| Espedalen | |
| Map: | Innlandet#Norway |
| Label Position: | bottom |
| Coordinates: | 61.4263°N 9.4944°W |
| Location: | Innlandet, Norway |
| Type: | River valley |
Espedalen is a valley in the Sør-Fron and Gausdal municipalities of Innlandet county, Norway. The 18km (11miles) long valley is a continuation of the Gausdalen valley, which itself is a side valley that branches off of the main Gudbrandsdal valley in Eastern Norway.[1]
Historically, mining was important in Espedalen with copper mining dating to the 1600s. Nickel mining was introduced in the 1880s. At the north end of the lake Espedalsvatnet are the remains of smelting and mining settlements from that time.
Espedalen Chapel was built in 1974 to serve the local population. The wooden building was designed by the architect Bjarne Bystad Ellefsen.[2] [3] Peer Gynt Road (Peer Gyntveien) is a 60km (40miles) long private tourist road that runs from Svingvoll in Gausdal to Ruten in Espedalen.[4]