Gulen
Encyclopedia
is a municipality in the southwestern part of Sogn og Fjordane
county
, Norway
. It is part of the traditional district
of Sogn
. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Eivindvik
. Other villages in Gulen include Brekke
, Byrknes
, Dalsøyra
, and Dingja
.
The municipality of Gulen surrounds the Gulafjorden, which is considered to be the place where Norway
's west-coastal Viking
s met at the Gulating
, a governing body. The area in Gulafjorden called Flolid (just east of the village of Eivindvik) is now a national historic place, where an open air theater and annual summer play commemorates the Vikings who gathered there 1000 years ago to accept Christianity
.
). The municipality of 1838 was created to be identical to the Evindvig parish
(prestegjeld
) that included the three sub-parishes (sokn) of Eivindvik
, Brekke
, and Husøy
. The sub-parish of Brekke
(population: 898) was separated from the municipality in 1850 to form a municipality of its own, leaving a total of 3,944 residents in Evindvig.
In 1858, the sub-parish of Husøy
(population: 1,384) was separated from Evindvig to form its own municipality called Utvær (renamed Solund
in 1923). This left Evindvig with 3,018 inhabitants. On 1 July 1890 the name of Evindvig municipality was changed to Gulen. On 1 January 1964, the municipality of Brekke
(population: 782) was merged with Gulen. Also on that same date, the island of Losna (population: 40) was transferred from Gulen to Solund
. After these changes, Gulen had a population of 3,250.
: Guli) originally belonged to the fjord (now called Gulafjorden). The name is probably derived from the word gul which means "(strong) wind". Until 1891 the name of the municipality was Evenvig or Eivindvig (now written Eivindvik
).
is from modern times (1990). It shows the two stone crosses found near the village of Eivindvik
that are believed to be about 1000 years old, erected there after the Viking
s who met at the Gulating
gathering embraced Christianity
.
has three churches within the municipality of Gulen. It is part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin
and the Rural Deanery
(Prosti) of Ytre Sogn
.
, Eivindvik
, Dalsøyra
, and Byrknes
.
(through 10th grade), outpatient health services
, senior citizen
services, unemployment
and other social services
, zoning
, economic development
, and municipal road
s. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor
.
breakdown is as follows:
(ordførar) of a municipality in Norway is usually a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. The mayor of Gulen for the 2007-2011 term is Trude Brosvik of the Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig folkeparti).
. The mainland is characterized by small valleys and large mountains crossing the landscape. The lake Dingevatn
is one of Norway's deepest lakes.
Gulen is bounded on the north by the Sognefjord
and to the south by the Fensfjord with the North Sea
to the west of then municipality. Gulen is bordered by the municipalities of Solund
and Hyllestad
to the north, by Høyanger
to the east, and by Austrheim
, Lindås
, and Masfjorden
(all three in Hordaland
county) to the south.
The area is a geological region that contains a relatively low nutrition content ground, which characterizes the types of flora
. The moors
, which are frequently covered with wild purple heather
, are the dominating picure of the area. Due to the large quantity of rain in the area there are lots of types of moss
and lichen
in Gulen. Most of the land in Gulen is very mountainous and inhospitable.
industrial area which includes many oil refineries
operated by Statoil
, Shell Oil
, and other oil companies. Other factories and industries in Gulen include Wergeland-Halsvik, Baker Oil Tools, Johnny Birkeland Transport, and Vest Tank. There are many other small businesses located in Gulen today.
Gulating
was a legislative assembly which met regularly for a period of at least five hundred years in Gulen on the shores of the Gulafjord. In 1300 the assembly was moved to Bergen
. The members of the assembly represented the farmers of Western Norway. This was where important political issues were discussed and decisions were made. The old assembly was also used as a law court for both civil and criminal cases. The Gulating was thus related to the representative institutions of today such as the municipal council and the Norwegian Parliament, Storting.
