You're now entering Aurdal, a village that's been at the heart of Valdres for centuries. The name comes from the Old Norse "Aurardalr" – the valley of the river Aur, which meant "gravel river." Though Fagernes is the administrative centre of the municipality today, Aurdal was the historic centre of the whole region. There's a sign at the entrance that sums up its appeal for cabin owners: "Velger du Aurdal, er du framme nå" – if you choose Aurdal, you've already arrived. It's a gentle jab at the longer drive to destinations further up the valley.
Aurdal Church, the white cruciform building you can see from the road, dates from 1737 and serves as the main parish church for Valdres. But there's been a church here much longer – the current building replaced a medieval stave church that was probably built around 1150. A baptismal font from that original church is still in use today. During the war, there was heavy fighting here, and you'll find a memorial stone to the fallen just south of the church.
The village sits at the bottom of the valley next to Lake Aurdalsfjorden, also known as Dokkafjorden. It's a good spot for fishing – trout, perch and whitefish – and there's a campsite by the water with boat trips available in summer. Valdres Golf is located on the lakeshore just south of the village.
Up on the sunny hillside above Aurdal you'll find Valdres Alpinsenter, one of the larger ski resorts in the region. It has five lifts and 15 runs between 700 and 1,060 metres elevation, with terrain for everyone from beginners to experienced skiers. There's also a children's area and a snow park. The resort claims to have some of the sunniest and most stable weather in Norway – though I'd take that with a grain of salt.
In 2000, Aurdal was named Nord-Aurdal Municipality's cultural site, and it's produced a remarkable number of musicians. The Hemsing sisters – the violinists Eldbjørg and Ragnhild – grew up here and now run an annual music festival in the village.