Oslo & Eastern Norway
Eastern Norway: Towns | Holidays | Attractions
East-Norway is made up of seven counties: Oslo,
Akershus, Østfold,
Vestfold, Buskerud, Telemark, Hedmark and Oppland. Oslo, the
nation's capital, is the heart of the region.
This is the most populated region of the country and has a
huge variety of cultural and outdoor activities to offer.
Oslo
Norway's capital and largest city, the thousand years old Oslo, is situated
at the head of the Oslo fjord. After a fire in 1624 the city was rebuild
and renamed Christiania in honour of a Danish king. The spelling was later
changed to Kristiania, but in 1925 the city got its old name back. There
are many different interpretations of this name. The first syllable may come
fram "ás" - God (in the Old Norse belief), and the second "an
open place".
Telemark
This county stretches from coastal lowland near the Skagerak in southeast,
to the mountain plateau Hardangervidda in the northwest. Between these extremes
you'll find numerous valleys, most of them containing long and narrow lakes.
The county's name means "the land of the Teler". The tribe called
Teler lived there long before the Viking era, and the tribe name is very
old and difficult to explain. Before 1919 the coastal part of Telemark was
called Grenland.
Buskerud
Two long valleys - Numedal and Hallingdal - dominate the landscape of Buskerud,
which is almost completely landlocked, save for a coastal strip in its southeastern
end. The county has inherited its name from the farm Buskerud, "the
Bishops clearing", where the Bishop and later the bailiff lived.
Vestfold
Many hundred years ago the Oslo fjord was called "Fold", a word meaning
open sea. Vestfold then means "the land on the western side of Fold" (see
the next county). Vestfold is the second smallest county in Norway (Oslo takes
the bottom place). The county is almost without mountains, and has only very
short fjords and small islands. But it has a very rich history!
Østfold
Østfold means "the land on the eastern side of Fold" (se explanation
for the previous county). The county is situated between the Oslo fjord and the
Swedish border, and is filled with farmland and low forested hills. Glomma,
the longest river in Norway, runs through Østfold and reaches the sea
there (see also Hedmark). Very old traces of stone age settlements have been
found in this county.
Akerhus
Akershus, the second most populous county in Norway, encompasses the capital,
Oslo, which has a slightly larger population. Almost every fourth Norwegians
lives in these two counties. The name Akershus is borrowed from the castle
and fortress at Aker, which is now a part of Oslo. And Aker of course means
acre.
Oppland
Oppland is landlocked, like its neighbour Hedmark to the east. The county stretches
from broad farmland in the south, where you'll also find the lake Mjøsa
(Norway's largest), to the Rondane, Dovre and Jotunheimen mountain ranges
in the north. Among its many valleys Gudbrandsdalen is the longest. Gudbrandsdalen
and Mjøsa meets near the town Lillehammer. The name Oppland means "The
High Land" (compared with the lower districts bordering the Oslo fjord).
Hedmark
In the landlocked county of Hedmark you'll find Norway's longest valley, Østerdalen
(The Eastern Valley), and its longest river, Glomma. Hedmark borders to Sweden
in all its length. The county name means "the land of the Heides".
This was an old tribe that was called so because they lived in the forested
wilderness, "heidr" in Old Norse.
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