Fjellstrand, Norway

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Fjellstrand is a small rural district in the municipality of Nesodden, in the county of Akershus, in the country of Norway. The population was 832 as of 2005.

The village has an elementary school, Fjellstrand skole, which teaches grades one to seven.

A hairdresser and a grocery store, Moghal Trading, can be found near the central bus stop of Fjellstrand. Visitors should keep in mind that these establishments generally have an extremely high price level. It would be recommended to take the bus to nearby Bjørnemyr or Fagerstrand if shopping is on the agenda.

A relatively rocky beach at the ironically named Paradise Bay is one of the few tourist attractions in this area. Until recently, Fjellstrand had no sanitary sewer, which meant that all the sewage went straight out in the Oslofjord. Paradise Bay thus could claim one of the highest water temperatures in the country, which helps explain why the beach at Fjellstrand was so crowded in the Summer time. Unfortunately, with a sanitary system in place, those extraordinary temperatures are now gone, along with many of the bathing guests.

Paradise Bay can be found near the end of the main street, Fjellstrandveien. Fjellstrandveien is also where the most famous and wealthy inhabitants of this village live, with a splendid view over the fjord.

Fjellstrand reached its peak in the 1920s, when it was the biggest rural district on the Nesodden peninsula, and beloved as a cabin area for the wealthy white collar workers of Oslo West. Since then, the importance of this place has been steadily declining, and it is now known only by people living in its immediate surroundings. Like Fagerstrand, an even more depressed village "next door".

Betania, a place of worship for many locals

However, the Christian community and its house "Betania", centrally placed in this rural district, has gained some importance in the region (Betania offers free lemonade and cakes for kids most Sundays). By the few who know Fjellstrand by name, the place is often referred to as the Bible belt of eastern Norway. Dagfinn Høybråten, the leader of the Christian People's Party (KrF) and a prominent inhabitant of this rural district, has contributed to the establishment of this impression.