Vinje, Telemark, Norway
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Vinje is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Åmot.
The municipality of Vinje (originally a parish) is named after the old Vinje farm (Old Norse: Vinjar), since the first church was built there. The name is the plural form of vin which means "meadow" or "pasture". |
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Vinje was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The area of Rauland was separated from Vinje in 1860 to become a municipality of its own. On 1 January 1964 Rauland was merged back into the municipality of Vinje. Rauland has since been part of the larger Vinje municipality.
Vinje became a site of heavy battles during World War II, at the Battle of Vinjesvingen when Norwegian forces held out for over a month against superior German forces.
Vinje is situated on both the Hardangervidda plateau and parts of the Setesdalsheiene mountain plateaus. European route E134 passes through Vinje, which is located halfway between Oslo and Haugesund on Norway's west coast.
Starting at Haukeli, Norwegian National Road 9 leads up the steep slopes to Hovden and further south down the Setesdal to Kristiansand.
The mountain ski resort Haukelifjell is also found nearby. The isolated and sparsely populated area is known for its rugged, mountainous terrain that supports a wide variety of outdoor activities, amongst them hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, fishing, and canoeing.
Arabygdi lies on Lake Totak in the western part of Rauland. Its famous attraction is the "Urdbøuri", the largest stone scree in Northern Europe, with huge boulders scattered on the floor of the valley.
Vinje became a site of heavy battles during World War II, at the Battle of Vinjesvingen when Norwegian forces held out for over a month against superior German forces.
Vinje is situated on both the Hardangervidda plateau and parts of the Setesdalsheiene mountain plateaus. European route E134 passes through Vinje, which is located halfway between Oslo and Haugesund on Norway's west coast.
Starting at Haukeli, Norwegian National Road 9 leads up the steep slopes to Hovden and further south down the Setesdal to Kristiansand.
The mountain ski resort Haukelifjell is also found nearby. The isolated and sparsely populated area is known for its rugged, mountainous terrain that supports a wide variety of outdoor activities, amongst them hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, fishing, and canoeing.
Arabygdi lies on Lake Totak in the western part of Rauland. Its famous attraction is the "Urdbøuri", the largest stone scree in Northern Europe, with huge boulders scattered on the floor of the valley.