A sculpture park was built in Flolid in Gulen in order to commemorate the Gulating
legislative assembly. Norwegian sculptor Bård Breivik was responsible for the artistic elements which were opened by the public during August 2005. The park is a work of art in its own right that is used as the setting for outdoor dance and musical performances in beautiful and unique natural surroundings.
and Trondheim
, The post-road goes through Fjaler
, Hyllestad
and Gulen municipalities. Built between 1801 and 1806, it passes over many beautiful stone bridges.
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is part of the traditional district
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Sogn
Sogn
Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway . It is located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, surrounding the Sognefjord. Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestrand, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Gulen, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Solund, Vik, and Årdal. The district covers ...
. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Eivindvik
Eivindvik
Eivindvik is the administrative centre of the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland, along the north shore of the Gulafjord, about south of the village of Dingja , about northwest of Dalsøyra, and about northeast of Byrknes...
. Other villages in Gulen include Brekke
Brekke
Brekke is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the northeastern part of the present-day municipality of Gulen in the traditional district of Sogn...
, Byrknes
Byrknes
Byrknes is a fishing village in the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located on the western shore of the island of Byrknesøyna...
, Dalsøyra
Dalsøyra
Dalsøyra is a village in the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located along the Eidsfjorden, an arm of the Gulafjorden, about southeast of the municipal center of Eivindvik. The population of Dalsøyra was 213. There is a school and a shop in...
, and Dingja
Dingja
Dingja is a small village in the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. The village is located along the Sognesjøen, near the mouth of the Sognefjord, about north of the municipal center of Eivindvik. The lake Dingevatn lies directly to the east of the village.Dinja...
.
The municipality of Gulen surrounds the Gulafjorden, which is considered to be the place where Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's west-coastal Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s met at the Gulating
Gulating
Gulaþing is both the name of one of the first Norwegian legislative assemblies or Þing and one of the present day law courts of western Norway.-History:...
, a governing body. The area in Gulafjorden called Flolid (just east of the village of Eivindvik) is now a national historic place, where an open air theater and annual summer play commemorates the Vikings who gathered there 1000 years ago to accept Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
General information
Evindvig was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). The municipality of 1838 was created to be identical to the Evindvig parish
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
(prestegjeld
Prestegjeld
A Prestegjeld is a geographic and administrative area of the Church of Norway roughly equivalent to a parish. A prestegjeld can consist of one or many congregations...
) that included the three sub-parishes (sokn) of Eivindvik
Eivindvik
Eivindvik is the administrative centre of the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland, along the north shore of the Gulafjord, about south of the village of Dingja , about northwest of Dalsøyra, and about northeast of Byrknes...
, Brekke
Brekke
Brekke is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the northeastern part of the present-day municipality of Gulen in the traditional district of Sogn...
, and Husøy
Solund
Solund is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. Solund is the westernmost island municipality in Norway, and the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county that is made up only of islands...
. The sub-parish of Brekke
Brekke
Brekke is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the northeastern part of the present-day municipality of Gulen in the traditional district of Sogn...
(population: 898) was separated from the municipality in 1850 to form a municipality of its own, leaving a total of 3,944 residents in Evindvig.
In 1858, the sub-parish of Husøy
Solund
Solund is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. Solund is the westernmost island municipality in Norway, and the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county that is made up only of islands...
(population: 1,384) was separated from Evindvig to form its own municipality called Utvær (renamed Solund
Solund
Solund is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. Solund is the westernmost island municipality in Norway, and the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county that is made up only of islands...
in 1923). This left Evindvig with 3,018 inhabitants. On 1 July 1890 the name of Evindvig municipality was changed to Gulen. On 1 January 1964, the municipality of Brekke
Brekke
Brekke is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the northeastern part of the present-day municipality of Gulen in the traditional district of Sogn...
(population: 782) was merged with Gulen. Also on that same date, the island of Losna (population: 40) was transferred from Gulen to Solund
Solund
Solund is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. Solund is the westernmost island municipality in Norway, and the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county that is made up only of islands...
. After these changes, Gulen had a population of 3,250.
Name
The name (Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Guli) originally belonged to the fjord (now called Gulafjorden). The name is probably derived from the word gul which means "(strong) wind". Until 1891 the name of the municipality was Evenvig or Eivindvig (now written Eivindvik
Eivindvik
Eivindvik is the administrative centre of the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland, along the north shore of the Gulafjord, about south of the village of Dingja , about northwest of Dalsøyra, and about northeast of Byrknes...
