Førde is the largest town in Sunnfjord, with around 10,700 inhabitants. It sits at the head of Førdefjorden, where the river Jølstra arrives from Jølstravatnet. It is the regional centre for hospitals, schools, and shopping for a huge stretch of western Norway.
The town is young in its current form. As late as 1951 it had only 3,080 people. In 1965 the Norwegian government decided to turn Førde into a regional growth centre to slow migration from the countryside to the big cities. Most of what you see downtown is a product of that decision, not of old coastal trade. Official town status came in 1997. In 2020 it merged with neighbouring municipalities into Sunnfjord municipality.
The growth came fast, on the car's terms, mostly in prefab concrete. In 1988, Bergens Tidende ran a feature naming Førde the ugliest town in Norway. The readers of Dagens Næringsliv voted it the same title again in 2007. The town has never quite shaken the reputation, and locals will usually agree with you before you can even say it politely.
The setting itself is good. High mountains all around, the river running through the middle, the fjord opening out to the west. People do not come here for the architecture, but it is a sensible base if you are driving through. The Førdefestivalen world music festival in July is the one time the place genuinely wakes up.
The town is young in its current form. As late as 1951 it had only 3,080 people. In 1965 the Norwegian government decided to turn Førde into a regional growth centre to slow migration from the countryside to the big cities. Most of what you see downtown is a product of that decision, not of old coastal trade. Official town status came in 1997. In 2020 it merged with neighbouring municipalities into Sunnfjord municipality.
The growth came fast, on the car's terms, mostly in prefab concrete. In 1988, Bergens Tidende ran a feature naming Førde the ugliest town in Norway. The readers of Dagens Næringsliv voted it the same title again in 2007. The town has never quite shaken the reputation, and locals will usually agree with you before you can even say it politely.
The setting itself is good. High mountains all around, the river running through the middle, the fjord opening out to the west. People do not come here for the architecture, but it is a sensible base if you are driving through. The Førdefestivalen world music festival in July is the one time the place genuinely wakes up.