Fagernes is a town and administration center in Nord-Aurdal
municipality in the Inland. Fagernes has 1,968 inhabitants as of 1
January 2020, and is located in Valdres by the Strondafjord - or
Strøndafjorden as the water is called locally.
The place is
an important tourist center and hub with good communications to
Oslo, Gol, Gudbrandsdalen, Jotunheimen and Western Norway. From its
establishment in 1906 until 1991, Fagernes Valdresbanen was the
terminus. After the Storting decided to close the line, and the last
ordinary train went on the track on 31 December 1988, for a period
tourist trains were on the line under the auspices of AS
Valdresbanen. This association still rents out dressages at Bjørgo
(Valdres) and Dokka (Nordre Land Municipality). In 1991, the railway
from Fagernes to Leira was removed, and in 2003, the railway between
Leira and Bjørgo was removed. A pedestrian and bicycle path has been
laid out on the old railway route - and there is a continuous
pedestrian and bicycle path to Bjørgo, approx. 19 km. The old
station building still stands and here you will now find a souvenir
shop. Fagernes Airport, Leirin, was opened in 1987. The airport has
had varying traffic and is constantly in danger of losing daily
departures, but has had a good occupancy of charter flights. Valdres
Folk Museum, one of the country's largest open-air museums, is
located at Fagernes.
Avisa Valdres is headquartered in
Fagernes. In addition, Valdres Radio's broadcasts air from here.
The town has two schools, Nord-Aurdal Ungdomsskole (NAUS) and
Fagernes skole which is the primary school on the site. There are
several hotels and accommodations, including Fagernes Hotell,
Fagerlund Hotell and Fagernes Camping.
Europavei 16 runs
through the town.