General Information
Ål Municipality is one of six municipalities located in Hallingdal valley in Buskerud County. Hallingdal is one of the larger valleys located in the eastern part of southern Norway. Ål has magnificent nature with beautiful mountains, valleys, lakes, and rivers. There are numerous possibilities for both winter and summer activities. The municipality has put great focus on culture and health care, and is the location for both the regional health center and cultural center in Hallingdal.  Ål has a solid economy with a well developed school system and excellent kindergarten coverage.  Ål is a traditional farming and forestry community, but industry and trade is diverse with high competency and steady growth and development. The population in Ål is about 4,700. Most people live in Sundre which is the center of Ål. Rural districts in Ål are Opheim, Torpo, Leveld, Vats, and Votndalen.

Location
Ål is centrally located between Oslo and Bergen and can be reached by car, train, or bus. The Oslo - Bergen Railway stops at Ål Train Station several times a day and State Road 7 (RV 7) is the main highway and runs through Hallingdal. Many local and regional bus connections are also available. Traveling distance to Oslo is 215 km, Bergen 269 km, and Oslo Airport Gardermoen 227 km.

Culture and Arts
Ål is a community that has managed to keep both local and Norwegian traditions alive.  This is evident in the preservation of old building tradition and craftsmanship, folk music and national costume, traditional foods, and local cultural activity. The regional center for culture and arts in Hallingdal was built in Ål in 1992. Ål Culture Center can offer the public local and international stage performances of high international standard, and the Norwegian State Theatre (Riksteateret) touring stage performs at the center. Ål has three church parishes, which is Ål, Torpo, and Leveld. Torpo Stave Church which was completed at the end of the 10th century, is the last remaining stave church in Hallingdal and one of the most important cultural sites in the region.

Education
Ål has a well developed school system with six elementary schools and one secondary school (ungdomsskule). Kindergarten coverage is excellent with five public and two private kindergartens. Ål Junior College Ål vidaregåande skule has campuses in Ål and at Lien, Torpo, and offers studies in health, building and construction, use of natural resources, the service industry, and technical and industrial production.  Ål folkehøyskole og kurssenter for døve is a school that offer advanced studies for the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as those interested in learning Norwegian sign language. The school is for the deaf and the hearing and emphasizes teaching of the deaf’s culture, language, and history. The school is the only one of its kind in Norway. Ål Culture School is located at Ål Culture Center and offer instruction in music, song, dance, theatre, and arts.
 

Health Care
The public health care system in Ål is exceptional and includes a large workforce with great health expertise. The municipal health care center offer  long and short term care, dement care, home help aid, physical therapy, psychiatric care, child welfare and special needs services (PPT) and much more. In 2008, the nursing home, Ål bu og behandling, was established as an educational nursing home for Buskerud County. The center is responsible for providing vocational training and research within health and social services, with focus on care in a nursing home. Hallingdal Sjukestugu, a branch under Ringerike Hospital, is located in Ål and has rehabilitation, psychiatric, somatic, lab and x-ray departments.

Tourism and Outdoor Life
Ål is a perfect family vacation destination with magnificent nature, beautiful mountains, valleys, lakes, and rivers. There are numerous possibilities for winter and summer activities and something for everyone including cross-country and downhill skiing, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, and bicycling. There are 380 km of prepared cross-country trails.  Ål has a great choice of accommodations ranging from hotels, recreational cabins and apartments, camping, and “old” mountain farms. There are several sports arenas in Ål where soccer, track and field, handball, and other sports activities are practiced.  Indoor and outdoor shooting ranges are also available. Liatoppen Fjellstove, is the biathlon training center for both Norwegian and other national teams and is host to many biathlon and cross-country skiing arrangements. For more information about tourism, activities, and attractions in Ål, please visit www.al.no 

Business and Agriculture
Ål is a traditional farming and forestry community with the largest population of farm animals in Buskerud County. Industry and trade is diverse with high competency and steady growth and development. Building and construction is of great importance in Ål and there are several large firms specializing in architecture, plumbing, carpentry, and consulting. The building and use of cabins for recreational purposes is also important to the building industry; there are more than 2400 recreational cabins in Ål. Industrial parks that strengthen business and trade in Ål are located in Kleivi, Torpo, Gullhagen, and Oppsjø.

Yearly Events in Ål
Many events and celebrations are held throughout the year in Ål. Among the larger sports events are Bend It, the world’s largest alpine festival for children, Liatoppsprinten, a biathlon event for youth; and Ål Cup, which include a handball competition held in April/May and a soccer competition held in August. The Norwegian Folk Music Festival is a yearly event that brings artists from all over Norway performing traditional Norwegian folk music. Ål Utstillinga, the county fair, is held in June, and can offer a wide variety of activities and exhibitions of animals, locally produced merchandise, and large farming equipment.  Hellbillies, one of the best and most popular bands in Norway, perform at Ål Folkepark every summer and is one of the popular yearly events. The band members are from Ål and the band is best known for their engaging lyrics and use of the Hallingdal dialect in their songs.