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| Bergen
Sightseeing |
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Bergen is located around
the historic harbour area. The centre has a fairly compact layout
and most areas of interest are easily within walking distance. Bryggen
(the wharf area) is in the middle of the quayside close to the fish
market. Despite its small scale there is plenty to keep the tourist
amused, with many of the key attractions focusing on the city’s
natural setting and the beautiful surroundings.
A funicular and a cable car, which
carry visitors to the summit of two of Bergen’s mountains
to enjoy the spectacular views. Boat trips to the
fjords are also very popular.
The local architecture, particularly the Hanseatic Wharf
of Bryggen and the Bergenseners’
brightly painted wooden homes, provides some great photo opportunities.
If, it happens to be raining, there are numerous museums covering
topics as diverse as fishing, the Norwegian Resistance in
World War II and the Bergen
Schools Museum, which opened at Lille Øvregate during
2002. There are also several art galleries, particularly along the
southern bank of the Lille Lungegårdsvann lake. Walkers around
the city should be prepared for some quite steep climbs, as Bergen
is very hilly.
Tourist Information
Bergen Turistinformasjon (Bergen
Tourist Information)
Vågsallmenningen 1
Telephone number: 5555 2000.
Fax number: 5555 2001.
E-mail: info@visitbergen.com
Website: www.visitbergen.com
Opening hours: Daily 0830-2200 hrs (June-August),
0900-2000 hrs (May and September), Monday-Saturday 0900-1600 hrs
(October-April).
During the summer, there is an additional information office by
the harbour at Skoltegrunnskaien and another all
year at Flesland Airport.
Passes
The Bergen Card allows free bus travel within the
city limits, discounted parking and free or discounted admittance
to many of Bergen’s museums and attractions, sightseeing tours
and some entertainment venues.
A 24-hour Bergen Card costs NOK170 for an adult
and NOK70 for children (3-16 years). A 48-hour card is NOK250 for
an adult and NOK100 for children. and can be purchased at the Tourist
Information Office, the railway station, the Express Boat
Terminal, the Montana Youth Hostel and many of the hotels and camping
sites.
Key Attractions
Fløibanen Funicular Railway
The Fløiban has been carrying people 320m (1,050ft) up the
Fløyfjell Mountain for over 80 years –
a one-way trip takes about 8 minutes. The views over the city and
offshore islands from the summit are wonderful. There is a restaurant,
which is open in the summer, and shops at the top, as well as mountain
walkways.
Vetrlidsalmenningen 23A
Telephone number: 5533 6800.
Website: www.floibanen.no
Transport: A few minutes’ walk
from the harbourside.
Opening hours:
Monday-Friday 0730-2400 hrs (2300 September-April), Saturday 0800-2400
hrs (2330 hrs September-April), Sunday 0900-2400 hrs (daily until
2300 hrs September-April).
Admission:
charge.
Ulriksbanen Cable Car
Every 7 minutes, the Ulriksbanen Cable Car transports passengers
642m (2,106ft) up to the summit of Mount Ulriken,
the highest of Bergen’s seven mountains. From the top, there
are panoramic views of the surrounding area and a popular 4-hour
walk leads to the summit of Mount Fløien.
Haukelandsbakken 40
Telephone number: 5520 2020.
Website: www.ulriken.no
Transport: A double-decker shuttle bus runs
every 30 minutes from the Tourist Information Office in the city
(daily 0915-2045 hrs May-September, weekends only in good weather
October-April). Otherwise, bus 2, 4 or 7 leave from the main post
office or bus 50 from Bryggen.
Opening hours:
Daily 0900-2200 hrs (in the summer), 1000-1700 hrs (in the winter).
Admission: charge.
Bryggen
(Wharfside)
In 1980, UNESCO listed Bergen’s Hanseatic Wharf
area as one of the world’s most significant examples of the
history and culture of a medieval settlement. Many of the buildings
were ravaged by fire through the centuries and they have been carefully
restored to their original state. Today, Bryggen
is a lively mix of restaurants, cafés and artists’
workshops. At the eastern end is the Torget, Bergen’s
picturesque market where fish, fruit, vegetables, flowers, handicrafts
and souvenirs can be purchased. The market is open Monday-Friday
0700-1600 hrs (Thursday until 1900 hrs) and Saturday 0700-1500 hrs.
Hanseatiske Museum
The Hanseatic Museum is housed in one of the oldest wooden buildings
in Bryggen. It was razed to the ground during 1702
but subsequently rebuilt. Furnished in 18th-century style, it provides
an insight to life at that time as lived by a wealthy Hanseatic
merchant.
