Seattle makes it to the top in Bergen
- Lori Ann Reinhall
- May 21
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 6
A sister-city friendship is solidified with an important symbolic gesture
“What a wonderful day with sunshine all around us and sunshine in our hearts,” were the words that came to mind when I was given the honor of unveiling the sign for Seattle on the signpost at the top of Mount Fløyen in Bergen, Norway, on April 5, 2025.
It was a highly symbolic moment for the two sister cities, a tribute to the past and a promise for the future. It was also the perfect way to kick off a flurry of activities for One Ocean Week, an international symposium dedicated to research and innovation around the oceans that divide and—more importantly—connect us.
Among those there to celebrate this high point of the week—both literally and figuratively—was Lord Mayor of Bergen Marit Warncke, Espen Børhaug of the Bergen Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss, his wife, Caroline Landro, and Sheila Stickel of the National Nordic Museum in Seattle.
The signpost project began as a dream in 2017, when an official sister-city delegation from Seattle visited Bergen to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association.
A few of us took the funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen and were surprised to see that Seattle wasn’t included on the signpost, since our two cities have very strong commonalities and connections, both past and present. There are strong relationships in industry, research, education, and culture, relationships that have been strengthened through the formal sister-city bond over the years.
So, with One Ocean Week approaching, I decided to get to work as a journalist and submitted an opinion piece to Bergen’s largest newspaper, Bergens Tidende, expressing the need to confirm our friendship with the signpost addition. With a changing political landscape and some uncertainty about the future, this felt especially timely. Maybe it would be a shot in the dark, but I felt it was important to reach out.
Well, dreams really do come true, and the opinion piece appeared in the Bergen newspaper a few days later. The response was overwhelming, and within a couple of days, I heard from Espen Børhaug at the Bergen Chamber of Commerce that the Seattle sign was going up.
Anticipation was high as our 2025 Seattle entourage boarded the funicular up the mountain that sunny Saturday morning. When we arrived at the top, we were greeted by the sounds of the drums of a Bergen boys’ brigade.
The local press was also there as well as some enthusiastic expats from Washington state who had heard we were coming. They had dressed up for the occasion in sweatshirts and jackets adorned with logos from local sports teams back home. There was cheering and clapping, lots of hugs, and an abundance of sister-city love.
Later in the evening news on national television, Warncke talked about the significance of the day’s activities, underlining the importance of a friendship that brought a totem pole from Seattle to Bergen for the Norwegian city’s 900th birthday in 1970. It’s a bond that will not be broken by any amount of political turmoil.
The week that followed was no less exciting with the many events for One Ocean Week, which welcomed a special delegation from Seattle, led by Joshua Berger of Washington Maritime Blue. Events took place throughout the city, with opening sessions in the historic King Håkon’s Hall, where Crown Prince Haakon of Norway addressed attendees. The main conference was held at Grieg Hall, Bergen’s premier venue for cultural events, and there were receptions and a lavish banquet on board Bergen’s 101-year-old tall ship, the Statsraad Lehmkuhl.
The week ended as the Statsraad Lehmkuhl sailed away from Bergen’s harbor in the old city, embarking on a new journey around the globe. A teaching and research vessel, it will travel through the Northwest Passage this summer and find its way to us for the next One Ocean Week in Seattle, Oct. 20–26, 2025. We look forward to welcoming the beautiful tall ship and its crew and a delegation from Bergen for another week of learning, an exchange of ideas, and friendship.
All photos courtesy of the Bergen Chamber of Commerce.
