Valdres

View over Begnadalen from Lærskogen, with the large woodland ranging all over to Randsfjorden on the left and Hedalsfjella in the right background

Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.

Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is Fagernes, where there also is an airport. European route E16 is the main highway, while the main rivers are Begna and Etna. The railroad connection from Oslo (Valdresbanen) was shut down in 1988, and the tracks are now removed.

Valdres is located approximately midway between Oslo and Bergen. The valley is protected to the west and north by the Jotunheimen mountains and to the south by the Gol mountain ridge. Historically, Valdres has had an agricultural economy, but tourism has grown in prominence in later years. Valdres is known for its excellent trout fishing.

Valdres March

Valdres March (Norwegian: Valdresmarsjen) is the title of a Norwegian march by Johannes Hanssen. His most famous composition, Valdresmarsjen is a march celebrating the beautiful Valdres region. The main theme is the signature fanfare for the Valdres Battalion, which is based on an ancient melody formerly played on the medieval lur, an uncoiled wooden wind instrument. The melody of the trio section derives from a fiddle tune traditional in Hardanger and a pentatonic folk tune, above a typical Norwegian drone bass line.

External links

• Valdres Natur og Kulturpark Regional pages
• Valdres Destinasjon Tourism pages
• The Valdres March Music Valdres Pictures (1904)
• Valdres on Wikitravel
• Valdres Radio Norwegian
• Fishing in Valdres