An acclaimed EU-funded educational initiative is providing an unexpected boost to relatively little-known European locations.
The Erasmus scheme, financed by the EU, gives young people in EU member states to study and live in other countries, both in Europe and other parts of the world.
It is widely seen as an unmitigated success story since the EU was founded and has benefited tens of thousands of young Europeans.
But it is also shining a light on places in Europe that have been, hitherto, relatively little known.
One such place is Volda, located in Western Norway which is now a thriving “student” town, attracting scores of Erasmus students every year.
In fact, it is estimated that students enrolled at Volda’s University College make up more than one third of the town’s entire population.
The university has acquired an enviable and hard-won reputation for the quality of its courses, not least in teaching and media studies.
It is one of 25 university colleges in Norway and enrols about 3,000 students each year. The emphasis on media studies is rather appropriate as the town is home to Norway’s oldest local newspaper, Avisa More.
Despite the hardships facing the industry, it still manages to produce a good quality paper twice every week.
Surrounded by the Sunnmore Alps, the area it serves has longstanding hiking traditions, partly inspired by British climbers who set out to conquer the alpine peaks in the late 1800s. Even today, climbing routes, mountains and cabins hold their name such as Slingsby’s peak and the Patchell cabin.
If you are lucky enough to find yourself in this wondrous part of the world, there are at least a couple of “must do’s” to tick off your bucket list.
First, and located just up the road from Volda, is a language museum, one of the few of its kind in Europe.
The Ivar Aasen Cenre has a special focus on language and literature. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year (it opened in 2000), the main building was designed by the Norwegian master architect Sverre Fehn and boasts the most prestigious architectural award that Norway has to offer.
Its displays are homage to Ivar Aasen, the language researcher and writer who changed the course of Norwegian history. He created what is called “New Norwegian”, a written language based on living dialects all over the country, and some of Norway’s best loved songs came from his pen.
Aasen, who lived from 1813 to 1896, travelled the whole country gathering info on dialects and the result was an entire language no less.
It is all relevant today as there is still a big debate in the country about its language situation. In a sense this partly mirrors Belgium which, of course, is divided along linguistic lines.
Friendly guides like Ida will happily explain the history of the place and the man himself who has left such an indelible mark on the country’s history and heritage.There is also a pleasant cafe and gift shop on site.It all makes for a fascinating insight into the role of languages in shaping human stories.
A relatively short distance away is another “must do” while in this magnificent part of Europe – the Loen Skylift. This is one of the steepest in the world and lifts people, via a cable car, from the fjord in Loen to the mountain Hoven (1,011metres) in just five minutes or so.
The skylift, opened by Queen Sonja on May 20 2017, gives you a chance to enjoy a 210-degree panoramic view of the whole area and (on a clear day) much further afield. There are also access to viewpoints, hiking trails and sculptures at the summit. It departs every 30 minutes and runs throughout the year but only from Thursday to Sunday in the autumn and winter months.
This excellent centre has other things to offer as well as the cable car, including a nice cafe and gift shop, and there is ample car parking nearby (free). It really is something you ought to try and experience…. though it helps (for the views) if the weather is favourable.
Close by is something else that is well worth a visit, the famous Hotel Union Oye which is located along what is known as the “Queen Route” but is an attraction in itself.
Cradled between steep mountains, the hotel was “discovered” by Europe’s aristocracy and social elite in 1881 and has since welcomed many royals, authors, artists and poets.
Among its famous guest list was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the British creator of the Sherlock Holmes character.
He stayed here back in the 1800s and, for fans of Holmes, there is a black and white photo of him learning to sky at a local mountain top.
Back in lovely Volda, the Erasmus students mix seamlessly with the locals who are delighted to have the presence of broadminded and articulate young people from all over Europe in their midst.
The scheme is a win-win: benefitting young adults who want to study and live in a place that is most likely very different from their home countries and Norwegians who also benefit, both economically and in lots of other ways.
- Photo credit: Facebook