).
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times (1990). It shows the two stone crosses found near the village of Eivindvik
Eivindvik
Eivindvik is the administrative centre of the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland, along the north shore of the Gulafjord, about south of the village of Dingja , about northwest of Dalsøyra, and about northeast of Byrknes...
that are believed to be about 1000 years old, erected there after the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s who met at the Gulating
Gulating
Gulaþing is both the name of one of the first Norwegian legislative assemblies or Þing and one of the present day law courts of western Norway.-History:...
gathering embraced Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has three churches within the municipality of Gulen. It is part of the Diocese of Bjørgvin
Diocese of Bjørgvin
Bjørgvin Diocese is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers churches located in the counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. The cathedral city is Bergen. Bergen Cathedral, formerly the Church of Saint Olaf, serves as the seat of the presiding Bishop...
and the Rural Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
(Prosti) of Ytre Sogn
Sogn
Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway . It is located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, surrounding the Sognefjord. Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestrand, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Gulen, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Solund, Vik, and Årdal. The district covers ...
.
| Parish (Prestegjeld) | Sub-Parish (Sogn) | Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulen Parish | Brekke | Brekke kyrkje | 1862 | Brekke Brekke Brekke is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the northeastern part of the present-day municipality of Gulen in the traditional district of Sogn... |
| Gulen | Gulen kyrkje | 1863 | Eivindvik Eivindvik Eivindvik is the administrative centre of the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland, along the north shore of the Gulafjord, about south of the village of Dingja , about northwest of Dalsøyra, and about northeast of Byrknes... |
|
| Mjømna | Mjømna kyrkje | 1901 | Mjømna |
Schools
The roughly 2500 residents live scattered throughout the municipality and are divided into four school districts: BrekkeBrekke
Brekke is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the northeastern part of the present-day municipality of Gulen in the traditional district of Sogn...
, Eivindvik
Eivindvik
Eivindvik is the administrative centre of the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located on the mainland, along the north shore of the Gulafjord, about south of the village of Dingja , about northwest of Dalsøyra, and about northeast of Byrknes...
, Dalsøyra
Dalsøyra
Dalsøyra is a village in the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The village is located along the Eidsfjorden, an arm of the Gulafjorden, about southeast of the municipal center of Eivindvik. The population of Dalsøyra was 213. There is a school and a shop in...
, and Byrknes
Byrknes
Byrknes is a fishing village in the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located on the western shore of the island of Byrknesøyna...
.
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Gulen, are responsible for primary educationPrimary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
(through 10th grade), outpatient health services
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, senior citizen
Old age
Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...
services, unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
and other social services
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
, zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
, economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
, and municipal road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
.
Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Gulen is made up of 21 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2007–2011, the partyPolitical party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
breakdown is as follows:
Mayor
The mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
(ordførar) of a municipality in Norway is usually a representative of the majority party of the municipal council who is elected to lead the council. The mayor of Gulen for the 2007-2011 term is Trude Brosvik of the Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig folkeparti).
Geography
Gulen has an area of about 600 square kilometres (231.7 sq mi) including about 1500 small islands, islets, and skerriesSkerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
. The mainland is characterized by small valleys and large mountains crossing the landscape. The lake Dingevatn
Dingevatn
Dingevatn or Dingevatnet is the 18th deepest lake in Norway. It is located in the municipality of Gulen in Sogn og Fjordane county. The lake is located near the village of Dingja, just about southeast of the Sognefjord, and about north of the municipal center of Eivindvik....
is one of Norway's deepest lakes.
