Custom Walk in Bergen, Norway by sgcoutures64_caf72 created on 2025-02-03

Guide Location: Norway » Bergen
Guide Type: Custom Walk
# of Sights: 6
Tour Duration: 4 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 9 Km or 5.6 Miles
Share Key: QYETP

How It Works


Please retrieve this walk in the GPSmyCity app. Once done, the app will guide you from one tour stop to the next as if you had a personal tour guide. If you created the walk on this website or come to the page via a link, please follow the instructions below to retrieve the walk in the app.

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Step 1. Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" on Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Step 2. In the GPSmyCity app, download(or launch) the guide "Bergen Map and Walking Tours".

Step 3. Tap the menu button located at upper right corner of the "Walks" screen and select "Retrieve custom walk". Enter the share key: QYETP

1
Byparken (City Park)

1) Byparken (City Park) (must see)

Byparken ("The City Park"), located in the very center of Bergen, is the city's first park. New municipal anti-fire regulations were put into effect in 1855. Following one more devastating fire, the city could not simply rebuild. A wide open space was needed to be a vast "fire break" in the middle of the city. Byparken was the answer.

The park is split in two. One side of the park has a light rail stop and the Music Pavilion, donated to the city. On the other side is the ever popular Festplassen ("party place"), an open-air venue for celebrations and events. Norwegian Constitution Day, on May 17, is observed here and The Festival of Light at Christmas.

Two large ponds are maintained in the park. They were once one pond but the middle part was filled in. The ponds remain connected however by an underground tunnel. Lungegardsvannet "Large lung" is the name for the larger pond. The smaller pond is Smalungeren "Small Lung." No surprise there.
2
Bryggen (The Wharf)

2) Bryggen (The Wharf) (must see)

The Bryggen area originally covered all buildings between the sea and the Ovregaten road. The earliest pier is dated to about 1100 AD. The city of Bergen itself dates from before 1070. The existing buildings of Bryggen date no earlier than 1702. This is not surprising in a city so well acquainted with disastrous fires.

The Hanseatic League established itself in Bergen in 1350. They traded mostly cereal grains for stockfish. The town grew into an important center for international trade, and the buildings of Bryggen near the waterfront were, piece by piece, brought under the control of the Hanseatic merchants. The stockfish and the grains had found a home.

From 1702 until 1754 the Hanseatic league buildings were on fire, rebuilt, on fire, demolished, and on fire again. Finally the Hanseatic businesses in Bergen ended and the property at Bryggen was transferred to Norwegian citizens.

Bryggen suffered a fire again in 1955. In an archeological dig that followed, 670 ancient runic inscriptions were discovered carved mostly on pine chips or sticks. For a long time runes were thought to be used only for grave pronouncements or prayers.

These runes however, were concerned with more mundane day-to-day business. Such as: "Ast min, kyss mik." "My darling, kiss me." It is not known if the wish was granted. The inscriptions are at present held in Bryggens Museum in Bergen.

Hiding behind the classic Bryggen facades is a little world of alleyways, shops, galleries and studios. Local artists and designers have taken over the storage spaces for stockfish and grain. The rooms hold art, designs, jewelry, books and, wait for it, a cafe. Artists and designers are hiding in the narrow passeges among the houses.

The local artists want people to think of Bryggen not as some kind of museum where nothing happens, but a living thriving space for art.

Buildings at Bryggen that should be mentioned are Bellgarden (300 years old), Svensgarden, Ehnjorningsgarden, Bredsgarden, Bugarden, and Engelgarden. The tallest and oldest structure is Saint Mary's Church. Museums are Bryggen's Museum and Hanseatic Museum and Hanseatic Assembly Rooms.

Why You Should Visit:
To get a feeling of the Hanseatic influence on the city.
3
Bergenhus Fortress and Rosenkrantz Tower

3) Bergenhus Fortress and Rosenkrantz Tower (must see)

The tower and the Fortress must be thought of as one establishment. The Fortress has been a royal seat and residence, episcopal see and a military power base. The grounds within the walls of the island fortress are Holmen, Koengen and Sverresborg. The Fortress was built in the early 1500s. It was considered complete in 1700.

The Fortress was under siege only once during the second Dutch-English War. In August, 1665, a squadron of Dutch vessels took shelter in neutral Bergen Harbor. The neutrality was not respected. The English warships fired on the Dutch ships and the Fortress. Fire was returned. The battle was a short one. It came to be known as The Battle of Vagen.

The English were attacking vessels of the Dutch East India Company. The attack failed. No ships were sunk. In the Second World War Bergenhus was once again in service. This time however it was a German occupying force that used the fort as their western headquarters.

Begenhus has been a military facility without interruption since 1628. Presently 220 military and civilian personnel are stationed at the fort.

