Askøy Totally Explained

Everything about Ask Y totally explained

Askøy is an island and municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Since the opening of the Askøy Bridge leading to the mainland in Bergen in 1992, the population has increased rapidly. Its population growth is as of 2008 among the highest in Norway. Most of the population growth is due to immigration from Bergen, Nordhordland and Midhordland.

History

Askøy was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Laksevåg was separated from Askøy July 1, 1918. Most of Herdla was merged with Askøy January 1, 1964. The first element is the name of the farm Ask (Old Norse: Askr), the last element is øy, meaning "island". The name of the farm is identical with the word askr, meaning "ash tree". Until 1918 the name was written "Askøen".

Culture

Askøy is home to several sports teams. Askøy Fotballklub is an association football club, formed in 1999 by the merger of Florvåg Idrettsforening and Kleppestø Fotball. The club has a large number of teams, of which the majority are junior football teams. The men's senior team plays in the Norwegian third division as of 2008. The oldest sports club on the island is Ask Idrettslag, mainly an athletics club, founded in 1928.
The music festival Lost Weekend is held on the island every summer. The festival, first held in August 2001, attracts a large number of Norwegian bands. The festival has been threatened by economic trouble several times, most recently in early 2008.

Geography

Askøy is surrounded by fjords; Hjeltefjorden to the west and north, Byfjorden to the east, and Herdlefjorden to the north-east. The municipality borders Radøy to the north, Meland to the north-east, Bergen to the south-east, Fjell to the south-west, and Øygarden to the north-west. The area around the bridge, where Kleppestø and Strussham are located, and the east coast are densely populated, while the northern and western parts of the island are thinly populated. Kleppestø is the administrative centre of the municipality.
Askøy has one of the fastest growing populations in Norway due to an influx of new inhabitants from the Bergen, Midhordland and Nordhordland after the opening of the Askøy Bridge in 1992. North of Askøy lies the island of Herdla, a popular recreational area with an old German airbase dating from World War II.

Settlements

Ask

Ask is a village in the eastern part of Askøy. Due to its pleasant climate and its convenient location to Bergen, Ask was the location of a kongsgård (lit. "royal farm"; the Norwegian equivalent of a palace); a very old church and churchyard was also located in Ask. The location where the church was situated from about 1200 until 1741 is today marked by a stone cross. Ask is the saga location for a famous dispute over inheritance between Egill Skallagrímsson and Berg-Önundr.
The local dialect of the village also reflects the close ties to Bergen, with the dialect being more similar to that of Bergen than that of the rest of Askøy; the connection was reinforced into modern times as the wealthy merchants and other residents of Bergen spent their summer there. Ask has had famous residents up to recent times. Fridtjof Nansen lived in a house near Kongshaugen in a short period. Amalie Skram lived at Lien at Ask from 1876 to 1878.

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