Oslo and Bergen: Part 9 - Day 4 Morning: Bergen Wharf and Bergenhus Fortress

Day 4 Morning

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 4 Morning

5/8 Day 4: Bergen Wharf -- Bergen Fortress

The Story

050818: From our hostel (Citybox), we walked to Bergen Wharf. We got to see the town of Bergen, well some of it, if not all. It was an easy route that would have taken us 20 minutes but because we stopped to snap so many photos, it took us about an hour. Haha! The town is charming and Bergen Wharf was just bursting with tourists! The architecture at the Wharf reminded me of Gamla Stan. 

This is the Fish Market which is very famous and we explored it in more detail to have our lunch.

I was very surprised to see a Chinese Restaurant here but then again, there are a lot of Chinese tourists here. 

Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century. Many fires, the last in 1955, have ravaged the characteristic wooden houses of Bryggen. Its rebuilding has traditionally followed old patterns and methods, thus leaving its main structure preserved, which is a relic of an ancient wooden urban structure once common in Northern Europe. Today, some 62 buildings remain of this former townscape. Source from UNESCO.

Ever since the intrepid King Olav Kyrre sailed into the harbour and founded the city in 1070, Bergen has attracted people from all quarters of the world. Some came and went, others decided to make Bergen their home. Bergensers travelled abroad and learned and so Bergen became a melting-pot of cultures and Norway's most international city. Bergen grew up around its colourful harbour - it was the hub of commerce, seafaring and crafts-manship. We became the north's largest city, Norway's first capital city and the seat of royalty. So important was Bergen by the 13th century that the Hansas - the German medieval guild of merchants - opened one of their four European offices on the wharf called Bryggen. Source from Visit Bergen.

I took this photo because I noticed how accurate they carved the balls and the penis of the unicorn!

At the end of the Old Town of Bergen is Bergenhus Fortress. Bergenhus Fortress is really small compared to Akershus Fortress. We did not go inside the Tower though. We were more keen to explore the Wharf and the Fish Market!  

Haakon's Hall is a medieval stone hall located inside the fortress. The hall was constructed in the middle of the 13th century, during the reign of King Håkon Håkonsson (1217–1263). In medieval times, it was the largest building of the royal palace in Bergen. It was built as a replacement for older wooden structures on the site. It is the largest secular medieval building in Norway and the likely inspiration to similar great halls that were built on the royal estates in Oslo and Avaldsnes. Source from Wikipedia.

Now, to walk back to the Wharf and feast on some fish!