Valestrandfossen[3] or Valestrandsfossen[4] is a village in the municipality of Osterøy, adjacent to Norway's second-largest city and municipality Bergen, Vestland county. It lies at Sørfjorden 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the west and 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of the municipal centre of Lonevåg. Sites worth mentioning include Hamre and Hamre Church.

Valestrandfossen
Valestrandsfossen
Village
View of the village
View of the village
Valestrandfossen is located in Vestland
Valestrandfossen
Valestrandfossen
Location of the village
Valestrandfossen is located in Norway
Valestrandfossen
Valestrandfossen
Valestrandfossen (Norway)
Coordinates: 60°30′20″N 05°25′57″E / 60.50556°N 5.43250°E / 60.50556; 5.43250
CountryNorway
RegionWestern Norway
CountyVestland
DistrictNordhordland
MunicipalityOsterøy
Area
 • Total0.94 km2 (0.36 sq mi)
Elevation17 m (56 ft)
Population
 (2019)[1]
 • Total1,303
 • Density1,386/km2 (3,590/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Post Code
5281 Valestrandsfossen

Valestrandfossen has shops, a gas station, primary school, hairdressers, pubs, and Lerøy Fossen AS, the world's largest trout smokehouse. [5]

MF Ole Bull

Valestrandfossen is the largest settlement on the whole island of Osterøy. The 0.94-square-kilometre (230-acre) village has a population (2019) of 1,303 and a population density of 1,386 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,590/sq mi).[1] Located by the Sørfjorden, it has a regular ferry (the MF Ole Bull) that crosses the fjord to Åsane in Bergen.[6]

Ole Bull summer house at Valestrandfossen

The famous Norwegian violinist and composer Ole Bull had his summer house here. In 1858, he bought a farm in Valestrand. The house was designed during 1865 by his youngest brother, architect Georg Andreas Bull. Ole Bull lived there for a time principally between tours. In 1872, he bought property on the island of Lysøen in what is now Bjørnafjorden Municipality, south of Bergen which became the primary residence of his family.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 2019). "Urban settlements. Population and area, by municipality".
  2. ^ "Valestrandfossen" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  3. ^ According to Statistics Norway.
  4. ^ According to Statens kartverk: SK Website
  5. ^ Store norske leksikon. "Valestrandsfossen" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Osterøy Ferjeselskap AS - Me reiser saman" (in Norwegian). Osterøy Ferjeselskap. 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2008.