Bergen

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway, located at the western coast in the county of Hordaland. Bergen is the capital of Hordaland, and is often called the capital of Western Norway. Bergen is known for its scenic location between the coastal landscape and mighty mountains. As of 2009, the city has 256,580 inhabitants, and the metro no less than 375,489 inhabitants.

The city was founded in the year 1070 by King Olav Kyrre, who called the site Bjørgvin (bjørg, "berg", vin, "meadow"), meaning "the meadow among the mountains". Bergen has through its history been a leading international city of trade and shipping, and was the largest city in the Nordic countries until the 17th century, and the largest city in Norway until the 1830's.

## See also[edit]

* Bryggen

## Sister cities[edit]

* Asmara, Eritrea
* Gothenburg, Sweden
* Newcastle, United Kingdom
* Seattle, United States
* Turku, Finland
* Aarhus, Denmark

## External links[edit]

* Official website (English)
* Bergen Guide (English)