Numedal

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title: "Numedal" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["districts-of-buskerud", "valleys-of-buskerud", "flesberg", "rollag", "nore-og-uvdal"] topic_path: "general/districts-of-buskerud" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numedal" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Numedal og Sandsvær
settlement_type	District
image_skyline	Rødberg Nore.jpg
image_caption	Rødberg, the largest settlement in Numedal.
image_map	Numedal og Sandsvær.svg
map_caption	Map of Numedal with municipalities
seat_type	Adm. Center
seat	Rødberg
area_total_km2	3513
population_total	6609
population_as_of	2014
population_demonym	Numedøl
population_density_km2	auto
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Norway
subdivision_type1	County
subdivision_name1	Buskerud
subdivision_type2	Region
subdivision_name2	Austlandet
pushpin_map	Norway Buskerud#Norway
coordinates
::

| name = Numedal og Sandsvær | settlement_type = District | image_skyline = Rødberg Nore.jpg | image_caption = Rødberg, the largest settlement in Numedal. |image_map = Numedal og Sandsvær.svg |map_caption = Map of Numedal with municipalities | seat_type = Adm. Center | seat = Rødberg | area_total_km2 = 3513 | population_total = 6609 | population_as_of = 2014 | population_demonym = Numedøl | population_density_km2 = auto | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Norway | subdivision_type1 = County | subdivision_name1 = Buskerud | subdivision_type2 = Region | subdivision_name2 = Austlandet |pushpin_map = Norway Buskerud#Norway |coordinates =

Numedal () is a valley and a traditional district in Eastern Norway located within the county of Buskerud. It traditionally includes the municipalities Flesberg, Nore og Uvdal and Rollag. Administratively, it now also includes Kongsberg.

Geography

Numedal is the southernmost valley of the major valleys in Eastern Norway. Numedal is largely a U-shaped valley. Most of the area is mountainous, especially west of the main valley, with steep valley sides. Running north–south, it extends between Flesberg in the south to Rødberg in the north, passing through the municipalities of Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal. The Numedalslågen, the third-longest river in Norway, flows through the valley before discharging into Oslofjord at Larvik.

Transportation

National Road 40 runs from Larvik. National Road 7 crosses Hardangervidda to Geilo. Numedal Line Railway (Numedalsbanen) was opened in 1927 and stopped operations in 1988. The former railroad track from Veggli to Rødberg is now used principally for cycling.

Economy

Agriculture and forestry are important industries in the valley along with hydropower generation, as well as growing tourist traffic.

Etymology

The name comes from Nauma, the Old Norse name for the Numedalslågen, and dal meaning "valley". The origin and meaning of the name are the same as that of Namdalen.

Attractions

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Numedal.jpg" caption="A welcome sign to Numedal"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Numedalslågen.jpg" caption="Numedalslågen in Numedal"] ::

The area along the Numedalslågen from Flesberg up to the Hardangervidda through the valley has a large number of examples of Medieval Scandinavian architecture. There are still over 40 historic timber buildings and four stave churches: Flesberg Stave Church, Rollag Stave Church, Nore Stave Church and Uvdal Stave Church.

Numedal was also the location of one of the "Nordmann's trails" (Nordmannsslepene), which were the old main roads between east and west over Hardangervidda. On the marked paths, remains of Stone Age dwelling places, bog iron works and grave mounds can be seen.

Numedal also has several museums including Nore og Uvdal Open Air Museum (Nore og Uvdal Bygdetun) in Uvdal, Rollag Open Air Museum (Rollag Bygdetun) in Rollag, and Dåset Open Air Museum (Dåset bygdetun) at Flesberg. These are collections of historic buildings, mostly built in the traditional style common for the valley.

Gallery

File:Godfarfossen.jpg|Godfarfossen on Numedalslågen File:Numedalsbanen Roedberg.jpg|Rødberg Station on the partially closed Numedal Rail Line File:Rollag kirke 02.jpg|Rollag Stave Church File:Alfstadloftet.jpg|Alfstadloftet File:Bakkerud stasjon Numedalsbanen.jpg|Bakkerud Station File:Flesberg vrengja outlet in Laagen IMG 1279.jpg|Vrengja at Lågen

Climate

Numedal has a subarctic climate (Dfc) with short, mild, and wet summers with cool nights and long, cold, and snowy winters. | location = Lyngdal in Numedal 1961–1990, extremes 1959–2015 | metric first = Y | single line = Y | Jan record high C = 11.5 | Feb record high C = 12.5 | Mar record high C = 16.6 | Apr record high C = 24.2 | May record high C = 28.3 | Jun record high C = 32.6 | Jul record high C = 31.3 | Aug record high C = 32.2 | Sep record high C = 25.0 | Oct record high C = 24.0 | Nov record high C = 15.1 | Dec record high C = 13.4 | Jan high C = -3.6 | Feb high C = -1.2 | Mar high C = 3.3 | Apr high C = 8.2 | May high C = 14.7 | Jun high C = 19.5 | Jul high C = 20.5 | Aug high C = 19.1 | Sep high C = 14.0 | Oct high C = 8.8 | Nov high C = 1.5 | Dec high C = -2.3 | Jan low C = -11.1 | Feb low C = -10.5 | Mar low C = -6.5 | Apr low C = -2.3 | May low C = 2.9 | Jun low C = 7.2 | Jul low C = 8.9 | Aug low C = 7.8 | Sep low C = 4.3 | Oct low C = 0.8 | Nov low C = -5.2 | Dec low C = -9.8 | Jan record low C = -34.2 | Feb record low C = -31.0 | Mar record low C = -27.3 | Apr record low C = -15.2 | May record low C = -7.2 | Jun record low C = -2.1 | Jul record low C = 0.5 | Aug record low C = -0.5 | Sep record low C = -5.6 | Oct record low C = -15.4 | Nov record low C = -23.0 | Dec record low C = -29.2 | Jan precipitation mm = 52 | Feb precipitation mm = 37 | Mar precipitation mm = 43 | Apr precipitation mm = 41 | May precipitation mm = 62 | Jun precipitation mm = 72 | Jul precipitation mm = 86 | Aug precipitation mm = 90 | Sep precipitation mm = 87 | Oct precipitation mm = 97 | Nov precipitation mm = 77 | Dec precipitation mm = 53 | Jan precipitation days = 10.0 | Feb precipitation days = 7.2 | Mar precipitation days = 8.4 | Apr precipitation days = 7.8 | May precipitation days = 9.7 | Jun precipitation days = 10.7 | Jul precipitation days = 11.5 | Aug precipitation days = 11.2 | Sep precipitation days = 10.6 | Oct precipitation days = 10.9 | Nov precipitation days = 10.7 | Dec precipitation days = 9.5 | source 1 = Met Norway Eklima

References

Notes

Citations

Literature

References

1. Thorsnæs, Geir. "Numedal".
2. "Numedal".
3. "Key facts about Numedal".
4. Heggstad, Ragnar. "Numedalslågen".
5. Holøs, Bjørn. "Numedalsbanen".
6. Heggstad, Ragnar. "Namsen".
7. "Attractions in Numedal".
8. "Stave churches".
9. Førde, Reidun. "Nordmannsslepene".
10. "Nordmannsslepene".
11. "Nore og Uvdal Bygdetun".
12. "Rollag bygdetun".
13. "Dåset bygdetun".

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