Fiksdal

A Norwegian Community

To give you an impression of "Typical Norway", I want you to meet Fiksdal, a small community close to the fjord, and it's beautiful nature surroundings.

The community has only about 500 inhabitants, sharing a grocery shop with postoffice, a school, a church , a community centre and a small-boat harbour. Or in other words; A typical Norwegian community, and where I happen to live.

Most people in the village know each other, and at the big events like National Day (Constitution Day) on 17.May, all the people are gathered for celebrating.

There are an impressive lot of clubs and associations in this small community, like the soccer team, the athletic club, the childrens choir, the mens choir, the boat club, the shooting club, the music orchestra Fiksdal / Rekdal Janitsjar, and many others...

Coat of Arms

This is the Coat of Arms for Vestnes municipality.

Fiksdal is one of many small communitys in the municipality, and Vestnes has about 6500 inhabitants. The Coat of Arms were granted on 11. of April 1980. It shows the two fjords in the municipality, the Tresfjorden and the Tomrefjorden.

The artist is Jarle Skuset.

Some more information

Let me show you around a little, and show you some photos so you know what a typical, small community in Norway looks like, and lives like.

This photo is showing the fjord view over Tomrefjorden, and far behind in the background is the city of Molde.

Employment

Most of the people has to go out of the community to get to work.

Fortunately there is a strong tradition for ship building in Tomrefjord, only 8 kilometers away, so a lot of people find there living at the local ship yards. The image shows the biggest shipyard in Tomrefjord, Norway.

In the municipality center, Vestnes, there are several institutions and caring homes. This is where most of the women go for work, and some of the men too, of course.

The buses and bus driving has long traditions here, now run by one of the biggest bus companies in Norway, "Nettbuss".

Normally there are 4-5 local buses are stationed here. This photo is showing the popular green buses from the old company.

The village has one small company making uniforms and clothing for music orchestra, hotels and other. Another company is making stairs.

In the earlier days it used to be many farms in area, but now there are only a few left with milk production.

However there are still some small sheepfarms, and the last years the horses has been quite common again, both here and in most other communitys in the district.

The School

The local school has about 50 pupils from 1. to 7. grade. After that the children has to go by bus the 10 kilometers to a bigger school in Tomrefjord where they study for the next three years.

The Church

The church was build in 1866, and has seats for 200 persons.

It is all build i wood, and have had an important role in the life of generations. Baptism, confirmations, weddings and funerals are held here, and the church has been and still is a part of our local traditions.

Read more about Fiksdal Church

The Grocery Store

Bygdabua, is the name of the local grocery shop and post office. The grocery shop is in addition to be a shop, also an important place of meeting neighbours and friends.

The people here appreciate their store, and hopes it also in the future is possible to keep it going.

The competition is tough, and there are 4 big grocery-stores in Vestnes, only 20 kilometers away, and the city of Ålesund is only 40 minutes away.

The Harbour

The people in Fiksdal had to fight for their small boat harbour, but now its there, and the harbour has also become an important place where people meet.

The tradition of celebrating mid-summer is now taking place here, with a huge bonfire on the evening of June 23.

The Community Centre

The community centre is called Bygdaheim, and was built in 1953 by the people of Fiksdal. It is all done on voluntery bases, and since then a lot of partys, dance-evenings, concerts, theaters, weddings and other events has been held on Bygdaheim.

The first house for this purpose was build in 1907, but in 1953 the old house was removed, and a new, modern and big house was replacing the old one.

Even today the Community center Bygdaheim is all based on voluntery, and each year the people come together for the election of the board for next year.

The Fiksdal/Rekdal Ballklubb

As most small communitys in Norway, the village has its own football (soccer)club. The club was established in 1979, in cooperation with one of the neighbour communitys, and has the name of both: The Fiksdal / Rekdal Ballklubb.

As you will understand it is hard to recruit enough players from the local communitys, but so far they have managed.

Fiksdal Idrettslag

The Fiksdal Idrettslag is the local athletic club. It was established in 1940, and is still going strong.

Most of the activity is related to children, but also many popular activitys for the whole family, young as well as the old ones.

The Athletic Club has it's own homepage that might be worth a visit. (Norwegian language)

Homepage of Fiksdal Idrettslag

The Nature

Fiksdal is a very beautiful place, and the nature and surroundings are very important for the local people. A lot of people loves to walk in the mountains, to fish in the many small lakes or to just relax in the peace of the forest.

Many has build their own small cabins near the lake, with no electricity, no water in the cabin, no television and no disturbing sounds anywhere. Just the quiet evenings by the water, listening to the wind and to the birds.

The fjord is also important to many people, both for those who fish with nets from big motorboats, and for all those who has their small boat and a rod, having a good time on the fjord on a late summer evening.

Many tourists come here mainly to fish, and the fjord usually give them what they are after. The last years the many Polish workers in the ship-yards has also found this fishing activity to be one of their favourites.

Read more about Norwegian towns and places, and how people live.