Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Welcome to Hell! 
 In Norway? It’s Not What You Think It Is!

By Orgesta Tolaj

|

12 June 2024

Hell Norway

© Wikimedia Commons

Save Post

When someone tells you that “Hell has frozen over,” you might think it’s just a figure of speech. But in the town of Hell, Norway, it’s actually a reality during the winter months. Yes, you read that right! There is a town called Hell in Norway, and it freezes over in winter. Let’s dive into this fascinating phenomenon and learn more about this unique town in Norway.

What Is Hell?

No, we do not mean the literal hell! Hell, a village in the LÄnke area of StjÞrdal municipality in TrÞndelag county, Norway, sits about 3 kilometers south of StjÞrdalshalsen. Covering 1.04 square kilometers, it had a population of 1,589 as of 2018, with a density of 1,528 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Hell serves as a post town with two postal codes and features amenities like a grocery store, gas station, fast food shop, and retirement home. Previously, the European route E6 highway passed through Hell, but a new road now bypasses the village.

hell norway
© lifeinnorway.net

The village of Hell has gained attention as a tourist attraction due to its name, with visitors frequently posing for photos in front of the station sign. Additionally, a smaller building at the railway station bears a sign reading “gods-expedition,” an archaic spelling of “goods handling” in Norwegian, adding to the village’s quirky appeal.

hell norway
© lifeinnorway.net

Where Does the Name Hell Come From?

While “Hell” has a different meaning for us, this village is named after something else. The name “Hell” originates from the Old Norse word “hellir,” meaning “overhang” or “cliff cave.” While in modern Norwegian, “Hell” shares a homonym with “luck.” In Old Norse mythology, “Hel” was the ruler of the underworld, also known as “Hell” in English today. In contemporary Norwegian, the word for hell is “helvete.”

What Else Is There to Hell in Norway?

Hell railway station serves as a junction where the Nordland Line to BodĂž splits from the MerĂ„kerbanen between Trondheim and Storlien, Sweden. It remains a staffed railway station. However, the Hell KjĂžpesenter Mall is actually located north of the StjĂžrdalselva River, not in Hell/LĂ„nke, making its name misleading. An annual blues festival, “Blues in Hell,” is held at Hell Station in September.

hell norway
© lifeinnorway.net

Originating as the Hell Blues Festival in 1992, it later transformed into the Hell Music Festival in 2006 before reverting to its original concept as “Blues in Hell” in 2008.

Additionally, since 2011, Hell has hosted a round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship, later also including the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2014.

Would you ever visit Hell in Norway?

You might also want to read: You Need to See These 6 Beautiful Villages in Italy

Orgesta Tolaj

Your favorite introvert who is buzzing around the Hive like a busy bee!

Share