Hole Municipality
Hole kommune | |
---|---|
![]() | |
![]() Buskerud within Norway | |
![]() Hole within Buskerud | |
Country | Norway |
County | Buskerud |
District | Ringerike |
Administrative centre | Vik |
Government | |
• Governor (2003) | Per R. Berger (H) |
Area | |
• Total | 198 km2 (76 sq mi) |
• Land | 134 km2 (52 sq mi) |
• Rank | #329 in Norway |
Population (2004) | |
• Total | 5,199 |
• Rank | #187 in Norway |
• Density | 39/km2 (100/sq mi) |
• Change (10 years) | ![]() |
Demonym | Holeværing[1] |
Official language | |
• Norwegian form | Bokmål |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
ISO 3166 code | NO-0612[3] |
Website | Official website |
lat_seclon_seclat_minlon_minlon_deglat_deg
Hole is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Ringerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vik.
The municipality of Hole was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The area of Tyristrand was separated from Hole on 1 July 1916 to become a municipality of its own. The municipality of Hole was merged into the neighboring municipality of Ringerike in 1964, however, this merger ended in 1977 when Hole was restored as a separate municipality.
The municipality is considered as part of the traditional district of Ringerike, not to be confused with the municipality of Ringerike. Hole is located around lake Tyrifjorden and extends to the woodland around Oslo. The soil is fertile, excellent for growing fruit, berries and other agricultural products.
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hole farm (Old Norse: Hólar), since the first church was built here. The name is the plural form of hóll which means "round (and isolated) hill".
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 24 May 1985. The arms show four gold crowns on a red background. They are a symbol for the four Norwegian Kings who lived in the municipality in the 9th-11th centuries:[4][5]
Hole has an extensive and important role in Norwegian history. Archeological finds from the Roman and Migration periods are numerous. Hole is also known as one of the traditional landscapes from the Viking age and plays a prominent role in the Norse sagas.
King Halfdan the Black of Vestfold conquered the Ringerike traditional district, including Hole, in about 830 AD. According to saga, when he died he was so popular that every district wanted his body. As a result his body was quartered; his head was buried in the mound at the Stein estate in Hole. Halfdan the Black’s second wife, Ragnild from Hole, was the mother of the first king of Norway, Harald I of Norway (also known as Harold Fairhair).
Saint Olaf (king of Norway from 1015 to 1028) was born in Hole, near where the 12th century Bønsnes church is located, to Harold Grenske (a grandson of Harald I of Norway) and his wife Asta. Asta later remarried to Sigurd Syr, chieftain of Hole, and had a son born there named Harold,(Harald Hårdråde) who later became Harald III Sigurdsson (king of Norway from 1046 to 1066) . [6]
Ringerkike’s famous poet, Jørgen Moe, was brought up on the Mo (or Moe) farm in Hole. Many of the fairy tales gathered by Asbjørnsen and Moe were collected in this area. Frognøya and Størøya are also important historical places in Hole.
The municipality of Hole is bordered on the north by Ringerike municipality, in the east by Bærum municipality and in the south by Lier municipality. South of the lake Tyrifjorden it also borders on Modum municipality. Most of the residents live in the villages of Sundvollen, Vik, Kroksund, Helgelandsmoen, Steinsåsen, Røyse, and Sollihøgda.
From the viewpoint "Kongens utsikt" which lies on Krokskogen, there is a spectacular view of the landscape in Hole. The main road between Oslo and Bergen, European route E16, runs through the community.
Måltrostlia in Kroksund: in folk terms the place is usually referred to as Dollar Hills (Dollar-Åsen) - mainly for its high percentage of right wing rich people. The average income of a typical inhabitant tends to be much higher than the standard wages in the district.
The current mayor is Per Ragnvald Berger (born 18 October 1952), representing Høyre, the right-wing Conservatives in a coalition with Senterpartiet and Kristelig Folkeparti. Elected for 2007-2011, he is in for his third term and was first elected in 1999.
In Hole there are good opportunities for outdoor activities. During the winter there are numerous skiing tracks, and the rest of the year hiking, boat trips, swimming, and fishing are readily available.
Storøen golf course lies along Lake Tyrifjorden. It is said to be one of the finest and best courses in Norway.
The following cities are twinned with Hole:[7]
| |||||||||
Towns and cities | |||||||||
Municipalities |
| ||||||||
|