Aqua - Wild Salmon Centre and sportsfishing musum

The Laerdal river has a rich tradition as one of the best salmon fishing rivers in Norway and is perhaps the best known internationally. Now you can experience the rich history and see the salmon up close. 

The first English Lords arrived in Laerdal in the early 1800s. Large salmon of up to 25 kilograms have lured businesspeople, film and music stars and a royal doctor to Laerdal to fish. 

The Norwegian Wild Salmon center is located innermost in the Sognefjord on the bank of the Laerdal river, one of the most famous salmon rivers in Norway. The center teaches visitors about the life story of the atlantic salmon, the management of wild salmon populations and the traditions surrounding salmon fishing. 

During a visit you will learn about:

- The dangerous life of young wild salmon.

- Why the salmon travels out into the ocean. 

- How the salmon finds it's way home to the river it was born in. 

- What is the living area of the salmon. 

- How far a salmon can swim every day and how fast it swims.

- Why the salmon has red meat. 

- Why the adult salmon stops eating when he moves up the river to spawn. 

- How the salmon survives the ice-cold winters in the Laerdal river. 

Sogn Artcenter 

Located in the same building as the Norwegian wild salmon center is Sogn artcenter. The artcenter was opened in june 2011. Shortly before his death in 1994 the artist Hans Gjemse donated his entire life's work to Laerdal municipality. Roughly 1500 pieces of art in the form of sketches and finished works are on display in the art center.  

Sogn artcenter sets up different exibitions each year and in the summer of 2014 paintings by Knut Rumohr (1916 - 2002) will be featured.