Raulandsgrend

Raulandsgrend or simply Rauland is a village in Vinje Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The village is located in a mountainous area along the north shore of the lake Totak, about 4.5 km to the northwest of the village of Krossen. The lake Møsvatn lies about 10 km to the north and the vast Hardangervidda National Park lies about 20 km to the northwest. The village was once the administrative centre of the old Rauland Municipality which existed from 1860 until 1964.

Attractions
Raulandsgrend is a village that is its mountainous surroundings where tourists can partake in hiking, recreation, and skiing. It is the largest winter destination in Telemark with three ski resorts, 46 slopes, 16 lifts, and 150 km of cross-country skiing trails. Well-known snowboarding celebrity, Terje Håkonsen, started his career in Rauland. The University of South-Eastern Norway has a campus in Rauland. Rauland Church (built in 1803) is also located in the village. The Rauland Art Museum (Rauland kunstmuseum) includes sculptures, paintings, graphics, and drawings by the sculptor Dyre Vaa.

Name
The village of "Raulandsgrend" (originally the municipality) is named after the old Rauland farm (Rauðaland) since the first Rauland Church was built there. The first element is rauði which means "bog iron". The last element is land which means "land" or "farm". The suffix -grend is a more recent addition, simply meaning "village" or "hamlet", thus it is the village of Rauland. The many marshlands in the area are filled with bog iron and for centuries its production was an important local resource.