Ål
Encyclopedia
Ål 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 Ål.
The parish
of Aal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). The area of Hol
was separated from the municipality of Aal in 1877 to become a separate municipality.
form of the name was Áll. The name is identical with the word áll which means "ditch
" or "gully
". In 1921, the spelling of the name was changed from "Aal" to "Ål".
is from modern times. They were granted on 30 November 1984. The arms show three silver diamond shapes in a vertical line on a red background. The designs are taken from an old and common pattern used in hand-woven tapestries in the area. They also symbolize the three churches in the municipality: Ål, Torpo, and Leveld.
with Ål: - Sololá
, Sololá Department, Guatemala
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Buskerud
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
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 is part of the traditional region
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 Hallingdal
Hallingdal
Hallingdal is a valley and traditional district in Buskerud county in Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.-History:Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through Valdres and Hallingdal and down Røldal to Odda...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ål.
The parish
Parish
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...
of Aal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). The area of Hol
Hol
Hol is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway.-Administrative history:The area of Hol was separated from the municipality of Ål in 1877 to become a separate municipality. In 1937 a part of neighboring Uvdal with 220 inhabitants was moved to Hol municipality. The area of Dagali was transferred...
was separated from the municipality of Aal in 1877 to become a separate municipality.
Name
The Old NorseOld 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....
form of the name was Áll. The name is identical with the word áll which means "ditch
Ditch
A ditch is usually defined as a small to moderate depression created to channel water.In Anglo-Saxon, the word dïc already existed and was pronounced 'deek' in northern England and 'deetch' in the south. The origins of the word lie in digging a trench and forming the upcast soil into a bank...
" or "gully
Gully
A gully is a landform created by running water, eroding sharply into soil, typically on a hillside. Gullies resemble large ditches or small valleys, but are metres to tens of metres in depth and width...
". In 1921, the spelling of the name was changed from "Aal" to "Ål".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 30 November 1984. The arms show three silver diamond shapes in a vertical line on a red background. The designs are taken from an old and common pattern used in hand-woven tapestries in the area. They also symbolize the three churches in the municipality: Ål, Torpo, and Leveld.
Attractions
- The Torpo stave churchTorpo stave churchTorpo stave church is a stave church located in Torpo, a small village in Ål municipality, in Buskerud County, Norway. Torpo is located along Rv 7, the Norwegian national road which runs between Oslo and Bergen.-History:...
(built around 1190 - 1200) is located in TorpoTorpoTorpo is a small village in Ål municipality, in Buskerud County, Norway. Torpo is located in Hallingdal between the municipal centers of Ål and Gol. The village has 405 inhabitants per 1 January 2009. Previously Torpo was a stopover on the Bergen Railway. The station, which is in Art Nouveau style,... - Ål BygdamuseumÅl BygdamuseumÅl Bygdamuseum, a small museum on the farm Leksvol in Ål municipality, Norway, is a subsidiary of Hallingdal Museum. It includes 30 old buildings, including the house from Leksvol farm which dates from about 1600, a mountain farm with a stone building, and a cotter's farm place.-External links:* ,...
is built around the old Leksvol farm, and is very typical for the area. The buildings go back to the 17th century. In later years the museum have made additional installments, Øvre tunet, Stølen, and Husmannsplassen, where a stone cottage is reconstructed, similar to those used in the mountain sæterTranshumanceTranshumance is the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and to lower valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically in valleys. Only the herds travel, with...
.
Sister cities
The following cities are twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Ål: - Sololá
Sololá
Sololá is a city in Guatemala. It is the capital of the department of Sololá and the administrative seat of Sololá municipality.The name is a hispanicized form of its pre-Columbian name, one spelling variant of which is T'zolojy'a...
, Sololá Department, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...