Vinstra

Vinstra train station

Vinstra is the name of both a small town and a river in Gudbrandsdalen. The town lies in Nord-Fron municipality in Oppland County, Norway. The administrative centre of Nord-Fron, the population was 2449 in 2012. The town has rail connections via the Dovre railroad and has a high school. Highway E6 goes through the town of Vinstra. The Vinstra River comes from the west and flows into Gudbrandsdalslågen in the town of Vinstra. Vinstra was given the status of town on the 1st of September 2013, an event that was celebrated for 3 days.

The name

The Vinstra River starts from Lake Vinstre.

Vinstra and Peer Gynt

Peder Olsen Hågå from Vinstra was the model for the main character in Henrik Ibsen’s dramatic poem Peer Gynt from 1867. In Sødorp’s old cemetery stands a monument to Peer Gynt, and each year since 1967 the Peer Gynt Festival (Peer Gynt-stemnet) has been held on the Peer Gynt farm, Hågå. The farm consists of 15 old buildings, and the rally includes, among other things, an open-air performance of the play. In addition, from Vinstra begins the “Peer Gynt Way” through Gålå to Lillehammer and “Peer Gynt’s Seter Way” via Rondablikk to Kvam.