Naustdal

Naustdal is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre was the village of Naustdal, which has 1,188 inhabitants (2017). Other villages in Naustdal include Indrevevring and Helle. The municipality became part of Sunnfjord Municipality in Vestland county on 1 January 2020. Naustdal was situated between the towns of Førde and Florø, along the Norwegian National Road 5 highway. The Naustdal Tunnel ran through the mountains to connect to the town of Florø. The Førde Airport in Bringeland in Gaular municipality is the closest regional airport, and it lies about from Naustdal. At the time of its dissolution in 2020, the municipality is the 251st largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Naustdal is the 276th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 2,793. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 5.2% over the last decade. Naustdal was a farming community with diversity and cultural activities ranging from annual art exhibitions at Vevring to fairs, music, and dancing. Several renowned artists and writers come from Naustdal. Some of the local farmers breed horses, and horse shows are held every second year. Athletes from Naustdal do very well both in national and international championships, especially in volleyball and weightlifting. Naustdal offers rich opportunities for outdoor life such as fishing on the fjord from hired boats. The famous salmon river, Nausta, is in one of the county's largest wilderness areas with mountains, streams, lakes, and mountain farms, and it attracts many tourists from around the world. A recreational area and marina have recently been laid out near the center of Naustdal. The parish of Naustdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1896 when it was split off from the large municipality of Førde. Initially, Naustdal had a population of 2,543. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee.