The municipality of STAD was established on 1 January 2020 when Selje Municipality, Eid Municipality, and the Bryggja area of Vågsøy Municipality were merged to form one large municipality in Norway
Here you will discover the distinctive, everchanging Norwegian landscape, and some of the country’s oldest places of historic interest. Selje muncipality has approximately 2.900 inhabitants and covers a area of 226,1 km2. Nordfjord consists of the municipalities of Stryn, Hornindal, Gloppen, Eid, Bremanger, Vågsøy and Selje. A journey along the Nordfjord offers an exceptional variety of scenery ranging from blue glacier arms and towering mountains to fertile valleys and deep lakes, and taking you right out to the coast and the relentless breakers of the Stadhavet sea. The Huffington post has Nordfjord as The Most Relaxing Places On Earth.
The Jostedalsbreen glacier gives the rivers and lakes a special green hue that is found only near the glacier. Here, there is plenty of refreshing water and fresh air for everyone. The numerous attractions of Nordfjord lie waiting for you. You can take part in some of our many activities or just wander in the sun along white sandy beaches, breathing in the fresh air. Or maybe you would like to explore our cultural history? Regardless of where you are, whether on the glacier or mountains, by the fjord or sea, you will find the small idyllic places that you’ve always been looking for. Such places that you can only see afterwards by closing your eyes.
Since time immemorial, the staple industries in Selje municipality have been fishing and farming, now augmented by fish breeding, boat building, ready-made clothing manufacture, commerce, and service industries. Selje´s administrative centre lies along the long, sandy beach of Seljesanden. Here there is a fine harbour for small boats, the last before the Sea of Stad. An express boat service runs daily between Selje and Bergen. Selja Island was the landing place of the Irish princess Sunniva. Visitors may view the cave where she was martyred, and the ruins of a church and Benedictine monastery from 1103 AD. Selje was one of the first three episcopal sees in Norway. After the diocese was moved to Bergen, monks took over the church, which was later destroyed by pirates in 1536.
The main attractions are a large stone cross at Dragseidet where Olav Tryggvason christianized four counties in 997 AD. Leikanger Church, at Storeneset on the road to Eltvik, the remains of World War II fortifications. Vestkapp, lies at the top of a 500 metre high, steep mountain plateau, Indre Fure, the houses cluster around a square courtyard, Ytre Fure, where the farms cling like limpets to the mountainside. The little commmunity of Hoddevik are shifting sands, but there is also a fine sandy beach close by. Ervik, a river rich in trout and salmon, a little churchyard and a fine sandy beach. Flatraket, a large rural community with a long, deep shoreline. The island of Barmen, which boasts splendid walking terrain.
HODDEVIK
Hoddevik is a village on the Outer Stadlandet. Hoddevik is today best known for a mile-long sandy beach that is considered to be one of Norway´s best surfespots. In fact, many will say that it is one of the world´s best! In Hoddevik it is a year round activity when it comes to surfing.
Beautiful beaches with fine sand stretches between steep mountain slopes and the majestic sea. With its unique coastal landscape, this area is one of the most idyllic places in Norway. The local people have been living here as one with nature for many years, and they have gotten by through fishing and farming. The place has a unique atmosphere that is best be described as a combination of the relaxed environment of an ancient Mediterranean village, and the fantastic Norwegian outback. StadSurfing and Lapoint Surf School doing surfing all year, and there exists accommodation where both beginners and experienced surfers can meet.
SELJE MONASTERY
On the island of Selja, a 15-minute boat trip from Selje, lie the ruins of Selje Monastery, its tower still intact. The monastery was built by Benedictine monks early in the 12th century in honour of St. Sunniva. The legend of St. Sunniva who was martyred here lives on. Norway has two male saints (St. Olav and St. Hallvard) and one female one, St. Sunniva, the guardian saint of Western Norway. According to legend Sunniva, daughter of an Irish king, fled when her country was conquered by heathens and the new king wanted to marry her. She came ashore on the island of Selja. The St. Sunniva cave where Sunniva is said to have died is a large cavern containing remains of walls and traces of the first church dedicated to the Archangel Michael.
You can also see the following on the island:
- The site of the first parish church which was later moved to the mainland. The ruins of St. Sunniva’s Church on the site where Olav Trygvasson built one of the first churches in the country.
- The ruins of St. Alban’s Church, the monastery church dedicated to the English Saint Alban.
- The monastery ruins which are in use today for church ceremonies such as masses and weddings.
- Several Viking graves and the remains of an iron-age longhouse have also been found on the south side of the island.
