Everything about Voss totally explained
» See Voss (disambiguation) for other meanings
is a municipality in the county of
Hordaland,
Norway.
Voss was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see
formannskapsdistrikt).
Vossestrand was separated from Voss January 1, 1868 - and
Evanger was separated from Voss January 1, 1885. The whole of Vossestrand, and the main part of Evanger, were again merged with Voss January 1, 1964.
The main centre of population is the town
Voss or
Vossevangen. Voss is situated on the main road and railway line from
Oslo to
Bergen, about 100 kilometres east of Bergen. The people of Voss make their living mainly from
agriculture and
tourism, both in summer and winter.
The name
The
Old Norse form of the name was
Vörs, and this might have been the old name of
Vangsvatnet. If this is the case, then the name probably is derived from the word
vörr m 'wave; sea'. (
-s is a common
suffix in old Norwegian place names.)
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1977). It shows a
red deer.
(See also the coat-of-arms of
Gjemnes,
Hitra and
Hjartdal.)
History
In the early
Viking Age, before
Harald Fairhair, Voss was a
petty kingdom. According to legend, the people of Voss were forcibly converted to Christianity by king
Olav, who later became St. Olav. A stone cross situated in the town of Vossevangen is said to have been erected at this time. The town contains a stone church from
1277, with a 16th century excentric, octagonal steeple. Just outside the town is
Finnesloftet, a wooden guildhall believed to be the oldest profane wooden building in Northern Europe.
After the
German invasion of Norway on 9 April
1940, Voss was the main point of mobilisation for the Norwegian army in the west, as the city of
Bergen had already fallen on the first day of the invasion. Although most of the troops mobilised here were transferred by railway to the fighting in the east of the country, the German forces, advancing towards Voss along the railway line from Bergen and from the
Hardangerfjord. In Hardanger, some of the Germans climbed up the mountains from
Ålvik while the rest went through
Granvin. They were met with stiff resistance. To break down this resistance the town of Voss was bombed by the
Luftwaffe on 24 and 25 April, and the surrounding countryside on 26 April. About a dozen civilians lost their lives in the bombing which completely destroyed the old wood-built town centre. On 27 April, the German forces entered the town, which remained occupied until 8 May
1945.
In
1964 the municipality was enlarged with the incorporation of neighbouring
Vossestrand and
Evanger, which had up until then been separate municipalities within the
traditional district also known as Voss.
Birdlife
Voss has a wide range of habitats, everything from high barren mountains to rich fertile valleys. The large areas of coniferous forests provide food and shelter for a whole host of species, while the many wetland areas are regarded as some of the most interesting birding habitats in the county. There is a bird reserve at Lønaøyane with marked paths and a tower hide. Over 155 species have been seen at this locality. Many are common Scandinavia species, but the area has also produced the unexpected like
Great Egret,European Hobby and
Woodlark just to name a few,
Tourism
Voss sits in a location surrounded by snow-capped mountains, forests, lakes and fast flowing white water rivers. This has led to its development as a notable center of
skiing,
water sports,
skydiving,
paragliding and other adventure sports. The area hosts the
Ekstremsportveko (Extreme Sports Week) every year in the last week of June, which is regarded as the world's premier
extreme sports festival. Bømoen, the local airstrip, is home to
Skydive Voss
, one of the largest dropzones in Norway, as well as a gliding club. The rivers provide various levels of white water, attracting kayaking, rafting and river boarding. Kite surfing and
Para-bungee may been seen on lake Vangsvatnet. The ski area, to the north of the town, is accessible via a
cable car,
Hangursbanen from the town. There is also
chair lift access from
Bavallen, a short distance to the northeast of Voss. For those wanting to test their skills in Snow Survival, or spend a winter's night under the stars there are courses at
Arctic Adventures.
The town's proximity to the
Sognefjord and its position between Bergen and Flåm on the scenic railway have made it popular with tourists.
The Voss Museum displays several old farmsteads. Next to the open-air part, there's a museum building with over 20 000 items from traditional farm life.
Famous people from Voss
Like the rest of western Norway, Voss saw large-scale emigration, particularly to the
United States, in the 19th and early 20th century. Famous Voss-Americans include the
US Senator Knute Nelson, and
American football player and coach
Knute Rockne, who is commemorated by a memorial in Vossevangen.
Voss is a winter sports center and has in recent times been the home of many world-class athletes in several winter sports, most prominently
biathlon, but also
alpine skiing,
nordic skiing and
freestyle skiing. Athletes from Voss have been present, representing Norway, at every winter Olympic games except one since
1948, the exception being
1972. Olympic champions from Voss include:
Former
Sheffield Wednesday footballer
Trond Egil Soltvedt was born in Voss.
The controversial
football agent Rune Hauge is also from Voss.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Voss'.
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