Gulen is bounded on the north by the Sognefjord
Sognefjord
The Sognefjord is the largest fjord in Norway, and the second longest in the world. Located in Sogn og Fjordane county, it stretches inland to the small village of Skjolden...
and to the south by the Fensfjord with the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
to the west of then municipality. Gulen is bordered by the municipalities of Solund
Solund
Solund is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. Solund is the westernmost island municipality in Norway, and the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county that is made up only of islands...
and Hyllestad
Hyllestad
Hyllestad is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center of Hyllestad is the village of Hyllestad....
to the north, by Høyanger
Høyanger
is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Høyanger, which has 2177 inhabitants . Other villages in Høyanger include Lavik, Kyrkjebø, Austreim, and Vadheim...
to the east, and by Austrheim
Austrheim
Austrheim is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Austrheim was separated from Lindås on 1 January 1910. Fedje was separated from Austrheim on 1 January 1947...
, Lindås
Lindås
Lindås is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway.-Background:The parish of Lindaas was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Masfjorden was separated from Lindås on 1 March 1879. Austrheim was separated from Lindås on 1 January 1910...
, and Masfjorden
Masfjorden
Masfjorden is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Masfjorden was separated from Lindås on 1 March 1879.The municipality is located around the fjord which is also called the Masfjorden which almost divides the municipality completely into a north side and a south side. A cable ferry...
(all three in Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
county) to the south.
The area is a geological region that contains a relatively low nutrition content ground, which characterizes the types of flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
. The moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
, which are frequently covered with wild purple heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
, are the dominating picure of the area. Due to the large quantity of rain in the area there are lots of types of moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
and lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
in Gulen. Most of the land in Gulen is very mountainous and inhospitable.
| Land Type | Percent |
|---|---|
| Agricultural | 4% |
| Forest | 19% |
| Water | 3% |
| Other | 74% |
Economy
Historically, Gulen's economy has been centered around farming and fishing. More recently, Gulen has become important because of its close proximity to the MongstadMongstad
Mongstad is an industrial site located in the municipalities of Lindås and Austrheim in Hordaland, Norway. The site features an oil refinery for Statoil and other oil companies, including Shell. At Mongstad, Statoil has a crude oil terminal with a capacity of . The port at Mongstad is the largest...
industrial area which includes many oil refineries
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
operated by Statoil
Statoil
Statoil ASA is a Norwegian petroleum company established in 1972. It merged with Norsk Hydro in 2007 and was known as StatoilHydro until 2009, when the name was changed back to Statoil ASA. The brand Statoil was retained as a chain of fuel stations owned by StatoilHydro...
, Shell Oil
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, and other oil companies. Other factories and industries in Gulen include Wergeland-Halsvik, Baker Oil Tools, Johnny Birkeland Transport, and Vest Tank. There are many other small businesses located in Gulen today.
Tusenårsstedet Gulatinget
Gulating
Gulaþing is both the name of one of the first Norwegian legislative assemblies or Þing and one of the present day law courts of western Norway.-History:...
was a legislative assembly which met regularly for a period of at least five hundred years in Gulen on the shores of the Gulafjord. In 1300 the assembly was moved to Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. The members of the assembly represented the farmers of Western Norway. This was where important political issues were discussed and decisions were made. The old assembly was also used as a law court for both civil and criminal cases. The Gulating was thus related to the representative institutions of today such as the municipal council and the Norwegian Parliament, Storting.
A sculpture park was built in Flolid in Gulen in order to commemorate the Gulating
Gulating
Gulaþing is both the name of one of the first Norwegian legislative assemblies or Þing and one of the present day law courts of western Norway.-History:...
legislative assembly. Norwegian sculptor Bård Breivik was responsible for the artistic elements which were opened by the public during August 2005. The park is a work of art in its own right that is used as the setting for outdoor dance and musical performances in beautiful and unique natural surroundings.
Sellevåg Wooden Shoe Factory
Wooden shoes were produced in Sellevåg from 1899–1975. The factory was powered by water in the Sellevåg Lake. The wooden shoe factory is still there with all its production equipment intact. A guided tour with demonstration can be arranged on request.Trondheim Post-Road
The historic mail route from BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
and Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, The post-road goes through Fjaler
Fjaler
Fjaler is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Dale. Other places in Fjaler include Flekke and Espedal....
, Hyllestad
Hyllestad
Hyllestad is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center of Hyllestad is the village of Hyllestad....
and Gulen municipalities. Built between 1801 and 1806, it passes over many beautiful stone bridges.