Balestrand (village)

Historie

Balestrand is the administrative centre of Balestrand Municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden, at the mouth of the small Esefjorden. It sits about west of the village area of Leikanger-Hermansverk and about northwest of the village of Vangsnes . The small village of Tjugum lies less than north of Balestrand, across the Esefjorden. The local Tjugum Church is located there, serving the people of the village of Balestrand.The 1.07km2 village has a population of 819, giving the village a population density of.The village is home to the municipal government, but it is also a major tourist stop since the 1800s with several hotels including the Kviknes Hotel. The Sognefjord Aquarium and the Norwegian Tourism Museum are located in the village. There are ferry routes each summer from Balestrand to the Fjærlandsfjorden and to the village of Flåm. There is also fast boat service from Balestrand to the city of Bergen. Balholm AS, a fruit juice processing company is based in Balestrand.