Editing Ål

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox kommune
| name = Ål
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name = 
| official_name = 
| idnumber = 3328
| image_skyline = File:Ål Village.jpg
| county = Buskerud
| district = Hallingdal
| capital = [[Ål (village)|Ål]]
| language = [[Nynorsk]]
| coatofarms = Ål komm.svg
| flag = Flag of Ål.gif
| demonym = Åling
| munwebpage = www.aal.kommune.no
| mayor = Solveig Vestenfor
| mayor_party = Labour Party
| mayor_as_of = 2015
| area_rank = 85
| area_total_km2 = 1171
| area_land_km2 = 1081
| area_water_percent = 0.36
| population_as_of = 2015
| population_rank = 207
| population_total = 4716
| populationpercent = 0.10
| population_density_km2 = 4
| population_increase = 
| coordinates = {{coord|60|37|49|N|8|33|40|E|region:NO|display=inline,title}}
| utm_zone = 32V
| utm_northing = 6726742
| utm_easting = 0476886
| geo_cat = adm2nd
}}
[[File:Ål.JPG|thumb|250px|Village of Ål in winter]]
'''Ål''' is a [[Municipalities of Norway|municipality]] in [[Buskerud]] [[Counties of Norway|county]], [[Norway]]. It is part of the [[Districts of Norway|traditional region]] of [[Hallingdal]].  The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ål.
The [[parish]] of ''Aal'' was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see [[formannskapsdistrikt]]). The area of [[Hol, Norway|Hol]] was separated from the municipality of Aal in 1877 to become a separate municipality.

== Geography ==
80% of Ål municipality is at least {{convert|900|m|sp=us}} above sea level. The highest point is Raudbergnuten at {{convert|1819|m|sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kultur- og helsekommunen Ål |work=Ål Turistinformasjon |language=no |url=http://www.al.no/no/html/om_aal/ |access-date=11 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512060516/http://www.al.no/no/html/om_aal/ |archive-date=12 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Reineskarvet]], the significant mountain of Ål has a summit of {{convert|1791|m|sp=us}}. In the winter, Ål has over {{convert|400|km|sp=us}} of maintained cross country ski trails.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cross-country |work=Ål Turistinformasjon |url=http://www.al.no/en/html/aktiviteter/vinter/crosscountry/ |access-date=11 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084359/http://www.al.no/en/html/aktiviteter/vinter/crosscountry/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Ål borders the municipalities of [[Hol, Norway|Hol]], [[Gol, Norway|Gol]], [[Hemsedal]], [[Nes, Buskerud|Nes]], [[Nore og Uvdal]], and [[Lærdal]].

The [[Bergen Line]], the rail line between Oslo and Bergen runs through Ål. [[Ål Station]] has an elevation of {{convert|436|m|sp=us}} and is the halfway station on the Bergen Line.

[[Hallingdalselva]] runs in the bottom of the main valley, forming Strandafjorden, a long, narrow lake for several kilometers. Ål has several hydroelectric dams.  Hallingdalselva runs partly in a tunnel from here to Nes municipality, where it drives a large turbine power plant.

=== Mountains ===
*[[Djupeskardnosi]]
*[[Fossebreen]]
*[[Haldalshøgdi]]
*[[Haldalsnuten]]
*[[Langebottfjellet]]
*[[Lysebottnuten]]
*[[Mellomnuten]]

== General information ==
Approximately 5,000 inhabitants spread over several smaller villages including Ål, Torpo, Leveld, Vats, Trillhus, Granhagen, Breie and Strand. There is a strong cultural tradition, with folk music being a big part of people's identity. [[Folkemusikkveka]] is held every May for a week.

The traditional industry of Ål is mostly small-farming. Many livestock farms are still in operation with small herds of sheep, dairy cattle, and goats. Crop growing is difficult because of the steep valley walls, but wheat, barley, rye, and potatoes have all been grown in the past.

The award-winning local paper ''[[Hallingdølen]]'' has offices in the village of Ål. It comes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Ål has a [[Education in Norway|Videregående]] school and a [[Folkehøyskole]] for deaf students.

