Odda (town)
| Odda | |
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| Town | |
View of the town
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 Odda
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| Coordinates: 60°04′08″N 06°32′44″E / 60.06889°N 6.54556°ECoordinates: 60°04′08″N 06°32′44″E / 60.06889°N 6.54556°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| Region | Western Norway |
| County | Hordaland |
| District | Hardanger |
| Municipality | Odda |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.85 km2 (1.10 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2013) | |
| • Total | 5,022 |
| • Density | 1,762/km2 (4,560/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Odding |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+01:00) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+02:00) |
| Post Code | 5750 Odda |
Odda is a town in Odda municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of the municipality and the largest urban area in the whole Hardanger district. The town is located at the southern end of the Sørfjorden, in a narrow valley between towering mountains and the lake Sandvinvatnet to the south. The large Folgefonna glacier lies just west of Odda, high up in the mountains. The village of Odda was declared a "town" in 2004.
The majority of the municipality's residents live in the town of Odda. The 2.85-square-kilometre (700-acre) town has a population (2013) of 5,022; giving the town a population density of 1,762 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,560/sq mi). The town also includes the Eitrheim area, just northwest of the town centre.Odda Church is located in the town centre. Norwegian National Road 13 is the main road going through the town.
Odda has been populated for centuries, but in the 19th century, Odda became a significant tourist destination. Visits ranged from English pioneers around 1830 to German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, who visited Odda every year between 1891 and 1914. This led to the construction of several hotels in the town. Some of the main tourist attractions around Odda include the Buarbreen glacier, the nearby Folgefonna glacier, and the Hardangervidda plateau.
The present Odda is a modern town which grew up around smelters built at the head of the Sørfjorden branch of the main Hardangerfjorden in the mid-twentieth century, drawing migrants from different parts of Norway.
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Wikipedia