Bergen is Norway’s second largest city, and a focal point in Western Norway. The municipality now counts 270 000 inhabitants and is witnessing high growth.
The municipality includes the offers of a big city when it comes to jobs, education, trade and leisure activities.
Bergen and the surrounding areas are the place for a world leading environment in both maritime and marine industries and in the energy sector. The region also has growing and robust industries when it comes to culture, tourism, media and culture based business.
In addition, trade, finance, health and ICT are all important industries for the city. Recently the largest media companies and the University of Bergen agreed to move together to the media cluster, Media City Bergen.
Bergen is also an important city for education and science. About 30 000 students live in Bergen, divided between the University of Bergen, Norwegian School of Economics, Bergen University College, the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, Bergen Academy of Arts and Design, Bergen School of Architecture, NLA University College, BI Norwegian Business School, Betanien Diaconal University College and Haraldsplass Diaconal University College.
In Bergen, the citizens are concerned with preserving the city history. Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Cultural life is also important in Bergen, and the city was the European Capital of Culture in 2000.
There is a creative music scene and a number of different festivals. The city also has a diverse and intriguing culture life within the visual and performing arts. Bergen welcomes street art in the city and offers a variety of great museums.
Spring is a special time in Bergen, when a number of festivals are taking place. Among other things are the Bergen International Festival, Nordic Media Festival, and music festivals like Bergenfest and Nattjazz (Night jazz).
The city is full of life when it comes to organizations and sports – especially for the youngest.
Bergen is one of Northern Europe’s biggest cruise ports, and a starting point to experiencing the fjords in Western Norway. The region has a variety of possibilities for accommodation and conference sites. The city, the coast and the fjords gives you the ideal combination of nature, culture and activities.
You can get to Bergen by plain, ferry, boat, bus, train or your own car or bike. There is a variety of direct routes to Bergen from different destinations in Europe. The number of guests in Bergen and in the region has increased the last years. There are close to three million visitors each year in Bergen! In 2013 the hotels had over 1,4 million overnight stays.
