Dovre is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Dovre.

The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dovre. The municipality is bordered on the north by Oppdal municipality, on the east by Folldal, on the south by Sel and Vg, and on the northwest by Lesja. The highest peak is Snhetta at a height of 2,286 metres (7,500 ft). General information Name The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Dovre farm (Old Norse: Dofrar), since the first church was built here. The name is the plural of a (unknown) word *dofr - but this could be related to Lithuanian daub 'cleft, gorge'. In the hillside above the Dovre farm are two small rivers running in two deep gorges. Other places in Norway, that have names beginning with Dovre-, are also in the vicinity of clefts and gorges, and in southern Sweden, Dovra or Dovrasjdalen is the name of a wide gorge near Hallsberg[1]. Coat-of-arms Muskox living in Dovre The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 11 July 1986. The arms show a black muskox with a yellow horn on a gray background. The muskox is an animal typical for the northern parts of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. It is not native to Norway, but in 1932, ten muskoxen were released near Dovre. In 1978, there were still 35 animals, and the animal is thus a typical symbol for the municipality.[2] History People have lived at Dovre for about 6,000 years. In the stone age, they were primarily hunters and fishermen. Approximately 2000 years ago, the first farms were developed at this location. Dovre is mentioned in the Heimskringla (The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway) by Snorri Sturluson. In 1021, King Olaf laid hold of all the best men, both at Lesja and Dovre, and forced them either to receive Christianity or suffer death, if they were not so lucky as to escape.[3] The Pilgrim's Route (Old King's Road) between Oslo and Trondheim in the 16th century passed through the Gudbrandsdal valley. After leaving the valley of the Lgen (downriver from present day Dombs) it passed over the Dovre Mountains into the present-day municipality. The heavy stream of annual pilgrims who visited the shrine of St. Olaf in Trondheim prior to the Reformation resulted in the erection of mountain stations where the pilgrims could find food and shelter. In speaking of this route, Gjerset quotes Peder Claussn Friis as writing: Dovre church But in the winter people of high estate, as well as members of the court, travel mostly this way, because however high and deep the snow may fall, it blows together on the high mountains and becomes so hard men and horses can walk on it. The bonder run over it on ski and snowshoes. There are three stations: Drivstuen, Herdekinn, and Fogstuen built on this same mountain in order that travelers may find lodging there. at the stations there are implements and dry wood, so that the traveler may build themselves fire, and not suffer from cold, when they have to remain over night, and cannot find the way across the mountain.[4] The Battle of Kringen (Slaget ved Kringen) took place in August 1612, just downstream of Dovre, where the Scottish force stayed on 24 August 1612. The Dovre Church was built in 1736. The municipality of Dovre was created when it was separated from the municipality of Lesja in 1861. The area "upper Folldal" was transferred from Dovre (and Oppland county) to Alvdal (and into Hedmark county) in 1884. National Parks

Snhetta (Photo courtesy of Marianne F. Pettersen) Rondane National Park Rondane National Park, which lies partially in Dovre, was the first Norwegian National Park, established on 21 December 1962. In 2003, Rondane National Park was enlarged and smaller areas of nature protection were opened or enlarged. Dovre National Park Dovre National Park lies primarily in Dovre, although part lies in Folldal in Hedmark. It was established in 2003. Dovre National Park covers an area of 289 square kilometres (112 sq mi) and the altitude varies from the tree line at 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) to the Folkstuhe peak at 1,716 metres (5,630 ft). It is located between Rondane, which lies to its southeast, and Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella on its northwest. Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park was founded in 2002 and encompasses part of the former Dovre National Park area (as founded in 1974). It is 1,693 square kilometres (654 sq mi) and encompasses areas in Dovre as well as in adjacent Lesja in Oppland and areas in Sr-Trndelag and Mre og Romsdal. It includes the Dovrefjell mountain range. Sister cities The following cities are twinned with Dovre:[5] - Gronau, Lower Saxony, Germany - Leppvirta, It-Suomi, Finland - Storfors, Vrmland County, Sweden MOSKUS OKSE The musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) is an up to 2 meters long, vagina horn ungulates from arctic Canada and North - and East Greenland . In 1962 also introduced in West Greenland. The animal is introduced to Norway and from there spread into Jmtland in Sweden . The animal is characterized by a long and dense coat and broad hooves and bent downwards, at the base flattened horns . It wanders around in small flocks hunting, which, if attacked, forming a circle with the calves in the middle. Its primary food is arctic willows twigs and leaves. Musk ox wool is regarded by many as an exclusive product. In mating season, you can see the big boys at corralling 350 kg run against each other, pandebrisk against pandebrisk. This can take half an hour. The loser walks away to find a second male to fight. The Danish zoologist Christian Vibe moved around 1964 27 calves from East Greenland via the Zoological Garden in Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq in West Greenland. Here you had the good growing conditions, and in 1994 the population was estimated at around 3,000. [1] Greenland has authorized the shooting of 1,000 copies a year to keep numbers down. This helps to provide income and meat for local people. Tourists with permission, can bring down a trophy. They help to keep numbers down. In this way, local hunters money and meat. The trophy consists of pandebrisk with horns and skin. [ citation needed ]