On September 24-29, 2022, a delegation from the City of Starachowice took part in a study visit to the city of Bergen in Norway as part of the project "Direction Future - Starachowice Local Development Program", financed with 100% from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 and the state budget from the "Local Development" Program.

The delegation was officially welcomed at the seat of the Municipal Office by the Mayor of the City of Bergen - Rune Bakervik, who emphasized the importance of international cooperation and exchange of experiences for the city - Bergen, as the second largest city in Norway, is famous for its openness, innovation, and involvement of residents in social life. I am deeply convinced that this project will lead to positive effects and solutions and will inspire both parties to further joint actions. In response, the Deputy Mayor of Starachowice for Social Affairs, Marcin Gołębiowski, thanked him for the invitation and the opportunity to cooperate - Norway, according to many international studies and rankings, is at the forefront of countries with the highest level of quality of life, which is why we see this cooperation as an opportunity to draw good solutions for our city to improve the quality of life.

The study visit focused on 3 thematic areas - ecology, education, and social inclusion of residents. The coordinators from the Norwegian side were Vincent Mrimba, Birthe Stenhjem, and Mary Okland from the Department of Culture of the City of Bergen.