Kode Museums, Bergen (must see)

Along the shore of Lille Lungegårdsvann stand Bergen's four central KODE art museums. Once known simply as KODE 1–4, they now use their historic names: Permanenten, Stenersen, Rasmus Meyer, and Lysverket. Together they form part of KODE, one of Scandinavia's major museums of art, crafts, design, and music. One ticket gives access to all four central museums.

Let's start with Lysverket, formerly KODE 4. The museum has displayed works ranging from the 15th to the 20th centuries, as well as KODE's important collection of international modernism. Among the artists represented in the collection are Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Diego Rivera, Joan Miró, and Asger Jorn. However, Lysverket is currently preparing for refurbishment, so much of its former permanent collection is not on display; for now, the building is being used primarily for selected temporary exhibitions.

Next comes Rasmus Meyer, formerly KODE 3. Rasmus Meyer was a wealthy Bergen businessman and one of the earliest major collectors of Edvard Munch. His collection allows visitors to follow Munch's artistic development through works such as Jealousy, Melancholy, Woman in Three Stages, and Evening on Karl Johan Street. The museum also presents major Norwegian artists including J. C. Dahl, Harriet Backer, and Nikolai Astrup.

Stenersen, formerly KODE 2, is the place to look for something different on each visit. Rather than holding one permanent display, it specializes in changing exhibitions, presenting around six to eight each year. These can range from international contemporary art to architecture, crafts, graphic art, and works from KODE's own collections. The building is named after collector Rolf Stenersen, whose collection brought major works by artists including Picasso, Klee, Sonia Delaunay, and Asger Jorn to Bergen.

Finally, Permanenten, formerly KODE 1, is devoted particularly to crafts and design. Its collections include some of Norway's finest silverwork, historic ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and the country's largest collection of Chinese art and crafts, numbering around 4,000 objects. The building itself is worth a look: completed in 1896, it was designed by Henry Bucher in a monumental Italian Neo-Renaissance style.