Discover the colourful settlement of the ancient Norwegian city of
Bergen, framed by an enchanting mountainous landscape.
Nestled between mountains and spectacular
fjords, Bergen was settled by the Vikings
hundreds of years before its of ficial founding
in 1070 AD. The capital of Nor way until 1300,
it flourished as a city of commerce and trade.
For four centuries, merchants of the Hanseatic
League traded fish on Br yggen whar f. Today,
the timber buildings that remain from the
18th centur y are a designated UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Protected from the Nor th Sea's winds by a
collection of islands, Bergen's climate is never
over whelmingly cold, and the views from
nearby Mt. Fløien are not to be missed.
MUST-SEES
With 62 original timber-clad houses painted
in ocher, oxblood, mushroom and white,
Br yggen whar f is one of Bergen's major
attractions, and the Schøtstuene Museum
provides a fascinating glimpse of medieval
life in the days of the Hanseatic League. The
museum is located in a building owned by a
local merchant during the late 19th centur y
and features a recreation of a trading room,
along with the merchant's of fice and sleeping
quar ters for sailors and guests.
Opposite Br yggen whar f is Bergen For tress,
once the royal residence and one of Nor way's
oldest and best-preser ved castles. Many
of its buildings date back to the 1240s;
one excavation revealed structures from
1100—remnants of the Viking Age. The
spectacular 13th-centur y Håkons Hall is the
largest sur viving medieval secular building
in Nor way. It was once the palace of King
BERGEN CITY GUIDE
22 | Scandinavia & Northern Europe Destination Guide
