Hallingdal

Hallingdal is a valley and a landscape in the area of the province ( county) Buskerud in Norway. It extends to the territory of the municipalities Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol and has approximately 20,000 inhabitants.

Geography

Hallingdal is about 150 km long. It runs from the north end of the Krøderen in a northwesterly direction until in Gol branches Hemsedal. The main valley then runs in a southwesterly direction on towards Geilo. Riksvei (RV) 7 and mountain railway use Hallingdal.

For the Hallingdal region also includes the adjacent side valleys and mountain regions. In height, the area of former seabed extends at Flå (now in 150 m) to the high mountains ( at 2000 m).

History and Culture

The Hallingdal region has ancient roots and was in the ancient part of the Vestland. Old paths in the western part of the country went through Valdres and Hallingdal towards Røldal to Odda. Due to this connection Hallingdal as well as the neighboring Valdres region was colonized by a originally from the Vestland population that spoke a western dialect accordingly. This fact was the reason that these two valleys of Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear, the then papal legate for Scandinavia, the Diocese of Stavanger were slammed. Later, the Oslo region was lagdømme and 1631 the diocese of Oslo attributed.

Hallingdal is the region of origin of the hereinafter named folk dance Halling and next Valdres the only area in which the ancient Bordunzither langeleik is still played.

Nesbyen is the seat of the museum Hallingdal Museum.

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