The municipality is named after the old Dovrefarm, since the first church was built here. The name is the plural of dofr, a word of unknown meaning. Other sites in Norway that have names beginning with Dovre- are commonly in the vicinity of clefts and gorges. In southern Sweden, the nature reserveDovrasjödalen is the site of a wide gorge near Hallsberg in Örebro County, Sweden.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms is from modern times. It was granted on 11 July 1986. The arms show a black muskox with a yellow horn on a gray background. The muskox is an animal typical for the northern parts of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. It is not native to Norway, but in 1932, ten muskoxen were released near Dovre. The number has increased to around 300 today, and the animal is thus a typical symbol for the municipality.
Ancestry
Number
60
30
21
20
14
History
People have lived at Dovre for about 6,000 years. In the Stone Age, they were primarily hunters and fishermen. Approximately 2000 years ago, the first farms were developed at this location. Dovre is mentioned in the Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson. In 1021, King Olaf laid hold of all the best men, both at Lesja and Dovre, and forced them either to receive Christianity or suffer death, if they were not so lucky as to escape. The Pilgrim's Route between Oslo and Trondheim in the 16th century passed through the Gudbrandsdalvalley. After leaving the valley of the Lågen it passed over the Dovre Mountains into the present-day municipality. The heavy stream of annual pilgrims who visited the shrine of St. Olaf in Trondheim prior to the Reformation resulted in the erection of mountain stations where the pilgrims could find food and shelter. In speaking of this route, Gjerset quotes Peder Claussøn Friis as writing:
But in the winter people of high estate, as well as members of the court, travel mostly this way, because however high and deep the snow may fall, it blows together on the high mountains and becomes so hard men and horses can walk on it. The bonder run over it on ski and snowshoes. There are three stations: Drivstuen, Herdekinn, and Fogstuen built on this same mountain in order that travelers may find lodging there. …at the stations there are implements and dry wood, so that the traveler may build themselves fire, and not suffer from cold, when they have to remain over night, and cannot find the way across the mountain.
was built in 1736. The bell tower was added early in the 19th century. It was built based upon designed by Jesper Mikkelson Rusten. It was constructed of wood and has protected status. Eystein Church in Dovre was built in 1969 as a church for pilgrims and travelers on the Pilgrim's Route. The church lies near the juncture of the boundaries of three counties; Hedmark, Oppland and Sør-Trøndelag. Eystein Church is built in concrete using stone and sand brought from the Hjerkinn. The plans for the church were designed by architect Magnus Poulsson.
, which lies partially in Dovre, was the first Norwegian National Park, established on 21 December 1962. In 2003, Rondane National Park was enlarged and smaller areas of nature protection were opened or enlarged.
lies primarily in Dovre, although part lies in Folldal in Hedmark. It was established in 2003. Dovre National Park covers an area of and the altitude varies from the tree line at to the Storhøe peak at. It is located between Rondane, which lies to its southeast, and Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella on its northwest.
Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park
was founded in 2002 and encompasses part of the former Dovre National Park area. It is and encompasses areas in Dovre as well as in adjacent Lesja in Oppland and areas in Sør-Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. It includes the Dovrefjell mountain range.
Climate
The area is isolated from the sea and on fairly high altitude. The area has fairly little precipitation and has fairly cool summers and cold winters.
