Balestrand
Balestrand is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center was the village of Balestrand. Other villages in the municipality included Ese, Kvamme, Låne, Sæle, Tjugum, and Vetlefjorden.
Balestrand Municipality
Balestrand kommune | |
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View of Balestrand | |
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Flag | |
Sogn og Fjordane within Norway | |
Balestrand within Sogn og Fjordane | |
| Coordinates: 61°10′39″N 06°24′14″E | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Sogn og Fjordane |
| District | Sogn |
| Established | 1850 |
| • Preceded by | Leikanger Municipality |
| Disestablished | 1 Jan 2020 |
| • Succeeded by | Sogndal and Høyanger |
| Administrative centre | Balestrand |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2011-2019) | Harald Offerdal (Ap) |
| Area (upon dissolution) | |
| • Total | 429.67 km2 (165.90 sq mi) |
| • Land | 411.04 km2 (158.70 sq mi) |
| • Water | 18.63 km2 (7.19 sq mi) 4.3% |
| • Rank | #231 in Norway |
| Population (2019) | |
| • Total | 1,279 |
| • Rank | #370 in Norway |
| • Density | 3.1/km2 (8/sq mi) |
| • Change (10 years) | −5.1% |
| Demonym | Balestrending |
| Official language | |
| • Norwegian form | Nynorsk |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | NO-1418 |
| Website | Official website |
The municipality was situated at the confluence of the Fjærlandsfjorden/Esefjorden and the main Sognefjorden. The major industries in the municipality were tourism and farming. Balestrand became popular early due to the interest of artists, such as Hans Gude, Kjartan Lauritzen, Alfred Heaton Cooper, Hans Dahl, and Johannes Flintoe. Their paintings of the scenery around Balestrand inspired visitors, and Balestrand maintains its connection with art. Other industries include made-to-order kitchen interiors, local apple juice, and Nesseplast which produces industrial plastic. The Norwegian County Road 13 runs through the municipality.
At the time of its dissolution in 2020, the 430-square-kilometre (170 sq mi) municipality was the 231st largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Balestrand was the 370th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,272. The municipality's population density was 3.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (8.0/sq mi) and its population had decreased by 5.1% over the previous decade.
In 2016, the chief of police for Vestlandet formally suggested a reconfiguration of police districts and stations. He proposed that the police station in Balestrand be closed.