What to See in Bergen - Top Sights and Attractions

Historic castle with a park and swimming. Gamlehaugen is a Royal Castle in Bergen, Norway, and the residence of the Norwegian Royal Family in the city. Gamlehaugen has a history that goes as far back as the Middle Ages, and the list of previous owners includes many of the wealthiest men in Bergen. Today owned by the Norwegian state, the most recent private owner was Christian Michelsen, a politician and shipping magnate who later became the first Prime Minister of Norway after the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway. Michelsen commissioned the construction of the current main building at Gamlehaugen, where he would live for most of the rest of his life.

When Michelsen died in 1925, his closest friends and colleagues started a national fund-raising campaign that brought in enough money to allow the Norwegian state to purchase the property. The large English park was opened to the public the same year, and the ground floor of the house was opened as a museum two years later. Gamlehaugen has been the Norwegian Royal Family's residence in Bergen since 1927.^[3]

Historic church built in the 1100s. St Mary's Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Bergen Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the Bryggen area in the central part of the city of Bergen. It is one of the churches for the Bergen Cathedral parish which is part of the Bergen domprosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The large, gray stone church was built in a long church design using plans drawn up by an unknown architect. The church seats about 240 people. The construction of the church is believed to have started in the 1130s or 1140s and completed around 1180, making this church the oldest remaining building in the whole city of Bergen. There have been a few fires that burned the church, as well as several renovations and reconstructions, most recently in 2013.^[8]

Museum in Bergen, Norway. The West Norway Museum of Decorative Art was established in 1887 at the initiative of Johan Bøgh. In 1896 the museum moved into a permanent exhibition building, a Renaissance Revival structure designed by Henry Bucher. The building caught fire during the 1916 Bergen fire but was saved.

The collections include older local works in silver, furniture, glass, porcelain, and textiles. Upon its opening, the museum received substantial donations from the merchant Christian Sundt.

During the first years, the Bergen Art Gallery occupied the top floor. The collection was then moved from there to the former power plant building after it became available. The Fisheries Museum also occupied the ground floor.

After merging with Bergen Art Museum, the museum has been a venue for more temporary exhibitions. Its emphasis remains on crafts from the past 500 years, and also its Chinese Collection, a unique assembly of Chinese art. This is mostly a bequest from Johan Wilhelm Normann Munthe, who lived in China from age 22 until his death in 1935.

The museum was also responsible for the Alvøen site and Damsgård Manor, but this has now been taken over by the new Bergen City Museum.^[13]

Suspension bridge in Norway. The Askøy Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the Byfjorden between the municipalities of Bergen and Askøy in Vestland county, Norway. It is 1,057 meters long and has a main span of 850 meters. Its span was the longest for any suspension bridge in Norway, until the Hardanger Bridge was opened in August 2013. It carries two lanes of County Road 562 and a combined pedestrian and bicycle path. The bridge's two concrete pylons are 152 meters tall and are located at Brøstadneset in Bergen municipality and Storeklubben in Askøy municipality. The bridge has seven spans in total, although all but the main span are concrete viaducts. The bridge has a clearance below of 62 meters.

The first plans to replace the Kleppestø–Nøstet Ferry with a bridge, which would allow the island of Askøy to have a fixed link, was launched in the 1960s. Various proposals were made, including placing the bridge further east and closer to Bergen, and building a submerged floating tunnel. In the early 1970s, a toll company was established to finance the bridge, but the planned costs were too high to cover with just tolls and there was the lack of a motorway to Bergen from the west. Because of this, the construction of the bridge was postponed. In the early 1980s, there was controversy about whether advanced tolls should be charged on the ferry, but these were ultimately charged from 1984 until the bridge opened. Construction started in 1989 and the bridge opened ahead of schedule on 12 December 1992, along with a new section of the road which included the Stongafjell Tunnel and Olsvik Tunnel. The bridge remained a toll road until 2006.^[19]

Museum in Bergen, Norway. Bryggens Museum is a museum located in Bergen, Norway.

During 1955, parts of the historic district of Bryggen were ravaged by a fire. During subsequent archaeological excavations a number of objects were uncovered, providing an insight into commerce, shipping, handicrafts and everyday life during the Medieval Period. Many of these artifacts now form the basis of the modern museum and are permanently exhibited. Additionally, the museum also has changing exhibits.

Bryggens Museum was established during 1976. The architect behind the design work was Øivind Maurseth, who also designed the nearby Radisson SAS Hotel. Archeologist Asbjørn Herteig was the first curator at the Bryggen Museum. Bryggens Museum has been part of Bergen City Museum since 2005.^[20]

Carte Blanche is the Norwegian national company of contemporary dance, based in Bergen in western Norway. Since August 2018 the artistic and general director of the company has been Annabelle Bonnéry from France. Choreographers who have recently worked with Carte Blanche include Ina Christel Johannessen, Alan Lucien Øyen, Sharon Eyal, and Rui Horta.

The company produces a minimum of three new choreographic works a year and performs an average of four to six productions every year. While the home base of the company is in Bergen, the company spends much time touring elsewhere in Norway, but also abroad. Some recent international performances include:

• "Klokka 3 om ettermiddagen" by Ina Christel Johannessen at the "Ice hot – Nordic dance platform" festival in Stockholm, Sweden,
• "Corps de Walk" by Sharon Eyal in Turku, Finland, as a part of city's activities as a European Capital of Culture in 2011
• "Ambra" by Ina Christel Johannessen, a co-production between Carte Blanche and Iceland Dance Company staged at the Reykjavík Arts Festival and the Bergen International Festival. Johannessen received the 2008 Norwegian Critics Price for her choreography of Ambra.
• "Killer Pig" and "Love" by Sharon Eyal at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Becket, MA, USA

The company has an international crew of about 15 dancers. During the audition in January 2011, 170 candidates representing 28 nationalities were competing for two vacancies.

