Hyllestad is a municipality in the county of Vestland, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Hyllestad. Other villages in the municipality include SørbøvÃÂ¥gen and Leirvik. Hyllestad Municipality has existed since 1862 when it was created from parts of the neighboring Askvoll Municipality and Lavik og Brekke Municipality. The municipality is located on the north side of the Sognefjorden, near the mouth of the fjord.
The municipality is the 281st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Hyllestad Municipality is the 314th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of . The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 8.8% over the previous 10-year period.
In 2016, the chief of police for Vestlandet formally suggested a reconfiguration of police districts and stations. He proposed that the police station in Hyllestad be closed.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, there were more than 400 employees at Havyard, a shipyard in Hyllestad.
Hyllestad was created as a municipality in 1862. Two parishes () from Askvoll Municipality (ÃÂn and Hyllestad) and one parish () from Lavik og Brekke Municipality (Bø) were merged to form the new Hyllestad Municipality. The initial population was 2,475. On 1 January 1888, the Krakken farm (population: 17) on the northeastern corner of the island of Sula was transferred from Hyllestad Municipality to the neighboring Utvær Municipality. The municipal boundaries have not changed since that time.
Historically, this municipality was part of the old Sogn og Fjordane county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Vestland county (after Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane counties were merged).
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Hyllestad farm () since the first Hyllestad Church was built there. The first element comes from Hylli, the old uncompounded name of the nearby Hyllestadfjorden. This name is likely derived from the word which means "quiet", "friendly", or "benevolent". The last element is the plural form of which means "abode" or "town".
The coat of arms was granted on 10 March 1989. The official blazon is "Azure, three millstones in bend argent" (). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of three millstones lined up diagonally. The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The millstones were chosen because the production of millstones is the oldest industry in the municipality and has been very important to the life of the community. The arms were designed by Hans Berge. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
The Church of Norway has one parish () within Hyllestad Municipality. It is part of the Sunnfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.
Hyllestad Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Sogn og Fjordane District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.
The municipal council of Hyllestad Municipality is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.
The mayor () of Hyllestad Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position:
Hyllestad is located north of the Sognefjorden along the àfjorden/Hyllestadfjorden, which flows through the middle of the municipality. Hyllestad is bordered to the north by Fjaler Municipality, to the east by Høyanger Municipality, to the south (across the fjord) by Gulen Municipality, and to the west by Solund Municipality. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain peak Ripesnipa, located on the Lihesten mountain ridge.
The production of millstones in Hyllestad started over 1,000 years ago and used to be a major industry employing up to 1,000 people. Millstones were exported to Denmark, the Baltic Sea region, and across Norway. Many of the stone crosses to be seen along the coast are made from millstones from Hyllestad, including the crosses in Eivindvik and Korssund. The park offers nature trails that visualize the history of the industry, with debris, broken product, and half-carved stones still not separated from the rock surface. At the stonemason camp there is a guided tour of the historic stone quarry in the mill stone park and a visit to ÃÂ fjordstein where you can see how mill stones are used in a modern, new design.
The majestic and bewitching Lihesten is one of the most prominent mountains ridges on the coast of Norway. There are several marked routes to the peak, over above sea level, with views both straight out to the open sea and inwards over the fjords. Lihesten also has a number of good fishing lakes.
Many bicyclists have described the well-preserved section of the Trondheim postal road between Hyllestad Municipality and Fjaler Municipality as one of the most exhilarating cycling experiences in the country. There were originally 19 stone bridges on the route between the villages of Dale and Leirvik, and many of them are still standing as proud and impressive examples of early dry masonry. There are only a few places along the stretch between Dale in Fjaler and Leirvik in Hyllestad where the surface is so uneven that it is best to push a bike rather than ride it. Occasionally it is necessary to join the paved road (Fylkesvei 57), but most of the route is free from cars and idyllic.
On the postroad, by Skor, lies a beautiful cluster of five authentic, newly renovated gristmills.