The Rosenkrantz Tower is the dominant building of the fort complex. It was named for governor Erik Rosenkrantz. The tower got its present form during Rosenkrantz's reign, 1559-1568. There is a yet older part of the tower. It is a medieval tower called the "keep by the Sea." It was built by King Magnus the Lawmaker in 1270.

Rosenkrantz's building held dungeons on the first floor and cannons on the roof. With residential rooms in between it must have been insufferably loud in a battle. Not a good place for meditation.

The other medieval structure to remain is Haakon's Hall, built about 1270. It was incorporated in Rosenkrantz's Tower. Several Churches, including Bergen's Christ Church were included in the premises. The churches were demolished by 1531 and the isle of Holmen became strictly military.
4
Lille Øvregaten Street

4) Lille Øvregaten Street

Lille Øvregaten Street (Little Upper Street) is a historic site nestled in the Vågsbunnen district of Bergen and is adjacent to the Fjellet district. This street is recognized as one of Bergen's oldest, historically forming the southern part of Øvregaten.

Today, Lille Øvregaten is renowned for its collection of well-preserved wooden houses, which were reconstructed following the devastating city fire of 1702. One of the most notable buildings on this street is Lille Øvregaten 7. Originally constructed for the master shoemaker Claus Høegh, who gained his title in 1684 and passed away in 1710, this building is distinguished by its first-floor construction and a distinctive salt roof with a street-facing gable. Initially described in 1766 as a single-story wooden structure, the building was expanded in 1866 with an additional floor and later converted into two apartments. Historically, it has primarily been occupied by craftsmen and merchants.

In 1984, the Ministry of the Environment declared the building a protected site, citing it as a typical residential building of 18th-century Bergen. From 1985 to 1987, the house underwent a careful reconstruction and renovation based on designs by architect Elin Thorsne.

Further enriching the historical landscape of Lille Øvregaten is the old Latin school at Lille Øvregaten 38, just north of the Cathedral. Today, this building houses the Bergen School Museum and was constructed in 1706 based on designs by builder Hans Martin Heintz. It was declared a cultural monument in 1927, adding to the street's historical significance and charm.

Lille Øvregaten, with its rich history and preserved architectural beauty, remains a testament to Bergen's past, making it a fascinating destination for both residents and visitors.
5
Bergen Cathedral

5) Bergen Cathedral

Since 12th century, Bergen Cathedral has been through the fire. Through the fire several times in fact, more than most, in a city famous for devastating fires. And to top it all off it has been hit by a cannon ball, which sticks in the wall to this day. Fires and wars, but there is peace and beauty inside.

Bergen Cathedral is episcopal seat of home parish of the Church of Norway. Word of the church appears for the first time in 1181. To this day it remains dedicated to Saint Olaf.

In 1181, Jon Kutiza, a peasant rebel and his men chased a number of King Sverre's men into the cathedral (then known as Olavskirken). Under the reign of King Haakon IV, Franciscans built a friary connecting to the church. The church had a long design in a Romanesque style. It burned down in 1248.

A new stone church was erected and that caught fire in 1270. The church wasn't fully reconstructed until 1537, when it was designated the new cathedral of the Protestant persuasion. In 1702 there was another fire and another reconstruction. By the 1880s the Cathedral's interior was restored to its original Rococo appearance.

In the second English-Dutch war, in the sea battle of Vagen in 1665, the cathedral sustained a hit from a cannon shot gone wild. The ball sits today, ensconced in the front wall.

The cathedral today is used mainly for musical events.
6
Fantoft Stavkirke (Fantoft Stave Church)

6) Fantoft Stavkirke (Fantoft Stave Church) (must see)

Fantoft Stave Church, located in the Fana borough of Bergen, stands as a reconstructed monument of Norway's medieval architectural heritage. Originally erected around 1150 in Fortun, a village near the eastern end of Sognefjord, the church was an emblematic stave church of the era. In 1879, it was replaced by the new Fortun Church, leading to its potential demolition along with many other stave churches across Norway during that period.

The church's salvation came from Consul Fredrik Georg Gade, who purchased and relocated it to Fana near Bergen in 1883, thereby preserving this significant piece of Norwegian cultural history. A notable feature on the church grounds is a stone cross from Tjora in Sola, further accentuating its historical and cultural importance.

However, the church's history took a dark turn on June 6, 1992, when it was destroyed by arson. This act of vandalism marked the beginning of a series of church burnings attributed to the early Norwegian black metal scene. Initially, it was speculated that the fire could have been due to lightning or electrical failure. However, by 1994, Varg Vikernes, a prominent figure in the black metal community, was found guilty of several other church burnings, though he was not convicted for the Fantoft Stave Church fire due to a controversial jury decision.

Promptly after the arson, efforts were made to reconstruct the church, culminating in a painstaking six-year restoration process. Since its reopening in 1997, the church has been encircled by a security fence to protect this historical site from further harm. Today, Fantoft Stave Church not only serves as a place of cultural and historical significance but also as a symbol of resilience in the face of cultural vandalism.
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