In connection with the Millennium celebrations, each Norwegian county presented a County Millenium Site. All nineteen sites offer, or are planning to offer, comprehensive and exciting cultural experiences to wide audiences.
The idea of establishing Millennium Sites in the counties originated with the Ministry of Cultural and Church Affairs in connection with the planning of the millennium celebrations. Three sets of criteria were defined as fundamental: the Sites combine historical and cultural legacy with the influences of other cultures to pass value on to future generations.
The aim of the County Millennim Site Project is to ensure that buildings, institutions, cultural settings and scenic landscapes of great historical, cultural and environmental value are preserved and maintained and appropriately presented.
Several of the County Millennium Sites entail major building projects, scheduled for completion in 2005. Designation as a county's Millennium Site is a hallmark. In connection with the millennium, Millennium Sites were also established in municipalities. They are principally public meeting places, centres of communal life and local democracy, like market places, parks, church greens, riverside promenades, monumental squares or culture trails.
The national, cultural and environmental significance of the County Millennium Sites, on the other hand, extends beyond the particular county. It is the county municipalities, which chose their respective Millennium Sites, that are responsible for the realisation of the projects.