POULSBO — Little Norway takes pride in its resemblance to its Norwegian motherland. Last week, those similarities were shown to be more than dirt deep.

A contingent from the Sonnfjord region of Norway including mayors from Forde, Naustdal, Jolster and Gualar arrived in Poulsbo Friday to tour the city and speak with Mayor Kathryn Quade over lunch at the Poulsbo Sons of Norway lodge.

“When I step outside I feel like I’m home,” said Forde Mayor Nils Gjerland after the lunch, which featured Norwegian staples including open-face sandwiches, lefse, pickled herring and krumkakke.

The city’s downtown is reminiscent of the days of horses and carriages and is very true to its Norwegian roots, Gjerland said.

However, times have changed in Norway as the country moves from an agriculture-based society to a modern, high-tech economy, he said.

That shift has created challenges for government leaders in the Sonnfjord region who are attempting to balance the traditions of the past with the opportunities of the future, he said.

“We are trying to deal with growth and buildings,” Gjerland said. “We have to be able to build in the infrastructure.”

Because the region in Norway is comprised of four distinct communities, all of its leaders are having to come together to deal with those issues collectively, he said. Their weeklong visit to the United States has provided new insight in dealing with the challenges.

“We can see how things are done here and take it back to our people and say this is how they do it,” Gjerland said.

Even though the visit wasn’t announced until early last week, Quade said it was an enjoyable opportunity to speak with city leaders, who are facing similar issues.

“I just wish I had had more time to talk with them,” Quade said. “It was interesting to hear how they are dealing with things.”

For Jenny Folling, mayor of Gualar, which is one of the smaller cities in the Sonnfjord region, the biggest struggle her city faces is finding ways retain its population.

“Our young people go to Oslo and don’t come back,” Folling said. “We are trying to find jobs for them.”

With its past rooted in forestry, city leaders are attempting to find ways to draw new industries into what was once an agrarian-dominated economy, she said.

One idea that has faced strong opposition is combining the four cities in the region into one large metropolis to attract more people and businesses to the area, she said.

“Each city is different, and everyone wants to maintain their own identity,” Folling said.

Since residents are opposed to the merger, working together across party lines has become more of a priority to maintain the region’s health, she said.

“We are all trying to work together,” Folling said. “We’ve had to make some hard choices.”