Stryn

Name

The name (Old Norse Strjónar) originally (probably) belonged to the river of Stryneelva. The name is derived from strjónn which means "(strong) stream".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was introduced in 1987. It shows a yellow branch of a linden (tilia) on a green background.

Background

Innvik was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The original municipality was identical to the Innvik parish (prestegjeld) with the sub-parishes (sokn) of Oppstryn, Nedstryn, Loen, Olden, Innvik, and Utvik.

In 1843, the sub-parishes of Loen, Oppstryn, and Nedstryn were separated from the municipality of Innvik and became a separate municipality named Stryn. The population of Stryn at this time was 2,401.

On 10 January 1922, the area of Raksgrenda was transferred from Innvik to Stryn. The population in this area was 120 at that time.

On 1 January 1965, a merger took place combining the following areas into a new Stryn municipality:

The new municipality of Stryn had a population of 7,211.

On 1 January 1977, the parts of Hornindal municipality that were merged with Stryn in 1965 were transferred back to the newly re-constituted Hornindal municipality. The population of Stryn was reduced by 1,202 in this transaction.

Churches

The Church of Norway has eight parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Stryn. It is part of the Nordfjord deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Stryn, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Stryn is made up of 25 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2011–2015, the party breakdown is as follows:

Mayor

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. Sven Flo of the Conservative Party (Høyre) was elected as mayor in 2011.

Location

Stryn is located on the northern border of Sogn og Fjordane county. To the north, Stryn is bordered by the municicaplities of Hornindal (Sogn og Fjordane county) and Stranda (in Møre og Romsdal county), to the east is Skjåk (in Oppland county), to the southeast is Luster, to the southwest is Jølster, and to the west is Gloppen and Eid.

Nature

Stryn is world-famous for its beautiful scenery with glaciers and majestic mountains running into the mirroring fjords and lakes. The most famous glacier is Briksdalsbreen and it lies in the Oldedalen valley, but the Stryn area offers numerous spectacular valley glaciers including Tindefjellbreen, Tystigsbreen, and Myklebustbreen. Most of the valley glaciers in Stryn are originating from the great Jostedal glacier (Jostedalsbreen) between the Nordfjord and Sogn areas.

Ramnefjellsfossen, the third highest free-falling waterfall in the world, is located in the municipality. Stryn also has the largest linden forest in Northern Europe. The largest lakes are Oppstrynsvatn, Lovatnet, and Oldevatnet. The mountains Skåla, Lodalskåpa, and Høgstre Breakulen are all located in Stryn.

Jostedal Glacier National Park

The Jostedalsbreen National Park has an area of approximately 1,310 square kilometres (510 sq mi). Flora and fauna area is situated between the fjord and glacier. The museum Jostedalsbreen nasjonalparksenter is located in Oppstryn.

Briksdal glacier

Visitors from all over the world come to see the beautiful Briksdalsbreen glacier outlet, which is beautifully situated amid waterfalls and high peaks. Briksdal glacier is a part of the Jostedal glacier ice field, which is the largest glacier on the European mainland. The highest point of the glacier lies at 1,950 metres (6,400 ft) above sea level and in some places it measures 400 metres (1,300 ft) in depth. It is located at the end of the Oldedalen valley.

Lodalen – Kjenndalen

On two occasions, large rockslides from Ramnefjellet hit the lake below. The resulting flood wave wiped out the settlements of Nesdal and Bødal, killing 135 people.

Wildlife

There are many bird species in this area including the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus), and the white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopus leucotos). Some of the larger mammals that live in this region are red deer (Cervus elaphus), wolverines (Gulo gulo), and lynxes (Lynx lynx).

National Tourist Route

The Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is a National Tourist Route (Fylkesvei 258). It goes from Grotli (Skjåk municipality in Oppland county) to Videseter, where a waterfall is, and on to the village of Stryn (Sogn og Fjordane county).

Stryn Center

The village of Stryn, a busy and developing small village at the tip of the most northernly of the three short branches at the inner end of Nordfjorden, is the local government and shopping centre for a large community and the junction of roads which connect inner Nordfjord with the rest of Norway.

Oldedalen Valley

The southernmost of the three short branches at the inner end of Nordfjorden terminates at the village of Olden from which a lovely valley, Oldedalen, goes due south for about 20 kilometres (12 mi) between slopes rising sharply to more than 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) to the edge of the Jostedals glacier.

Olden has two churches. The Old Olden Church in the village, was built in 1759 on the site of a Stave church dating from around 1300. Its pews, doors, and jambs are made from timbers of the Stave church. The "new" Olden Church, a short distance along the valley, was built in 1934 so that the old church could be preserved.

Loen and Lodalen Valley

The Loen Skylift is located in Loen, and Hotel Alexandra is a popular tourist retreat. Loen Valley (Lodalen) is a popular attraction, and Kjenndal Glacier is located at the end of the valley (branch of the Jostedal Glacier). Much of the upper Loen valley was devastated from two rockfall slides (one in 1905 and one in 1936) that created huge waves that swept with them most of the houses and vegetation. A total of 135 people were killed in these two incidents.

Innvik and Utvik

On the southern shore of the Nordfjorden, between Hildaneset and Utvikfjellet, lie the villages of Innvik and Utvik, in the area known as Vikane. The main road (Rv 60) skirts the fjord past Innvik and ascends from Utvik to Utvikfjellet mountain. At Hildaneset, beside the main road, there is a sculpture of Mr. Singer. Mr Singer financed the building of the road.

Skiing

Stryn Sommerski is one of Norway's best known skiing facilities. It offers excellent skiing conditions in the summer, with lifts and tracks for all types of skiing, including Cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, Telemark skiing, and snowboarding.