Lesja is a municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway. It is bordered in the north by the municipalities of Nesset, Sunndal and Oppdal, in the east by Dovre, in the south by Vågå and Lom, in the south-west by Skjåk, and to the west by Rauma.

Lesja is highly mountainous. The largest part (82%) of the community area is over 900 meters (3000 feet) above sea level. The most populated areas lie between 500 and 650 meters (1700 to 2200 feet) along the Gudbrandsdalslågen river and highway E136. The higher elevations serve as summer farms (seter or sæter) for grazing dairy cattle and goats.

Commerce and industry

The community is primarily agricultural. Recent censuses show over 40% of the occupations in the community in farming.

As Lesja is located in a mountain region, comprising the south portion of the Dovrefjell range, north of Jotunheimen National Park and west of Rondane National Park, tourism and outdoor sports such as skiing are also important.

History

~1015 - Lesja is mentioned in the Heimskringla (The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway) by Snorri Sturluson. The account of King Olaf's (A.D. 1015-1021) conversion of Dale-Gudbrand to christianity is popularly recognized.

1659 to 1812 – Lesjaverk (Lesja Iron Works) was an important Norwegian iron works.

1710 to 1773 - Jakob Bersveinson Klukstad, who was born in Lom but spent most of his career on Klukstad farm in Lesja, was the foremost Norwegian sculptor and painter. His work can still be seen in churches at Lesja, Skjåk and Heidal .

1867 - The Lesje area in the Gudbrandsdalen was source of numerous emigrants to America: “...during the great famine of 1867; a year memorable in the annals of Northern Europe, when, in consequence of an early and heavy frost in summer, the crops were destroyed, and desolation and death spread over vast districts. The lichen and the bark of the birch tree, mixed with a little flour, became the food of the people after the cattle had been eaten up and nothing else was left. The year following a strong tide of emigration set out for America.”

References

• East Norway & its Frontier by Frank Noel Stagg, 1956.
• Årsskrift for Lesja historielag, 2000 (in Norwegian)
• The Land Of The Midnight Sun, by Paul B. Du Chaillu; Publisher: George Newnes, Limited; London; 1899. Page 123