Frontier. George Allen & Unwin, Ltd.. ISBN none.