=== Name ===
The [[Old Norse]] form of the name was ''Áll''. The name is identical with the word ''áll'' which means "[[ditch]]" or "[[gully]]".  In 1921, the spelling of the name was changed from ''"Aal"'' to ''"Ål"''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historieboka.no/Modules/historiebok_tidsepoke_emne_artikkel.aspx?ObjectType=Article&Article.ID=1986&Category.ID=1287 |title=Kommunenavn i Buskerud |publisher=Terra Buskerud |access-date=5 January 2009 |last=Knappen |first=Audun |language=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004223651/http://www.historieboka.no/Modules/historiebok_tidsepoke_emne_artikkel.aspx?ObjectType=Article&Article.ID=1986&Category.ID=1287 |archive-date=4 October 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Coat-of-arms ===
The [[Coat of arms|coat-of-arms]] is from modern times.  The arms were granted on 30 November 1984 and show three silver diamond shapes in a vertical line on a red background.  The designs are taken from an old and common pattern used in hand-woven tapestries in the area.  They also symbolize the three churches in the municipality: Ål, Torpo, and Leveld.<ref>{{cite web |author=Norske Kommunevåpen |year=1990 |title=Nye kommunevåbener i Norden |url=http://www.ngw.nl/int/nor/a/al.htm |access-date=5 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715084730/http://www.ngw.nl/int/nor/a/al.htm |archive-date=15 July 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aal.kommune.no/Knappar-framsida/Om-Al-kommune/Presentasjon-av-kommunen/Kommunevapen/ |title=Kommunevåpen |publisher=Ål kommune |access-date=5 January 2009 |language=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222151152/http://www.aal.kommune.no/Knappar-framsida/Om-Al-kommune/Presentasjon-av-kommunen/Kommunevapen/ |archive-date=22 December 2009 }}</ref>

{| style="float:center;" class="wikitable"
|+ '''Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Ål by country of origin in 2020'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by immigration category, country background and percentages of the population|url=https://www.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/selectvarval/Define.asp?subjectcode=&ProductId=&MainTable=FolkInnvkatLand&nvl=&PLanguage=1&nyTmpVar=true&CMSSubjectArea=befolkning&KortNavnWeb=innvbef&StatVariant=&checked=true|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702101705/https://www.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/selectvarval/Define.asp?subjectcode=&ProductId=&MainTable=FolkInnvkatLand&nvl=&PLanguage=1&nyTmpVar=true&CMSSubjectArea=befolkning&KortNavnWeb=innvbef&StatVariant=&checked=true|archive-date=2 July 2015|access-date=3 October 2020|publisher=ssb.no}}</ref>

|-
! style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Ancestry
! style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Number
|-
| {{flag|Poland}} || 166
|-
| {{flag|Eritrea}} || 68
|-
| {{flag|Denmark}}|| 18
|-
| {{flag|Somalia}}|| 16
|-
| {{flag|Sweden}} || 16
|}

== Attractions ==

* [[Torpo Stave Church]] (built around 1190–1200) is located in [[Torpo]]
* [[Ål Bygdamuseum]] is built around the old Leksvol farm, and is typical of the area. The buildings go back to the 17th century. In later years the museum gained additional buildings, ''Øvre tunet'', ''Stølen'', and ''Husmannsplassen'', where a stone cottage has been reconstructed, similar to those used in the mountain [[transhumance|''sæter'']].
* Hallingdal feriepark, camping with high ropes course and activities
* Ål Skisenter, downhill skiing facility

== Notable people from Ål ==
[[File:Olav Thon 2013-04-30 001.jpg|140px|thumb|Olav Thon, 2013]]
* [[Hallgrim Berg]] (born 1945), folk musician and politician
* [[Lars T. Bjella]] (1922–2013), politician, active in Ål local politics for 25 years
* [[Stein Torleif Bjella]] (born 1968), songwriter, singer, and guitarist
* [[Nils Terje Dalseide]] (1952–2018), judge and civil servant
* [[Kristian Hefte]] (1905–1977), actor
* [[Trond Helleland]] (born 1962), politician
* [[Odd Hoftun]] (born 1927), engineer and missionary to Nepal
* [[Eldbjørg Løwer]] (born 1943), politician
* [[Mikkel Ødelien]] (1893–1984), scientist, educator and soil researcher
* [[Einfrid Perstølen]] (1917–2017), psychiatrist and [[Nynorsk]] language proponent
* [[Olle Eksell]] (born Carl Olof Lennart 1918–2007), graphic designer 
* [[Ambjørg Sælthun]] (1922–2012), farmer and politician
* [[Ole Larsen Skattebøl]] (1844–1929), judge and politician
* [[Embrik Strand]] (1876–1947), [[entomologist]] and [[arachnologist]]
* [[Olav Thon]] (1923-2024), real estate developer and billionaire

== Sister cities ==
The following cities are [[town twinning|twinned]] with Ål:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aal.kommune.no/Tjenester/Natur-og-miljo/Venskap-Al-Solola/ |title=Venskap Ål-Sololá |publisher=Ål kommune |access-date=5 January 2009 |language=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724180559/http://www.aal.kommune.no/Tjenester/Natur-og-miljo/Venskap-Al-Solola/ |archive-date=24 July 2011 }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Guatemala}} - [[Sololá]], [[Sololá Department]], [[Guatemala]]

== See also ==
*[[Gråhyrnerene]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071001011147/http://www.ssb.no/english/municipalities/0619 Municipal fact sheet] from [[Statistics Norway]]
* [http://www.al.no/en/html/activities/ Official Tourist Website]
* [http://www.folkemusikkveka.no/ Folkemusikkveka]
* {{Wikivoyage inline|Buskerud}}

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[[Category:Ål| ]]
[[Category:Hallingdal]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Buskerud]]
[[Category:Villages in Buskerud]]