WEST CAPE
Norway´s most western viewpoint with connection to the mainland! West Cape “Kjerringa” (496 m.a.s.) is a precipitous rocky plateau, almost flat on top, that drops steeply down to the sea. In good weather you have panoramic view in all directions. Breathtaking view of the peaks of the Sunnmøre Alps, Mount Hornelen, the Ålfotbreen glacier and the dreaded Stadhavet waters.
INDRE FURE
At Indre Fure, close to the sea of Stad, the houses cluster around a square courtyard. From here a path leads out to Ytre Fure, where the farms cling like limpets to the mountainside. Along the valley sides in the littIe commmunity of Hoddevik are shifting sands, but there is also a fine sandy beach close by.
ERVIK
At Ervik, by the ocean, lies a little churchyard where the Ervik Chappel stands in memory of those who died when the coastal express ship St. Svithun, which was bombed in 1943. Ervik has a fine sandy beach, and a river rich in trout and salmon. Towards the south in Selje municipality lies Flatraket, a large rural community with a long, deep shoreline. An 8-minute trip by ferry brings you out to the island of Barmen, which boasts splendid walking terrain.
VENØY
Venøy is a lovely little island, with a good harbour for small boats. Selje has much to offer. Distances are short between shore and mountain. Many lovely old buildings are to be found in the area. Exciting mountain formations greet the eye. The beaches boast a rich bird life, where you will find stones and driftwood, shaped and polished by the sea.
THE FJORD HORSE
The Døla stallion “Rimfakse” was bought in to Nordfjord at the end of the 19th century. The intention was to use him for breeding purposes to make the Fjord horse a bigger and sturdier working horse, but after some time weaknesses became apparent in Rimfakse’s descendants. Their colouring was unattractive and they became bad-tempered. At a meeting in Innvik a decision was made to remove horses of Døla descent from breeding.
The Fjord stallion Njål, sold to Sunnmøre in Rimfakse’s time, was bought back and along with his descendants devoted 100% to breeding. Njål from Oppstryn is therefore reckoned to be the common ancestor of all today’s Fjord horses both in Norway and abroad. You can get better acquainted with these beautiful beasts by visiting one of the riding schools in Nordfjord and letting the Fjord horse itself give you a guided tour of its beautiful realm.
NORDFJORD
Nordfjord is a traditional district of Norway. The region is located in the northern part of Sogn & Fjordane. The Nordfjord region covers an area of about 4,295 square kilometres.
The fjord is the sixth longest in Norway stretching 106 kilometres from the island of Husevågøy at the mouth to the village of Loen at the other end. The region encompasses the rough coastline of the Stadlandet peninsula to the Jostedalsbreen, Europe´s largest mainland glacier. The region also includes the Hornindalsvatnet lake, Europe´s deepest lake at 514 metres below sea level. The glacier Briksdalsbreen is particularly scenic. The Stryn area provides year-round alpine skiing, and there are numerous old fishing communities along the fjord going back to pre-Viking times.
SWIMMING
Selje´s administrative centre lies along the long, sandy beach of Seljesanden. Here there is a fine harbour for small boats, the last before the Sea of Stad.
The little commmunity of Hoddevik are shifting sands, but there is also a fine sandy beach close by. Flatraket, a large rural community with a long, deep shoreline. The island of Barmen, which boasts splendid walking terrain.
FISHING
Ervik, a river rich in trout and salmon, a little churchyard and a fine sandy beach. The municipalities issue a joint fishing permit for inland fishing that covers more than 500 lakes and rivers. Fishing permits are available for salmon and trout in ten or so river systems. Up the fjord arms and valleys you will find large, deep “fjord lakes” offering good inland fishing. These often have good stocks of trout and char.
The Hornindalsvatnet lake is the deepest lake in Europe, 514 metres deep, and one of the cleanest in Norway and there a lot of fish here. Eidselva river is a good salmon river. If you are looking for good sea fishing, you cannot do any better than outer Nordfjord. Here you can catch a huge cod or the salmon of your dreams, not to mention other delicacies such as wolf fish and monkfish! The fishing in this area is rich and varied, and it is possible to catch most of the different kinds of fish that live along the coast.
Sea-angling trips are available from Bremanger and Selje. You can take a trip on a fishing boat with a local expert, take a boat out yourself or take your fishing rod out to a headland or some rocks. The whole of the Nordfjord coast is rich in fish and there are plenty of opportunities for angling all year round.
There is great variation here between fjord fishing, fishing in among the islands and skerries and deep-sea fishing. You can catch most kinds of fish in this area. The currents and the nutritional content of the seawater make for unusually rich fishing. The most common species of fish are cod, haddock, saithe, pollack and mackerel. A certain amount of deepwater fish such as tusk and ling are also caught in the area.
GOLF
Selje Golfclub is a golf course with 9 holes and a variation of difficulties. The course lies approximately 500 metres from the centre of Selje.