Borgund, Sogn og Fjordane
Encyclopedia
Borgund is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane
county
, Norway
. It was part of the traditional district
of Sogn
. The administrative center of Borgund was the village of Steinklepp, which has a store, a bank, and a school. Today, Borgund is an area within the Lærdal
municipality and also a small village which is home to the famous Stave church
called Borgund stave church
. The historical Filefjell Kongevegen
road passes through the Borgund area.
) was named after the old Borgund farm (Old Norse
: Borgyndr), where the church is located. The name is derived from the old word Borg meaning "fortress" or "stronghold".
, along the Lærdalselvi river. The lower parts of the municipality were farms such as Sjurhaugen and Nedrehegg. They are at an elevation of about 270 m (885.8 ft) above sea level. Høgeloft
, on the border with Hemsedal
, is a mountain in the Filefjell
range and it is the highest point in Borgund at 1920 m (6,299.2 ft) above sea level. The lakes Eldrevatnet
, Juklevatnet
, and Øljusjøen
are also located near the border with Hemsedal.
. At the time of its creation, it had a population of 963. On 1 January 1964, Borgund (population: 492), a small part of neighboring Årdal
municipality, and Lærdal were merged together to form a new, larger municipality of Lærdal.
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It was part of the traditional district
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Sogn
Sogn
Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway . It is located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, surrounding the Sognefjord. Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestrand, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Gulen, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Solund, Vik, and Årdal. The district covers ...
. The administrative center of Borgund was the village of Steinklepp, which has a store, a bank, and a school. Today, Borgund is an area within the Lærdal
Lærdal
Lærdal is a municipality in the southwestern part of Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Lærdalsøyri...
municipality and also a small village which is home to the famous Stave church
Stave church
A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...
called Borgund stave church
Borgund stave church
Borgund Stave Church is a stave church located in Borgund, Lærdal, Norway. It is classified as a triple nave stave church of the so-called Sogn-type. This is also the best preserved of Norway's 28 extant stave churches.-Construction:...
. The historical Filefjell Kongevegen
Filefjell Kongevegen
The Filefjell Kongevegen is the name of the old trail over Filefjell, the mountainous area between Lærdal/Borgund and Valdres in Norway. It is the historical main route linking Western Norway and Eastern Norway....
road passes through the Borgund area.
Name
The municipality (originally the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
) was named after the old Borgund farm (Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Borgyndr), where the church is located. The name is derived from the old word Borg meaning "fortress" or "stronghold".
Location
The former municipality of Borgund is situated at the southeastern end of the SognefjordSognefjord
The Sognefjord is the largest fjord in Norway, and the second longest in the world. Located in Sogn og Fjordane county, it stretches inland to the small village of Skjolden...
, along the Lærdalselvi river. The lower parts of the municipality were farms such as Sjurhaugen and Nedrehegg. They are at an elevation of about 270 m (885.8 ft) above sea level. Høgeloft
Høgeloft
Høgeloft is a mountain on the border between the municipalities of Lærdal and Hemsedal , Norway. At above sea level, it is the highest mountain in the Filefjell mountain range...
, on the border with Hemsedal
Hemsedal
Hemsedal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Trøym. In 1897, Hemsedal was separated from the municipality of Gol to become a municipality of its own.Hemsedal is the...
, is a mountain in the Filefjell
Filefjell
Filefjell is a mountainous area between Lærdal and Valdres in Norway.It is the historical, as well as modern, main route, linking West Norway and Østlandet.-Etymology:...
range and it is the highest point in Borgund at 1920 m (6,299.2 ft) above sea level. The lakes Eldrevatnet
Eldrevatnet
Eldrevatnet or Eldrevatn is a lake in the municipality of Lærdal in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The lake lies at an elevation of above sea level. It is located about southeast of Borgund, not far from the highway and the Filefjell Kongevegen road. The lake Øljusjøen lies south of the...
, Juklevatnet
Juklevatnet
Juklevatnet is a lake in the municipalities of Hemsedal and Lærdal , Norway. It is located east of Borgund in Lærdal, just to the south of the mountain Høgeloft in the Filefjell range. The lake sits at an elevation of above sea level...
, and Øljusjøen
Øljusjøen
Øljusjøen is a lake in the municipalities of Hemsedal and Lærdal , Norway. The lake is located at an elevation of above sea level. It is southeast of Borgund and the highway. The lake Eldrevatnet is to the north...
are also located near the border with Hemsedal.
History
Borgund was established as a municipality in 1864 when it was separated from the municipality of LærdalLærdal
Lærdal is a municipality in the southwestern part of Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Lærdalsøyri...
. At the time of its creation, it had a population of 963. On 1 January 1964, Borgund (population: 492), a small part of neighboring Årdal
Årdal
Årdal is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Årdalstangen is the administrative center of the municipality. Årdal was separated from Lærdal in 1860....
municipality, and Lærdal were merged together to form a new, larger municipality of Lærdal.