The Salmon Lords

We are now travelling alongside the Rauma River in Romsdalen, but we will soon cross both the river and the road E136 on the Foss Bridge. The Romsdalen Valley is also known as Raumadalen and stretches in the same way as the river right from Lesjaskogsvatnet through the magical and vibrant cultural landscape, right down to the Romsdal fjord in Åndalsnes. The salmon rich Rauma River has brought great joy to locals and visitors alike. The local landowners have harvested the rivers resources as a part of their farming for centuries, but at the beginning of the 19th century, both the river and the excellent salmon became popular with the wealthy English upper classes. It was a status symbol for the British to travel and discover other countries. The pure nature here and the exotic villages with their salmon rivers were in stark contrast to the grey industrialisation of their homeland. Many were noble Englishmen or Lords, but by all means not all of them. However, in Norway there were all referred to under the common name of ‘ Salmon Lord’. Most of them rented out fishing rights on the river, guides, overnight accommodation and staff to help them, but there were also some who bought farms with fishing rights. They weren’t just anglers, but also explorers, hedonists and tourists. The English salmon Lords actually started tourism in Norway, and it was right here that it all began, along this and other fantastic Norwegian rivers.