Bergen

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and the largest in Western Norway, with a population of 255,490 as of 1 October 2009. Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of 375,489 as of October 2009.

Bergen is located in the county of Hordaland on the south-western coast of Norway. It is an important cultural hub in its region and was one of nine European cities honoured with the title of European Capital of Culture in 2000 and Eurovision Song Contest 1986 was held in Bergen.

Bergen’s city centre is situated among a group of mountains known collectively as “de syv fjell” (the seven mountains), including the mountains Ulriken, Fløyen, Løvstakken and Damsgårdsfjellet, as well as three of the following: Lyderhorn, Sandviksfjellet, Blåmanen, Rundemanen, and Askøyfjellet. The first to name them “the seven mountains” might have been Ludvig Holberg, inspired by the seven hills of Rome. These seven mountains are, however, only a few of the mountains located within the borders of the Bergen municipality. Gullfjellet is the highest mountain in Bergen, at 987 metres above sea level.

The oldest part of Bergen is the area around the bay of Vågen in the city centre. Originally centred on the eastern side of the bay, Bergen eventually expanded west and southwards. Few buildings from the oldest period remain, the most significant being St Mary’s Church from the 12th century.

Bergen’s inter-municipal harbour is by far Norway’s largest port and one of Europe’s largest ports, according to the inter-municipal company Port of Bergen. In August 2004, Time magazine named the city one of Europe’s 14 “secret capitals” where Bergen’s capital reign is acknowledged within maritime businesses and activities such as aquaculture and marine research, with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) (the second-largest in Europe) as the leading institution. Bergen is the main base for the Royal Norwegian Navy (at Haakonsvern) and its international airport Flesland is the main heliport for the huge Norwegian North Sea oil and gas industry, from where thousands of offshore workers commute to their work places onboard oil and gas rigs and platforms.

Tourism is an important income source for the city. The hotels in the city may be full at times, due to the increasing number of tourists and conferences. Bergen is recognised as the unofficial capital of the region known as West Norway, and recognised and marketed as the gateway city to the world famous fjords of Norway and for that reason it has become Norway’s largest – and one of Europe’s largest – cruise ship ports of call.