Bergen

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Hanseatic Bergen

A July 1998 trip to Bergen by rhiannon1968

unicorn restaurantMore Photos

Bergen, the town of the seven mountains – also known as the capital of the fjordsm since most people use it as their base to explore them

  • 6 reviews
  • 4 photos

Hanseatic BergenBest of IgoUgo

Overview

Bergen is like you see it in postcards: long rows of colourful wooden houses, cobbled streets and Hanseatic buildings and warehouses. But it’s also more: it’s Edvard Grieg’s lakeside home, it’s the charming Nordas Lake, it’s his countless museums, its snowcapped surrounding mountains, its fish-markets.

Quick Tips:

Bergen is infamous for its many days of rain - bring an umbrella, you'll surely need it

Best Way To Get Around:

Definitely on foot, it's small and compact. To explore the fjords thare are several options: by boat or by a combination of transportation (train, bus, boat - like in the famous Norway in a Nutshell)

EnhjorningenBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

unicorn restaurant
This delicious fish restaurant is located in wharf house no.1, in a traditional hanseatic house in the centre of Bergen. It’s the only fish restaurant located in a historic house. The buildiing dates back to before 1304. You’ll recognise the Enhjorningen restaurant (Unicorn in English) by the sign. Among its dishes, there crab and shrimp dishes are particularly delicious, and the salmon is to die for.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by rhiannon1968 on February 19, 2002

Enhjorningen
Bryggen Bergen, Norway
(55) 327-919

Irsk PubBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

It’s a lively Irish pub in the heart of Bryggen, in an old house with a white facade. The clientele is mixed: young and not so young, local people and tourists, and sometimes there are bands playing too. And then there is beer, obviously: carlsberg, guinness, kilkenny (those I remember at least) and woodpecker cider on tap. It’s a friendly place to start your night out in town: Norwegian people are very friendly, and will point you or take you to other places to go on partying, if you just ask them.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by rhiannon1968 on February 19, 2002

Irsk Pub
Svendsgaarden at Bryggen Bergen, Norway

Bergen Fish MarketBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

fish...
This quaint fish market is a favourite for taking photographs as well as for what it sells. It is open daily from 7 am until mid-afternoon. It sells mainly fresh fish and delicious fish sandwiches too – but there are also a few occasional stalls selling flowers, fruits, vegetables, handicrafts and souvenirs.

Especially delicious and affordable are oysters and cooked crabs (they sell them with a plastic spoon if you want to eat them right on the spot). They also sell wonderful shrimp and salmon sandwiches. And don’t forget to take a photo of the very dark fish meat: it’s whale meat. A word of warning: if you want to buy caviar it’s cheaper in shops.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by rhiannon1968 on February 19, 2002

Bergen Fish Market
Torget Bergen, Norway

BryggenBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Bryggen area"

bryggen
It’s the 900 year old area along the waterfront, where the timber houses that you see on postcards are located. Brygge, in fact, means wharf or quay. This area was built in the Middle Ages by the Hanseatic League, a corporation of sea-merchants coming from Germany. The UNESCO placed it on its World Heritage List in 1980. The best way to visit Bryggen is on foot, starting from the seafront. There are plenty of restaurants, shops and museums to see. When you have walked it up and down once you should also walk the back-streets to explore some hidden treasures. Another tip is to go back at different times of the day- as the light changes, their colours of the houses change too- they really are spectacular.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by rhiannon1968 on February 19, 2002

Bryggen
Bergen, Norway

TroldhaugenBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Troldhaugen - The Home of Edvard Grieg"

For music lovers, this is a must-see place, a sort of pilgrimage: Troldhaugen is in fact the home of the famous Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. It’s located in the town of Paradis, 8 kilometres south of Bergen. You can reach this museum by bus: from the Bus Station take any bus leaving from platforms 19, 20 or 21 and get off at Hopsbroen.

The house is now a sort of living museum: you can visit Greig’s cabin, house and his grave, and occasionally even attend concerts, since a simple concert hall seating 200 people was built nearby. In 1995, a museum was also opened, with a permanent exhibition and a media-room.

  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by rhiannon1968 on February 19, 2002

Troldhaugen
Troldhaugveien 65 Bergen, Norway

About the Writer

rhiannon1968
rhiannon1968
locarno, Switzerland

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