Ringebu


is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vålebru.
The municipality of Ringebu was established on 1 January 1838. The area of Sollia was separated from Ringebu municipality to become a municipality of its own in 1864.

General information

Name

The Old Norse form of the name was Ringabú or Hringabú. The first element is probably derived from ringr which means "ring". The last element is bú which means "rural district".

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted in 1992. The arms show three orange flames on a red background. This represents the three valleys and three parishes of Ringebu, Fåvang, and Venabygd. Fire was chosen to represent mankind's need for heat and light.
AncestryNumber
109
41
38
38
29

History

The stave church at Ringebu, built around the year 1220, is one of fewer than 30 surviving stave churches and is one of the largest.
Some north of the church lies Hundorp farm, the legendary home of Dale-Gudbrand. Dale-Gudbrand is mentioned in the Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson. The account of King Olaf's conversion of Dale-Gudbrand to Christianity is popularly recognized.

Geography

Ringebu is bordered to the northwest by Sør-Fron municipality, to the southwest by Gausdal, to the south by Øyer, and by Stor-Elvdal municipality in Hedmark county on the east.
The administrative center of Ringebu municipality is the village of Vålebru which is located at an elevation of above sea level, but 50% of the area within the municipal borders is greater than above sea level. From Ringebu, two mountain passes provide road access into the Østerdal; one of these is closed during the winter. Because these mountain areas reliably provide good snow conditions, the area is a popular tourist destination. Kvitfjell ski area in Ringebu was expanded to serve as a downhill venue for the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Ringebu: