{"id":105,"date":"2009-06-18T21:14:51","date_gmt":"2009-06-19T01:14:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/?p=105"},"modified":"2009-06-18T21:14:51","modified_gmt":"2009-06-19T01:14:51","slug":"bergen-the-meadow-among-the-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/bergen-the-meadow-among-the-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Bergen-the meadow among the mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>Situated in probably my favorite part of Norway, Bergen got it’s name from the old Norse words “berg<\/strong>” or ”bj\u00f8rg<\/strong>” (both meaning hill or mountain) and ”vin<\/strong>” (a word which now is the word for wine, but in old Norse meant meadow or pasture).\u00a0\u00a0Bergen is\u00a0situated among what are known as ”de syv fjell<\/strong>,” which means the seven mountains.\u00a0 Most of you learn the number 7 is ”sju<\/strong>,” but in Bergen, where many people still speak\u00a0a conservative ”riksm\u00e5l” <\/strong>or ”byspr\u00e5k,” <\/strong>an urban or city langugage kept alive in Bergen <\/strong>in order to avoid the influence of urban Danish.\u00a0 So syv <\/strong>is 7.\u00a0 <\/strong>I will dedicate another post to clarifying the Norwegian language and it’s many influences and forms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Which 7 mountains the city is known for is contested, but the following are definitely included:\u00a0 Ulriken, Fl\u00f8yen, L\u00f8vstakken, and Damg\u00e5rdsfjellet.\u00a0 <\/strong>The other 3 are among the following: Lyderhorn, Sandviksfjellet, Bl\u00e5manen, Rundemanen, and Ask\u00f8yfjellet.\u00a0 <\/strong>These mountains are only just a few of the mountains around Bergen.\ufffd<\/p>\n

Bergen<\/strong> is the second largest city in Norway (with about 252,000 inhabitants, although if you count the greater Bergen <\/strong>area there are roughly 385,000 people) and is the administrative center of Hordaland fylke <\/strong>(county).\u00a0 There\u00a0are nitten\u00a0<\/strong>(19) fylker <\/strong>in Norway altogether.\u00a0 Of all the citites in Europe, Bergen <\/strong>is one of 9 cities that proudly\u00a0bore the title of ”European Capital of Culture” in 2000 (cities designated by the European Union for one calendar year to show off the culture).\u00a0 Hurrah for Bergen<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

A brief synoposis of the history of this fine city…it is thought to have been founded by Olav Kyrre <\/strong>in 1070 AD.\u00a0 It actually was the capital of Norway for a stint in time (in between the first capital, Trondheim, <\/strong>and the current capital, Oslo.\u00a0 <\/strong>During the late 13th century, Bergen<\/strong> became\u00a0one\u00a0of the most important cities in the Hanseatic League (an alliance of trading cities and their guilds all along the coast from the Baltic to the North Sea).\u00a0 Bergen <\/strong>traded mostly\u00a0cod brought down from northern Norway.\u00a0 During this high time for Bergen <\/strong>as a hub for the Hanseatic Leauge, a certain part of the city housed men who spoke a form of German.\ufffd<\/p>\n

Another pretty important blip in Bergen’s <\/strong>history is the arrival of the Svartedauden (<\/strong>Black Death or bubonic plague) by an English ship in 1349.\u00a0 This plague killed 30-60 % of the population of Europe.\u00a0 Between 1350 and 1550 in\u00a0Norway, research shows that the population declined as much as 65%.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As long as we are on the subject of devastation, there have been\u00a0many serious fires in Bergen <\/strong>because most houses were made of wood, <\/strong>one of which occured in 1955 and destroyed part of one of the most well-known parts of the city-Bryggen\u00a0<\/strong>or Tyskebryggen <\/strong>(the German wharf) – <\/strong>a series of buildings that the Hanseatic League occupied during it’s existence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There is much more\u00a0I could write about Bergen,\u00a0<\/strong>but that will have to wait til a later post.\u00a0 If you go to Norway, you absolutely cannot skip this city.\u00a0 It’s not even that there is that much to DO in Bergen, <\/strong>but to be there and experience the fjords and the mountains is spectacular.\u00a0 Take a ride up Fl\u00f8ybanen, <\/strong>a funicular that takes you to the top of mount Fl\u00f8yen, w<\/strong>here you can hike around, take beautiful pictures of the city and sea below, and enjoy a meal!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Situated in probably my favorite part of Norway, Bergen got it’s name from the old Norse words “berg” or ”bj\u00f8rg” (both meaning hill or mountain) and ”vin” (a word which now is the word for wine, but in old Norse meant meadow or pasture).\u00a0\u00a0Bergen is\u00a0situated among what are known as ”de syv fjell,” which means…<\/p>\n

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