Verdal is a municipality on the inner Trondheimsfjorden, about 85 kilometres north of Trondheim. The main settlement, Verdalsøra, is a small town where the Verdalselva river meets the fjord.
Two events define Verdal. The first is the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, which took place just a few kilometres east of town. That story is told separately.
The second is the Verdalsraset, the deadliest landslide in modern Norwegian history. During the night of 19 May 1893, an enormous mass of quick clay collapsed along the Verdalselva. Around 55 million cubic metres of clay slid into the valley, burying 105 farms, killing 116 people and hundreds of animals. The slide covered an area of 14.5 square kilometres and completely reshaped the landscape. The river was dammed up, salmon disappeared for decades, and boat traffic on that stretch was never resumed.
Verdal is one of very few Norwegian municipalities whose borders have remained unchanged since 1838. Today it is a quiet agricultural town. Most visitors pass through on their way to Stiklestad, but the landslide history alone makes it worth knowing about.
Two events define Verdal. The first is the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, which took place just a few kilometres east of town. That story is told separately.
The second is the Verdalsraset, the deadliest landslide in modern Norwegian history. During the night of 19 May 1893, an enormous mass of quick clay collapsed along the Verdalselva. Around 55 million cubic metres of clay slid into the valley, burying 105 farms, killing 116 people and hundreds of animals. The slide covered an area of 14.5 square kilometres and completely reshaped the landscape. The river was dammed up, salmon disappeared for decades, and boat traffic on that stretch was never resumed.
Verdal is one of very few Norwegian municipalities whose borders have remained unchanged since 1838. Today it is a quiet agricultural town. Most visitors pass through on their way to Stiklestad, but the landslide history alone makes it worth knowing about.
