Have you ever wondered who made the lengthy road of Fjellveien, Fløysvingene or the gravel road all the way to the top of Rundemanen?

Picture: Bryggen in Bergen with the city mountains in the background. Photo: Agent J.

With their main focus being sustainable forest management and facilitation for outdoor activities in the city mountains, Bergens Forest- and Tree-planting Company has since 1868 worked towards protecting and managing the areas of nature in Bergen.

Bergen is surrounded by beautiful mountains, forest areas and hiking trails with benches, rest areas and signs. Behind this is a lot of work, regular maintenance and a strong spirit from volunteers and the committed citizens of Bergen.

Voluntary membership

In 2014, Byfjellslauget was established - as a voluntary membership organisation owned and administrated by the foundation Bergens Forest- and Tree-planting Company. It was established for benevolent donors to be able to support the work towards facilitating outdoor life in the city mountains.

Frydenbø is one of several actors from the business community in Bergen who share the commitment, pride and shared responsibility for the city mountains.

- We want to contribute and to leave behind a positive footprint in the local environments we operate in - and what is nicer and more used by the people of Bergen than our beautiful city mountains? This is what Silje Ulla-Zahl, marketing and communications director in Frydenbø Group, says about why Frydenbø has joined with their support of Byfjellslauget.

Byfjellslauget has contributed to

• Improving Gunhildsbrekka (the old postal road in Sandviken)
• Improving Skiveien (from the bridge by Montana all the way up to Storsteinen where Oppstemten starts)
• Improving of the hiking trail towards Skillingsbollen
• Clearing of the fell above Skillingsbollen by the path towards Løvstakken and Strandafjellet

New projects on the agenda

• Skotbergkleiven - binding lower Ulriken station together with Oppstemten
• Øvre Bleken Gård (Sagen) - upgrade of the outside area
  - Facilitating for extended use for hikers, especially for families with children
  - Making Øvre Bleken Gård more attractive as a meeting room/banquet room/café
• Renovating important hiking trails in the city mountains
  
  

Photo: The group of voluntary workers at Øvre Bleken Gård in 2017, photo borrowed from Bergens Forest and Tree-planting Company.