Finnegårdsgate 1A
Telephone number: 5554 4690.
Website: www.hanseatisk.museum.no
Transport: A few minutes’ walk
from the Torget.
Opening hours: Daily
0900-1700 hrs (June-August), 1100-1400 hrs (September-May).
Admission: charge.
Bryggens Museum
After the destruction of several Hanseatic houses during 1955, archaeologists
excavated the area and unearthed the remains of the oldest settlement
ever discovered in Bergen, dating from the 12th century. This museum
was built around the remains and houses various artefacts. The collections
include runic inscriptions, ceramics and other items illustrating
commerce, shipping, cultural activities, handicrafts and everyday
medieval life. Temporary exhibitions are also staged at the museum.
Dreggsallmenning 3
Telephone number: 5558 8010.
Website: www.uib.no/bmu
Transport: A few minutes’ walk from
the Torget.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700
hrs (May-August), Monday-Friday 1100-1500 hrs, Saturday 1200-1500
hrs and Sunday 1200-1600 hrs (September-April).
Admission:
charge.
Akvariet I Bergen (Bergen
Aquarium)
On the tip of the peninsula, the Bergen Aquarium contains one of
the finest and most extensive collections of marine fauna located
in Europe. Seventy tanks and 3 outdoor pools are complemented by
an extension containing a realistic nesting cliff, open-plan tanks,
an exhibition with video facilities. There are also sections covering
marine industry and polar sealife, and a major new exhibition featuring
amphibians and aquatic reptiles which was opened early in 2002.
Nordnesbakken 4
Telephone number: 5555 7171.
Website: www.akvariet.com
Transport: Bus 11 (or a 20-minute walk)
from the centre, or a ferry every 15 minutes from Torget (May-September).
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900 hrs (May-September),
1000-1800 hrs (October-April).
Admission:
charge.
Mariakirken (St Mary’s
Church)
Bergen’s oldest building dating from the first half of the
12th century, and one of the country’s best examples of Romanesque
architecture. Concerts are regularly performed here during the summer
months.
Dreggen
Telephone number: 5531 5960.
Transport:
Bus 5, 6, 9, 20, 21 or 22 from the city centre.
Opening
hours: Monday-Friday 1100-1600 hrs (mid-May to mid-September),
Tuesday-Friday 1200-1330 hrs (October-April).
Admission:
charge.
Rosenkrantz
Tower/Håkon's Hall
Built during the 1560s by Erik Rosenkrantz, governor
of Bergenhus, Bergen Castle once served as a fortified residence.
It incorporates earlier structures including a 13th-century keep
and is next to the equally significant Håkon’s
Hall, named for King Håkon Håkonsson, who ruled
Norway from Bergen in the mid-1200s.
Bergenhus
Telephone number: 5531 4380/6067.
Website: www.hd.uib.no/haakon.htm
Transport: About 15 minutes’ walk
from the Torget.
Opening hours: Daily
1000-1600 hrs (Mid-May-August).
Guided tours of both buildings run hourly 1200-1500 hrs (Thursday
1500-1800 hrs ), starting in the Hall.
Admission:
charge.
Gamle Bergen Museum (Old
Bergen Museum)
Situated about 7 minutes’ bus ride from the city centre, this
open-air museum features a collection of around 40 houses depicting
life in Bergen as it was during late 18th, 19th and early 20th century.
Entrance to the museum and to the park is free.
Elsesro, Sandviken
Telephone number: 5539 4300.
Website: www.gamlebergen.museum.no
Opening hours: Daily (mid-May-early September),
guided tours hourly 1000-1700 hrs.
Admission:
Free, charge for tours.
Further
Distractions
Vestlandske
Kunstindustrimuseum (Western Museum of Decorative Arts)
This museum houses extensive exhibitions of historic and modern
arts, crafts and design. The collections span 1,000 years and are
drawn both from Norway and from overseas. The museum also features
one of Europe’s biggest collections of Buddhist temple
sculpture and a regular programme of temporary exhibitions.
Nordahl Brunsgate 9
Telephone number: 5532 5108.
Website: www.vk.museum.no
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 1100-1600
hrs (May-September), daily 1200-1600 hrs (September-May).
Admission: charge.
Damsgård
Hovedgård (Damsgård Manor)
A lovely 1770s manor house in Laksevåg, 3km (2 miles) west
of Bergen city centre which is considered Europe’s best-preserved
wooden building from the period. The gardens of 200 years ago have
been recreated.
Alleen 29
Telephone number: 5594 0870.
Website: www.vk.museum.no
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 1100-1700
hrs, with guided tours every hour from 1100-160 hrs (May-August).
Admission: charge. |
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