Bergen by foot

Bryggens Museum's new main exhibit opened in 2019. The new exhibit uses thousands of artifacts and modern historical and archaeological research to let you come closer to the everyday lives of the medieval people of Bergen and Western Norway. Runic inscriptions with gossip, poems and spells tells us about faith and love, while ceramics from Europe and the Middle-East shows an extensive and international trade network. The new exhibit also displays the unique Guddal-garment - a nearly thousand year old find, which is one of extremely few relatively intact pieces of Norwegian medieval clothing.

Bryggen in Bergen has been a busy part of the city since the Middle Ages. Both the oldest wooden buildings and the thick cultural layers located below ground appear on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In 1955 parts of Bryggen burnt down, and the 13 year archaeological excavation which subsequently took place uncovered hundreds of thousands of objects which give an insight into everyday life in the city in the Middle Ages. After the fire there was a heated discussion over the future of Bryggen, and many of the city’s inhabitants wanted to demolish the remaining wooden buildings.

Fortunately public opinion changed, helped by the new and till then unknown stories of the city that was being unearthed. As a result - and with chief curator Asbjørn Herteig as the driving force – Bryggens Museum was established in 1976.

The museum houses archaeological material from Bergen and Vestlandet in the Middle Ages, where the rich finds from the Bryggen excavations and later archaeological research in the city take centre stage. Bryggens Museum is built over the remains of Bergen’s oldest buildings from the first half of the 1100s. These architectural remains are still an important part of the museum’s permanent exhibition, and give visitors the experience of life in Bergen in the Middle Ages.

Check [here](https://en.visitbergen.com/things-to-do/bryggens-museum-bergen-city-museum-p819623) for opening hours.

Bryggens museum

Håkon’s Hall was built between 1247 and 1261 by Håkon Håkonsson. It was the largest and most imposing building of the royal residency in the 13th-century when Bergen was the political centre of Norway.

The Kings Hall is 750 years old and was built by King Håkon Håkonsson as a royal residence and banqueting hall. When his son Magnus Håkonsson Lagabøte married the Danish princess Ingeborg in 1261, 2000 guests were invited. At that time Bergen was Norway’s largest and most important town, and Håkon’s Hall was the site of major national events, such as the drawing up of Norway’s first complete set of laws.

As a national cultural monument, Håkon’s Hall is still used both for royal dinners and other official occasions. The history of Bergenhus Fortress is long and eventful. In late summer we invite you to Festningsdagene, where you can play and learn much about Bergenhus Fortress since medieval times.

Check [here](https://en.visitbergen.com/things-to-do/haakons-hall-bergen-city-museum-p908663) for opening hours.

Haakon’s Hall

The very first buildings in Bergen were situated at Bryggen, which has been a vibrant and important area of the city for many centuries.

Bryggen has been ravaged by many fires, the great fire of 1702 in particular. It reduced the whole of the city to ashes. The area was rebuilt on the foundations that had been there since the 12th century, which means that Bryggen is basically unchanged despite the passing centuries.

Bryggen is now part of our common heritage and has a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and the city of Bergen is a designated World Heritage City. The world heritage site consists of the old Hanseatic wharf and buildings, and one of the best known urban areas from the Middle Ages in all of Norway.

In 1360, the German Hanseatic League set up one of its import and export offices at Bryggen, dominating trade for almost 400 years. To stroll through the narrow alleyways and overhanging galleries is to step back into the mists of time and a bygone era.

Bryggen is very much a living part of the cultural heritage that is still in active use in this historical area of the city. Today, there are several attractions in the area, from the Fish Market to Bergenhus Fortress and there are many cafés, restaurants and shops to choose from. Many of the shops sell traditional and unique crafts.

Hidden behind the iconic Bryggen front lies a hidden world of passages, small shops, galleries and artist studios, ready for you to explore! What you don’t see from the street, is that jewelers, artists, and textile designers dot the narrow passages between the rows of historic houses. [Read more about the designers and artists here](https://en.visitbergen.com/ideas-and-inspiration/explore-bergen/bryggen-behind-the-scenes).

[The Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene](https://en.visitbergen.com/things-to-do/the-hanseatic-museum-and-schotstuene-museum-vest-p824913) tells the story of how the Hanseatic merchants lived and traded in Bergen for 400 years. Visit the museum to find out about this important period in the city’s history and the stories of some of the people who lived here. [Bryggens Museum](https://en.visitbergen.com/things-to-do/bryggens-museum-bergen-city-museum-p819623) displays findings of the archaeological excavations of Bryggen from 1955 and contains the foundations of the oldest buildings in Bergen.

Bryggen wharf

At the Bergen Tourist Information you can gather﻿ information and book ac﻿tivities, fjord tours, sightseeing, attraction tickets, or buy the [Bergen Card](https://en.visitbergen.com/bergen-card) for Bergen and the region. Currency exchange is also available.

Opening hours:

Monday-Friday - 08.30-20.00

Saturday-Sunday - 09.00-16.00

Bergen Tourist Information Centre

The tower was built in the 1560s by the governor of Bergen Castle (Bergenhus), Erik Rosenkrantz, and served as a combined residence and fortified tower.

The Rosenkrantz Tower is considered one of the most important renaissance monuments in Norway. Parts of the tower are from the 1270s, but it has been extended on several occasions for the purpose of fortification and as a demonstration of power.

If you climb up the narrow and dark flights of stairs you can climb right up onto the roof, which provides impressive views. The tower was the residence of King Eirik Magnusson, who was the last king to hold court in Bergen, until he died in 1299. Later the tower housed less fortunate residents – the cellar contains the notorious dungeon, which was probably in use well into the 19th century.

Check [here](https://en.visitbergen.com/things-to-do/_ga=2.136435568.1591658899.1636963078-1490826359.1634196206) for opening hours.

Rosenkrantz Tower

The Fish Market has a charming location in the heart of the city between the fjords and Bergen's 7 mountains. You can find fresh fish and seafood, local farm food like fruit, berries and vegetables as well as flowers and plants at the Fish Market. There are also several restaurants serving a large selection of seafood. The indoor Fish Market is open all year and the outdoor Fish Market is open from the 1st of May and during the summer.

The Fish Market in Bergen has existed since the 1200s and has since then been one of the most important places for trade between fishermen, farmers and the inhabitants of the city. In addition to the merchants on land there were also historically sales from boats along the quay. Fishermen who lived outside the city used to row in to the Fish Market to sell their catch of the day before rowing back home the same day.

The first Fish Market in Bergen was located next to Bryggen in Bergen in the Nikolaikirkeallmenning. When the Hanseatic league came to Bergen in the 1300s, the area was filled with German merchants and the city grew fast. Until the 1500s, the local merchants continued to trade in the Bryggen area, but in 1541 a demand was put forward to move the Fish Market to prevent the Hanseatics from gaining too much power over the city's most important trading place for the citizens of Bergen. In 1556, the Fish Market was moved to the inner part of Vågen and established itself as the central trading venue in Bergen. The Fish Market became increasingly important and grew with the surrounding area. A large amount of buildings was built in the area through the 1700s and 1800s.

In 2012 the indoor Fish Market - Mathallen opened. Here the merchants have permanent shops and restaurants indoors and theseare open all year.

Bergen by foot

Bergen Tourist Information Centre

Fish market

Bryggen wharf

Bryggens museum

Rosenkrantz Tower

Haakon’s Hall