Nordfjordeid is the regional capital of Nordfjord and the administrative centre of Stad Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. Situated at the end of Eidsfjorden (an arm of Nordfjorden), west of the lake Hornindalsvatnet. The village serves as a commercial and cultural hub for the greater Nordfjord region..
As of 2024, the 2.53-square-kilometre (630-acre) urban area (tettsted) has a population of 3,178. The local economy is driven by commerce, agriculture, timber, and a growing tourism sector. This growth is heavily supported by the Port of Nordfjordeid, which serves as a major gateway for international cruise traffic as the 10th most visited passenger terminal in Norway.
Nordfjordeid functions as the primary shopping destination for the surrounding areas, centered around its historic main street, Eidsgata and modern commercial street Sjøgata along the towns waterfront where Alti Nordfjord the largest shopping centre in Nordfjord is located.
Historically serving as the centre of power for the Kingdom of Firda during the Viking Age the town is known for its cultural and historical attractions, most notably the Sagastad Viking Center—which houses a full-scale replica of the Myklebust ship - the largest Viking ship ever found, the Norwegian Fjordhorse Center, and Ekserserplassen, Norway's oldest military parade ground.
The regional capital the village is home to several regional institutions, including the Nordfjord Hospital, the Statens Hus government complex, a branch of the Sogn og Fjordane District Court, Eid Church, and Operahuset Nordfjord, which connects to Eid Upper Secondary School.
Nordfjordeid is a regional transport junction, located at the intersection of the European route E39 highway (connecting Bergen to Ålesund) and Norwegian National Road 15.
Geography Nordfjordeid is situated in a valley at the eastern head of Eidsfjorden, an inner branch of the larger Nordfjorden. The physical landscape is characterized by the fjord's coastline to the west and steep mountainous terrain to the north and south. Just to the east of the village lies Hornindalsvatnet, which holds the record as the deepest lake in Europe. The Eidselva river flows westward out of Hornindalsvatnet, cutting directly through the Nordfjordeid valley before emptying into the fjord.
The village acts as a central hub for several smaller surrounding settlements. The village of Stårheim is located about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the west along the northern shore of the fjord, Mogrenda is about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the east, and Lote lies approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to the southeast.
Nordfjordeid is deeply integrated into the western Norwegian highway network via the European route E39 and National Road 15. The closest regional aviation hub is Sandane Airport, Anda (SNDL), located roughly 45 minutes south by car via the Lote–Anda ferry crossing.
The highway network connects the village to major cities such as Ålesund, Bergen, and the national capital of Oslo, though road travel is heavily dictated by the mountainous fjord terrain.
Climate Nordfjordeid has a temperature oceanic climate (Cfb in the Köppen climate classification). The yearly average precipitation is around 2100 mm, which makes it significantly wetter than the nearby villages Sandane and Stryn. This large amount of precipitation is caused by orographic lift, while the other villages are more sheltered by the mountains.
Etymology During the Viking Age, Nordfjordeid was referred to as Eygis or , meaning the inner most part of a fjord. Nordfjord directly translated means 'North Fjord'. The kingdom of Firda was known as the kingdom of the fjords, and was divided into Sunnfjord and Nordfjord, meaning South Fjord and North Fjord. In old Norse the administrative region of Nordfjord was referred to and later at the time of the Gulating.
Thus Nordfjordeid is a literal description of the location of the village: the inner part of the northern fjord.
History
Pre History
Old Stone age The oldest archeological discovery made in Nordfjordeid is over 6,000 years old. An axe from the Paleolithic Period. The area was well suited for fishing and hunting during the Stone Age, however little is known about human activity during this period.
Neolithic and Bronze age During the late Stone Age, there was a transition from hunter-gatherer societies to agriculture. In Nordfjordeid there is archeological evidence of human settlements dating back to the late Neolithic and Bronze Age. Remains of pits used for cooking, firepits, stone axes, technical production establishments, and up to ten huts have been discovered in the area known as Golvsengane. This is believed to be the predecessor settlement to the Myklebust farm that was central during the later Iron and Viking Ages.
Viking age
During the 7th century, the farm Myklebust () was the home of the Viking king, Audbjörn Frøybjørnsson, who ruled the kingdom of Firda (). Myklebust was the largest farm in Nordfjordeid (Eygis) and the center of power in Firda. Based on archeological evidence it is assumed that Nordfjordeid was the home of a family dynasty that ruled the area for centuries prior. The inhabitants were known as , and were mainly farmers and merchants. There were archeological finds of Saxon objects that originated from Ireland, thus it is believed that the Vikings of the farm participated in the Great Heathen Army, that conquered eastern Mercia during the 8th century. Nordfjordeid was strategically well placed, with large amounts of land available for agriculture, timber and other natural resources. The residents could easily prepare for incoming attacks as the only way to arrive was through the Eidsfjord, offering many vantage points, allowing early warnings when unknown travelers were spotted. Being close to the coast made travel easy, both north and south in Norway, and also toward England.