The history of Carte Blanche in Bergen starts in 1989, first as a regional dance theatre. After a turbulent start including a bankruptcy, the company has gained a solid position, and is currently the national contemporary dance theatre of Norway. Carte Blanche is owned and funded by the Norwegian state, the County of Hordaland and the City of Bergen.^[22]

Church in Bergen, Norway. Nykirken is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Bergen Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the Nordnes area of the city of Bergen. It is one of the churches for the Bergen Cathedral parish which is part of the Bergen domprosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

The large, white, stone, cruciform church is located at the "Nykirkeallmenningen" square between the Strandgaten road and Vågen bay. Although it is generally known as the Nykirken, it was consecrated in 1622 by Bishop Nils Paaske as "Holy Trinity Church". When the church was originally built in 1622, there were several other churches in Bergen that were already several hundred years old, so this church was nicknamed "the new church", a name which has stuck for centuries. It is also (probably) an appropriate nickname, since the churches on this site have burned down several times and then been rebuilt, so it literally is usually the "newest" church in the central city. The current building dates back to 1764 when it was completely rebuilt and redesigned after a major fire. It has been significantly rebuilt several times since then, too, following various fires.

The church was a parish church for the Nykirken parish in central Bergen from 1622 until 2002. In 2002, several urban parishes in central Bergen were merged to form Bergen Cathedral parish. The Nykirken is still in regular use, but it has been given a special emphasis as a "children's church", putting a special emphasis on children and their families. Since 2002, the parish has started calling the church the "Children's Cathedral".^[26]

Mountain in Norway. Løvstakken is one of the Seven Mountains that surround the center of the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. The 477-metre tall mountain is located between the Fyllingsdalen and Bergensdalen valleys on the Bergen Peninsula. Løvstakken and the forests nearby are popular hiking areas among the locals since it is essentially located in the central area of Norway's second largest city. Gullsteinen, a large hill located south of the summit of Løvstakken, is also part of the mountain massif and borders the protected forest area of Langeskogen.

The neighbourhood of Løvstakksiden in Årstad borough, north of the summit, is named after the mountain. The neighborhood was historically a borough of Bergen, but it has more recently dissolved and its areas were merged with Årstad and Fyllingsdalen boroughs.^[27]

Stadium in Bergen, Norway. Brann Stadion is a football stadium in Bergen, Norway. It was constructed in 1919, and has been the home of the football club Brann ever since. The stadium lies 3 km south of the city centre, at the foot of Mount Ulriken.

The record attendance dates from 1 October 1961, when Brann hosted Fredrikstad in the cup semi-final, in front of 24,800 spectators. Though its league attendance record is 23,900, from 1978, when they hosted Lillestrøm. Brann Stadion has, per. 2009, a capacity of 17,317. A redevelopment project was underway, aimed at increasing the capacity to over 20,000, but it has been put on hold. Brann Stadion has the third largest attendance capacity in Norway.

Brann Stadion was owned jointly by Brann (49%) and Stor-Bergen Boligbyggelag (51%). However, in an act of local-patriotism the Stor-Bergen Boligbyggelag sold its shares to Brann for the same sum they bought the shares for, despite the added value of the stadium as a result of the still ongoing reconstruction (December 2006).^[29]

Picturesque summit with sea views. Lyderhorn is a mountain in the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It is one of "De syv fjell", the seven mountains surrounding the city centre, and the starting location of Bergen Turlag's annual trip of the mountains. It is located by Liavatnet approximately 5 kilometres west of the city center. Due to its prominent visibility from the seas, it has historically been a navigational mark for sailors. The 329-metre tall Ørnafjellet is an adjacent peak, and below Ørnafjellet are the two lakes Skåleviksvatnet and Søre Skåleviksvatnet. North of Ørnafjellet is Kvarven fort, a strategic point during World War II, still featuring several bunkers and cannon positions used in the defense of Bergen. Lyderhorn, Ørnafjellet and Kvarven are popular hiking areas.

Folklore has it that Lyderhorn was a gathering location for witches on Midsummer night, Valborg night (the night of May 1), and at Yule.^[33]

Suspension bridge in Norway. The Osterøy Bridge is a suspension bridge in Vestland county, Norway. The bridge connects the Kvisti farm area on the island of Osterøy in Osterøy Municipality with the Herland farm area on the mainland in Bergen Municipality east of the city of Bergen. The bridge is the third largest suspension bridge in Norway. It is part of Norwegian County Road 566.

The Osterøy Bridge is a 1,065-metre (3,494 ft) long suspension bridge that has a main span of 595 metres (1,952 ft). There are 8 spans, and none of the piers are in the water, just on land. There is 53 metres (174 ft) of clearance below the bridge. The two suspension towers are each 121.5 metres (399 ft) high. The bridge was completed on 3 October 1997 and cost about 308 million kr. The bridge was designed by the structural engineering firm Aas-Jakobsen.

It was put into service 28 years after the first plans for a connection between Osterøy and Bergen were prepared. It was opened for traffic by Sissel Rønbeck, the Norwegian Minister of Transport and Communications. The bridge was built to withstand quite strong winds. Experts have indicated that the bridge should be capable of surviving an extreme storm. The bridge is tuned so that its greatest oscillation occurs when the wind is about 10 metres per second (22 mph) such as a light breeze.^[35]