Aurland

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old village of Aurland (Old Norse: Aurland) since the first Vangen Church was built there. The first element is aurr which means "gravel" or "moist earth". The last element is land which means "land" or "district".[6]

The coat of arms was granted on 22 May 1987. The official blazon is "Azure, a goat buck's head erased argent" (Norwegian: På blå grunn eit avrive sølv geitebukkhovud). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is the head of a male goat. The goat head has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. A goat was considered an appropriate symbol for the municipality since the area is famed for its goat farming and its production of goat cheese. The arms were designed by Inge Rotevatn. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.[7][8][9]

The Church of Norway has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Aurland. It is part of the Sogn prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Aurland is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

The mayor (ordførar) of a municipality in Norway is a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. The mayors of Aurland:[30]

In 2016, the chief of police for Vestlandet formally suggested a reconfiguration of police districts and stations. He proposed that the police station in Aurland be closed.[31]

Aurland has a typical inland climate with mild winters at the lower levels, early springs, and warm summers. A yearly average of 470 millimetres (19 in) of precipitation make Aurland one of the driest areas in Norway. In comparison, Bergen has 2,250 millimetres (89 in) of precipitation per year.[10]

View of mountains and fjords in Aurland

Aurland has rich and varied flora, which is more typical of eastern rather than western Norway. The mountain plant life is especially rich since the bedrock contains calcium rich deposits of phyllite.[10]

The oldest bedrock in Aurland are Precambrian basement rocks which crop out in tectonic windows in the north-eastern part of the municipality. This basement unit is mainly composed of granites, granodiorites and gneisses and is overlain by a nappe unit of cambro-silurian phyllite and mica schist of varying thickness. This is in turn overlain by a second nappe unit, called the Jotundekket (“Jokun Nappe”), which consists of Precambrian, mainly magmatic rocks which are more or less metamorphosed into gneisses and amphibolite.[32]

Part of the scenery took its shape 9,000 years ago, at the end of the ice age. The ice's advance was either halted or continued, according to the climatic conditions, and moraine ridges and gravel terraces were deposited along the glacier front. They are still visible today south of the Flåm church.[33]

On the western side of the Aurlandsfjord, there is rock that was pushed up into mountain ranges several million years ago. The fjord itself was gouged out of an earlier valley. Aurlandsvangen is typical of the lower areas, lying on an old river delta—the land is very flat and fertile. The mountainsides are steep causing frequent rock slides and avalanches.[10]

The lakes Nyhellervatnet and Fretheimsdalsvatnet are located in Aurland.

The West Norwegian Fjords of Geirangefjord and Nærøyfjord were added to UNESCO's World Heritage Site list in 2005. The two fjords are situated 120 kilometres (75 mi) from each other and they are separated by the Jostedalsbreen glacier. The World Heritage Site possesses a unique combination of glacial landforms at the same time as each area is characterised by its own outstanding beauty. The Nærøyfjord areas in this site stretch through the municipalities of Aurland, Lærdal, Vik, and Voss.[34]

View of Naeroyfjord from a tourist ferry

Vangen Church in Aurlandsvangen

Kjosfossen waterfall

The Aurlandsdalen valley is a well known hiking trail in Norway with its fabulous nature and contrasting countryside. The valley is rich in history and packed with culture. One can take the hike in several stages: From Geiteryggen where the path starts, it is a four-hour hike to Steinbergdalen. There are beautiful views of mountain peaks, snow glaciers, and lakes. In Steinbergdalen you will find Steinbergdalen mountain lodge which opened in 1895.[33]

The Flåm Railway is a masterpiece in engineering which is one of the most exciting railway journeys in the world. This journey from Myrdal to Flåm is twelve miles long (19 km), a descent of 866 metres (2,841 ft). It has 20 tunnels with a total length of almost 6 kilometres (3.7 mi). About 80% of the Flåm railway has a maximum gradient of 5.5%. To cope with the enormous change in height over such a short stretch, the track runs partly through tunnels which spiral in and out of the mountainside. The gradient is quite exceptional for a normal railway and the carriages are fitted with five different brake systems, any one of which is sufficient to stop the train.[33]

The Undredal Stave Church is a simple, small one-nave church that was built around 1150. It is located in the village of Undredal. It is one of the oldest preserved stave churches in Norway.[34]

The Vangen Church was built in 1202. The church is built in the early Gothic style influenced by English architecture. A document written in 1714 tells us that English merchants used to stay in Aurland during long periods to buy different articles and they are supposed to have taken part in the building of the church. Most likely they would have been the master builders.

In 1725, the Danish-Norwegian government was experiencing financial problems and King Frederick IV sold the church. The church remained as private property until the late 19th century. Then the municipality bought Vangen church back for 500 kroner.

At the last restoration in 1926, the original colors and designs were uncovered. Then the ceiling was taken away and the baldachin over the pulpit was brought back again. A new altarpiece was made. The Norwegian artist Emanuel Vigeland made the stained glass windows (two of the windows in the chancel illustrate the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and the one in the middle is Jesus Christ, the Savior).[33]

• Kjelfossen is a waterfall located near the village of Gudvangen
• Kjosfossen and Rjoandefossen are waterfalls that can be seen from the Flåmsbana railway
• The Stegastein viewpoint was constructed in 2006 with views of the surrounding fjords and valleys.

A P Beyer, memorial stone, Vangen kirke, Aurland