Hønefoss is a
city in
Buskerudis a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
county,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and the center of the
municipalityNorway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
of
Ringerikeoskar er kjempe kulRingerike is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Ringerike...
.
In 1852, Hønefoss received town status and was separated from
NorderhovNorderhov is a former municipality in Buskerud county, Norway.-Municipality:Norderhov municipality was established on January 1, 1838 . According to the 1835 census the municipality had a population of 7,234. On 22 April 1852 the city of Hønefoss was separated from Norderhov to constitute a...
. Hønefoss celebrated its 150th year of township in 2002. In 1964, Hønefoss ceased being a separate municipality and became part of Ringerike.
Hønefoss is located north of lake
TyrifjordenTyrifjorden is Norway's fifth largest lake with an area of 137 km2. It has a volume of 13 km3, is 295 meters deep at its deepest, and lies 63 meters above sea level...
, where the river
BegnaBegna is a river in Buskerud and Oppland counties in Norway. It is formed by the merging of the rivers Otrøelva and Ylja above Lake Vangsmjøsa. It is also the name of the village of Begna located by the river....
forms the waterfall of Hønefossen, giving the town its name. Hønefoss is an industrial center of inner
ØstlandetEastern Norway or Austlandet ) is the geographical region of the south-eastern part of Norway. It consists of the counties Telemark, Vestfold, Østfold, Akershus, Oslo , Buskerud, Oppland and Hedmark....
, containing several factories and other industry. As of 1 January 2008, Hønefoss has 14,177 inhabitants.
Economy
Hønefoss is home to several factories and other industry, with the
Norske Skog FollumNorske Skog Follum is a paper mill located in Follum in Norway. The mill is part of the Norske Skog Corporation and opened in 1873 with the name Follum Fabrikker...
paper millA paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
traditionally having had a significant impact on the town. The paper mill, one of the largest producers of
newsprintNewsprint is a low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, and other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use in printing presses that employ a long web of paper rather than individual sheets of...
in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, opened in 1873.
Sport
Hønefoss BK play in the second division of Norwegian football after relegation from the top level at the end of the 2010 season.
Frode AndresenFrode Andresen is a Norwegian biathlete and a cross-country skier. He now resides in Hønefoss, and trains with the Ringkollen Skiklubb.-Early life:...
, biathlete and a cross-country skier, Olympic gold medalist.
Anders JacobsenAnders Jacobsen is a Norwegian ski jumper, representing Ringkollen Skiklubb, and the youngest Norwegian to have won the Four Hills Tournament. He has competed since 2003.-Early career:...
, ski jumper, the youngest Norwegian to have won the
Four Hills TournamentThe Four Hills Tournament is composed of four Ski Jumping World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1952.The Four Hills Tournament champion is the one who gets the most points over the four events...
.
Culture
Ringerikes Museum (
Ringerikes Museum) is located in former Norderhov rectory. The museum is noted for its icon collection, its rune stones and its collection of the private belongings of Jørgen Engebretsen Moe. Jørgen Moe was a Norwegian author, who is best known for the
Norske FolkeeventyrNorwegian Folktales is a collection of Norwegian folktales and legends by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. It is also known as Asbjørnsen and Moe, after the collectors.-Asbjørnsen and Moe:...
, a collection of Norwegian folk tales which he edited in collaboration with
Peter Christen AsbjørnsenPeter Christen Asbjørnsen was a Norwegian writer and scholar. He and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe were collectors of Norwegian folklore...
.
Norderhov rectory was the sight of the skirmish at Norderhov (
Slaget på Norderhov). Late on the evening of 28 March 1716, an army of King
Charles XII of SwedenCharles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
was confronted by Norwegian forces. The Swedish troops had taken shelter in and by the old Norderhov rectory. Anna Colbjørnsdatter, the wife of pastor
Jonas Danilssønn RamusJonas Danilssønn Ramus was a Norwegian priest and historian. He was principally an author of religious and historical writings. -Background:...
, sent an alert to Norwegians forces about the presence of the Swedes. The event itself was published by Peter Andreas Munch in his book Norges,
Sveriges og Danmarks Historie til Skolebrug (1838).
On the north side of the town bridge is located
Riddergården (knight's estate). This had been a patrician farm dating to 1730. This was the home of the manager of the local sawmill for generations.
Ringerikes BladRingerikes Blad is a local newspaper published in Hønefoss, Norway. It covers Ringerike, Hole and Jevnaker. It was established in 1845.It has a circulation of 12684, of whom 12227 are subscribers....
is a regional newspaper covering Ringerike,
HoleHole is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Ringerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vik. Hole is located around lake Tyrifjorden and extends to the woodland around Oslo...
and
JevnakerJevnaker is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Jevnaker with a population of 4,302.The parish of Jævnaker was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
. Established in 1845, the newspaper is published daily in Hønefoss. As of 2006, the newspaper has a daily circulation of 12,684.
Transport
Hønefoss is connected to
BergenBergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
,
DrammenDrammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
and
OsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
by the railway
BergensbanenThe Bergen Line , also called the Bergen Railway, is a standard gauge railway line between Bergen and Hønefoss, Norway. The name is often applied for the entire route from Bergen via Drammen to Oslo, where the passenger trains go, a distance of...
, as well as to
Gjøvikis a town and a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik.In 1861, the village of Gjøvik in the municipality of Vardal was granted town status and was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality...
by
GjøvikbanenThe Gjøvik Line is a Norwegian railway line between Oslo and Gjøvik. It was originally named the North Line and ran between Grefsen and Røykenvik. The line was completed to Gjøvik in 1902...
.
European route E16European route E 16 is the designation of a main west-east road through Northern Ireland, Scotland and Norway, from Derry to Oslo, via Glasgow, Edinburgh, previously by ferry to Bergen, Voss, through the Gudvanga Tunnel, Lærdal, through the Lærdal Tunnel, over Filefjell to Fagernes, Hønefoss,...
runs near Hønefoss on its way from Oslo to Bergen.It is approximately 65 km from both Oslo centre and Oslo Gardermoen.
Hønefoss Church
Hønefoss Church (Norwegian:
Hønefoss Kirke) burned down in 2010.
The name Hønefoss
The city is named after a waterfall in the river
BegnaBegna is a river in Buskerud and Oppland counties in Norway. It is formed by the merging of the rivers Otrøelva and Ylja above Lake Vangsmjøsa. It is also the name of the village of Begna located by the river....
. The first element is the name of the old farm
Hønen (Norse
*Hœnvin), the last element is
foss m 'waterfall'. The the name of the farm is a compound of a word
*hœn- (with an unknown meaning) and
vin f '
meadowA meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
'.
External links