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Hagenav, Jewel of the Guilder Sea
indentindentindentindentEvery nation has its own beating heart, a pulsating organ that is the centerpiece of maintaining the health of a nation; no other city expresses this idea moreso culturally, economically, and governmentally than the city of Hagenav in Frisemark. Known amongst the people of its country as the "Jewel of the Guilder Sea", Hagenav's unique blends of architecture and long history from a medieval fort, to the center of a seafaring empire the world over, to a developed, beautiful capital of modernity form a picturesque and respected landscape few other populated places could reach at their zenith. Hagenav is the seat of Frisik power and government, the most populous city in Frisemark and in the whole Guilder Sea basin. Positioned at the mouth of the Øtran River and situated across many districts and coastal islands, the city has long housed some of Westerra's top universities as well as one of the largest and most well-maintained metro systems in the World. It sits at the north of the Whaler's Bay, lording over all of Frisemark and her domain as the cultural, social and economic core of the nation. Many of Hagenav's more notable buildings are home to important governmental infrastructure, like the Parliamentary House, the meeting place of the Sættaþing. Hagenav also has more than 100 museums and botanical gardens, as well as 2,800 parks, an International Airport, and 13 stadiums for sports and entertainment. Perhaps Hagenav's most important feature, however, is its sprawling Port. The history of sailing from Hagenav traces back to times of initial settlement at the mouth of the Øtran; the advantageous position, abundant fish and favorable bay floor depth suited ancient mariners perfectly. Since then, the port has withstood countless winters and millions of vessels docking in its waters for centuries. Today, the Port of Hagenav welcomes over 30,000 vessels annually and more than 360 million tons of cargo, serving as the vital sea link to much of Frisemark's interior. Though Frisemark possesses several large and developed ports, none have the harbor capacity or throughput of Hagenav—a point the city's residents often boast about when competing against their friendly rival of Súdhagen. The city also serves as the home port of the Frisik Navy's (Nasjonale Marine) Capitol Fleet, which encompasses the 1st Surface Warfare Squadron—the formation which the Ingrid XV, Frisemark's largest aircraft carrier, leads—among others. Hagenav's riverfront houses two museum ships: the twentieth century battlecruiser Forfølger (Pursuer) and the Berghagen, one of the world's only remaining ships-of-the-line and dating from 1781.
Hagenav's famous Vanddistrikt is best-known for its canals and Art Nouveau architecture.
Hagenav's long and rich history had led to a large variety of architectural styles dotting its landscape, from Functionalism to Renaissance revival, though the city is most famous for its brickwork and historic Art Nouveau buildings. Hagenav's expansion over time and absorption of surrounding towns is visible in the architectural differences between the city's forty-seven districts. Neighborhoods across the breadth of Hagenav's extensive harbor system, for example, are noted as some of the best-preserved examples of Frisik brick in the nation, having been built primarily between the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries with locally-sourced clay to provide the important harbor with fireproof warehouses, businesses and bunkhouses—though today, many have been turned into high-density residential or mixed-use buildings.