Death of King Audbjörn
Audbjörn was killed during the second battle of Solskjel in 870 against Harald Hairfair. Harald was on a quest to unite Norway under one rule leading to the Unification of Norway. Audbjörn wanted to maintain the current structure of petty kingdoms in Norway, in order to maintain his power. When news arrived that Harald was marching south from Trondheim, with a massive army; Audbjörn and King Arnvid of Sunnmøre gathered an army to defend their territories. A massive battle ensued with many casualties on both sides. Both kings fell during the battle.
Audbjörn was returned home to Nordfjordeid, and buried in the gravemound known as "Rundehogjen" with the original Myklebust Ship. Excavations of the burial mound in 1864 resulted in the findings of a male skeleton aged approximately 25–35 with shoulder damage resulting from a sword or axe. The age of the ship and skeleton date back to the late 800s, confirming that Audbjörn was buried in the location.
Siege of Mørejarl Ragnvald
After the death of Audbjörn, his half brother Vemund Kamban became the ruler of Firda by birthright. Vemund rallied the remaining men in preparation for Harald arriving at Stad the next spring. Harald elected not to travel further south during the Autumn due to the challenging conditions in the area.
Instead his ally, Jarl Ragnvald of Møre was instructed to defeat Vemund. He sent spies over the mountains to report of Vemund.
Later the same year, there was a large gathering at the Naustdal farm, 10 km from Nordfjordeid. Vemund and 90 of his men participated in festivities at the farm. There was a large banquet, when Jarl Ragnvald traveled to the farm during the night aware of Vemunds location due to his spies. Ragnvald and his men set fire to the building where all of Vemunds men were sleeping. Killing them all, along with the King. This ended the reign of the Myklebust dynasty, and Harald successfully took control.
Middle ages
Shift to Christianity During the Middle Ages there was a shift to Christianity. Nordfjordeid was Christianized when King Olav Tryggvason in 997 called a meeting with the peasants of the area. The peasants arrived peacefully, but were met by Olav and his army. The peasants were given the choice of converting to Christianity or death. Faced with overwhelming force, the peasants converted, resulting in Nordfjordeid and surrounding areas becoming Christian.
Queen Ingerid Ragnvaldsdotter and the Stodrheim dynasty Árni Ívarsson á Stoðreimi (Arne of Stodrheim) was named Lendmann of Bergenhus Len by the king. Today Stodrheim is known as the village Stårheim.
Arne was the godfather of King Magnus Erlingson (Magnus V of Norway). He married Queen Ingerid Ragnvaldsdotter of Norway around 1140, as her fourth husband. Ingerid received the title Queen Consort as she was previously married to King Harald Gille.
Queen Ingerid settled in Stårheim (Stodrheim) from Nordfjordeid. Arne controlled the entire Western coast of Norway from his home in Stårheim. Ingerid was later murdered in an attack by a rival clan. The Stårheim dynasty continued to be influential throughout the Middle Ages. Bishop Nicholas Arnesson was among the children of Arne and Ingerid.
Stave church and burning of the Myklebust farm Around 1000 the first church in Nordfjordeid was erected on the Myklebust farm, on the same grounds the Vikings had their place of worship. This was a stave church, described as well decorated. It was dedicated to Mary Magdalene and named the St. Mary Church. This church at the time acted as the regional administrative center, strengthening the power of the Myklebust farm.
The church was lost when the entire Myklebust farm burned to the ground in the early 1200s. A new church was erected in the 13th century, in Mel slightly north of Myklebust. During this period the village acted as a harbor, all trade and communication with Bergen to the eastern parts of Nordfjord went through Nordfjordeid.
Barons and Bjørgvin During the later Middle Ages the Myklebust farm was part of the Nordfjord Estate. Owned by Baron Audun Hugleiksson. In 1306 the Barons were abolished by the King, who took control over their fiefs and other possessions. In 1361 the King turned over control of the Nordfjord Estate to the Lensherre og Bjørgvin.
Military age Nordfjordeid was transformed during the 1600−1800s from a mainly agricultural society to one more focused on trade. The Myklebust farm was during this period owned by the priest Jens Bugge and his heirs. It was gradually split into several smaller farms. By 1863 the Myklebust farm had been divided into a total of eight.
Establishment of the Military training grounds
In the early 1600s there was established a military training ground in Nordfjordeid, on the Osnes farm. The grounds were used to train soldiers from surrounding areas. The establishment was responsible for training around 300 soldiers annually. During battalion training there could have been up to 1200−1500 soldiers in the area. The soldiers rented private property during training; this had a large positive impact on the local economy, leading to economic growth in the village. In modern times the military training ground is known as Malakoff.
A rock festival called Malakoff Rock Festival is held there annually.
Trade boom Tradesmen within areas such as bakers, shoemakers and smiths enjoyed massively increased revenue. This led to the formation of the old street, known as Eidsgata. Filled with shops, and residential buildings. The first trade business is believed to have been established in 1638 on the Gjerde farm.
World War II Early in the Second World War, in April 1940, a defense battalion of 110 soldiers was stationed at the military training grounds in Nordfjordeid, ordered there by General Steffens as part of the forces mobilized for defence the West Coast from the German invasion. The war for the West Coast ended on 1 May 1940 when Steffens fled north from Sandane when overwhelmed by the invading forces.
British escape