Gudbrandsdal Articles about
Gudbrandsdal
 

Information About

Gudbrandsdal




The district consists of the Municipalities of Lesja , Dovre , Skjåk , Lom , Vågå , Sel , Nord-Fron , Sør-Fron , Ringebu , Øyer , Gausdal , and Lillehammer .


History

Gudbrandsdalen is shaped by the recent ice age and rivers from the present glacial areas in Jotunheimen and Dovre .

1015 - Gudbrandsdalen is mentioned extensively in the Heimskringla (The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway) by Snorri Sturlson. The account of King Olaf 's (A.D. 1015-1021) conversion of Dale-Gudbrand to christianity is popularly recognized.

1349 to 1350 – The Black Plague halved the population in Gudbrandsdalen. This resulted in a temporary improvement for the lower classes as crofters became scarce and even the poor were able to rent the better farms in the bottom lands.

1537 - During the Reformation the Church was subordinated to the “lendmenn” or sheriff. Church property was appropriated by the crown and the King became the biggest Gudbrandsdalen land-owner.

1612 - Near Otta in Gudbrandsdalen, was the Battle Of Kringen where local peasants in 1612 defeated the Scottish mercenary army. The legends of this battle lives on to this day, including the story of how the peasant girl '' Prillar-Guri '' lured the Scots into an ambush by playing of the traditional ram's horn.

1670 to 1725 – Most of the royal property was sold off to pay for war debts, first to established property holders, but increasingly to peasant proprietors. A freeholder’s era began and a new “upper class” of land holders was formed.


Towns



Mountain areas close to the valley



Named for Gudbrandsdal



Alpine/Skidestinations



External links