After a nicely varied breakfast buffet (which included cooking one's own bacon & eggs) at our Hotel Havnekontoret, we walked a couple tenths of a mile west down the harborside road to Bergenhus Fortress. Inside the defensive walls of the fortress are Håkon’s Hall and the Rosenkrantz Tower. For a city that receives 80" of rain and normally has only 60 days of sunshine each year, our weather in Bergen is beautiful and in the 60s.
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| Havnekontoret Hotel |
King Håkon’s Hall, constructed between 1247 and 1261, was the political center of his 13th C. Norwegian kingdom. In 1944, a German ammunition ship exploded in the harbor just below the fortress, severely damaging Håkon’s Hall. The original stonework remained, but the woodwork and contents were exactingly recreated after WWII based on archeological diggings and research.
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| Håkon’s Hall |
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| Our tour guide at Håkon’s Hall |
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| Primstaven tapestry |
The tapestry that runs along the east wall is a "Primstaven" (from Latin, meaning "calendar stick") which has a mark for each day of the year with symbols that remind people of the significance of the day. Our guide did a very nice job explaining the history and significance of the Hall and contents.
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| From left, the fortress, our hotel and the Bryygen |
From Bergenhus Fortress, we walked back east along the harbor towards the Fisketorget (Fish Market), which has been in operation at this location since the 1500's...although this photo above seems to indicate some claim for an earlier date!
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| Dried cod hanging in fish shop |
These days, the Fisketorget caters more to tourists and most of the seafood is "cooked to order" for passers by. There are stalls selling reindeer hides, moose & reindeer antlers, torsk (dried cod), caviar and the like.
From the Fisketorget, we wandered the narrow streets of the Bryygen, which was called the "German Wharf" until WWII. After a terrible plague killed half the residents of Bergen in 1350, German traders established a Hanseatic trading center which controlled trade in Bergen from 1370-1754. We happened upon an interesting old church on these side streets.
We all agreed it was time for a "beer break" and we searched for a cafe ONLY with seating in the sunshine. This speaks to the difference in the Bergen vs. DC area climate in July--in DC, we would have been seeking seating in the shade!
Now fortified with beer, we visited the Hanseatic Museum, which is actually a well-preserved Hanseatic merchant house from the early 1700's. With creaky floors, cupboard beds, hundred-year-old cod hanging from the ceiling and neatly arranged desks with ledgers, it feels like it is simply in wait for the next workday to begin.
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| Hanseatic Museum |
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| Hundred year old dried cod hanging from ceiling |
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| Note this crest has half the German Eagle and half is the sacred dried cod |
By now, Linda and Kenny's meters read "EXPIRED", so we head back to the hotel for a brief rest before cocktails and dinner. After dinner, Manfred and I take a walk from the Bryygen towards the art and theatre district in the city center.
Although the local population was still going strong after 11pm when these last two photos were taken, it was time for this tourista to get some sleep!
Posted by TBW Travel Today!
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