Gulatinget er ein av dei viktigaste institusjonane frå eldre norsk historie og er utpeikt som tusenårsstaden i Sogn og Fjordane. Ingen kan sikkert seie når det fyrste Gulatinget vart halde- så langt attende i tida går ikkje vår skrivne historie. Men vi veit at det islandske Alltinget, frå tidleg på 900-talet, hadde Gulatinget som førebilete. 

Gulatinget vart skipa i Eivindvikområdet ein gong før år 900 og heldt til her til det vart flytta til Bergen rundt år 1300. Dei to steinkrossane i Eivindvik og døypefonten av stein i Gulen kyrkje, alle truleg frå omlag år 1000, skal være av dei finaste tidlege kristne minnesmerka i landet. Håkon den Gode har med -Håkon Adalsteinfostre i Gula- funne attende, vikingtunet står klart til å ta i mot tingfolket, og Gulatingparken er under utvikling i eit vakkert og særprega kultur - landskap. Grunntemaet er det same som for tusen år sidan, men funksjonen er ny.
 

The Gulating court is one of the most important institutions of Norwegian history. It can not be verified exactly when the first Gulating court was held - historic recordings do not go back that far. We do know, however, that the Icelandic Allting court from the early years of 900, was modelled after the Gulating court. 

Discoveries have not been made stating exactly where the court was situated, but probability shows that Eivindvik and Flolid are both likely to have been the centre of the court. lt is however, certain, that the Gulating court was a place of meeting for almost the entire southern coast of Norway. 

Ambassadors came fram Lyngør in the south to north of what today is known as Ålesund to take part in the proceedings at the court. The laws from Gulating also applied to the areas of Valdres and Hallingdal and also to the Faeroes in the west. 

The laws were reckoned to be amongst the most liberal laws in Europe 1000 years ago, and they became a presedence to many other laws. 

Being a democratic system of governing, the original Gulating court was quite similar to the Greek courts. Its representatives were free Norwegian farmers. 
At the Gulating court the farmers cleared up their differences and the decisions which were made were roughly speaking the farmers' own. 

This made the Gulating court a meeting place on the westcoast of Norway for at least 400 years. In addition to traditional court cases, many important political decisions were made. It was here - in meetings between the farmers and the state representatives- that the nation of Norway was established. The Gulating court was moved to Bergen in approximately the year 1300. As a consequence of this the king of Norway and the state were given more and more power over the decisions made at the court.