Sightseeing Cruise of Bergen's Historic Landmarks

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

The construction of St Mary"s Church was completed around 1180, making it the oldest remaining building in Bergen. Although having been built as a parish church for the Norwegian population, St Mary"s Church was taken over by the city"s large German population in 1408. By belonging to the wealthy Germans, it's richly adorned and escaped the fate of being turned into a ruin, unlike several of the other churches in the city. St Mary’s church is a basilica, i.e the body of the church is divided into a lofty nave and two lower side aisles with separate roofs. This is a feature borrowed from medieval cathedrals, and is relatively seldom found in an ordinary parish church.

Bergenhus Fortress and Royal Castle is one of the oldest and best preserved stone fortifications in Norway, and it contains buildings dating back as far as 1240. In medieval times the area was known as Holmen and contained the royal recidence, as well as a cathedral, several churches, the bishop's residence and a Dominican monastery. Excavations have revealed foundations of buildings believed to date back to before 1100. In the 13th century Bergen was the capital of Norway and Holmen was the main seat of Norway's rulers. Håkon's Hall was built in 1247 and It was the largest and most imposing building of the royal residency in the 13th century.

Skuteviken developed as an isolated suburb of Bergen, under the protection of the Sverresborg fortress which was built in 1183. In Skuteviken, small wooden houses were built without any overall plan, and the growth took place until the end of the 18th century. The name Skuteviken (ship bay) probably comes from the fact that the merchants at Bryggen used the beach at Bradbenken and in Skuteviken as a mooring place when the ships were to be keeled. Although Skuteviken is an old place and located just outside Bergen, it was not until the 20th century that a road was built along the beach into the city.

Måseskjæret is one of three islets in the bay of Sandviken. The first settlement on the islet came in 1804 and was a summer residence. Towards the end of the 19th century, the rest of the islet was developed. Today, it is the modern apartment building that characterizes Måseskjæret. Måseskjæret 1 is a summer resident that got its current name from the islet just outside. The house was built by Christopher Kahrs in 1795, and is a single-storey building with a high hipped roof and center sheet. Lyststedet Måseskjæret 1 was protected by the National Heritage Board from 1927.

The 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) long fjord separates the island of Askøy from the mainland Bergen Peninsula, passing right north of the city of Bergen.

Among the major war events on The City Fjord are the naval battle in 1665 between an English and a Dutch fleet, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. A fleet of sixty Dutch ships, including ten ships from the Dutch East India Company with very valuable cargo, sought refuge in Bergen's neutral port during the pursuit of English warships. The forces in the city joined the battle on the Dutch side. The battle was short and bloody and the English fled. A cannonball stuck in the wall of the Cathedral in Bergen has long been thought to come from this battle.

The submarine bunker Bruno at Laksevåg, was built into the mountains by the German occupation forces from 1941. 18,000 tonnes of steel, 500,000 tonnes of sand, 120,000 tonnes of cement and 15 tonnes of dynamite were used to build the submarine bunker. The heavy work was carried out by Soviet prisoners of war. It was subjected to a allied air attack in October 1944. Only a few bombs hit the target, most hit the settlement and killed 193 civilians, including 61 children at Holen school. Two of the planes were shot down. Under the five-meter-thick concrete roof, three docks are hiding today. In 1952, the facility was taken into use by the Norwegian Navy and is still used today.

The original shipyard was built in the 1780s by Georg Brunchorst and Georg Vedeler, and it was called Georgernes Shipyard. In 1853 Annanias Dekke started the yard's heyday. Dekke had learned shipbuilding, in Boston, and a series of magnificent sailing ships were built here. He gained a reputation as one of Norway's best ship designers and shipbuilders. In 1910 a sardine factory was established in parts of the shipyard area, and in the following years it became one of the largest sardine factories in Norway. Today, the factory lives a new life as "USF Verftet", a 12,000 m2 large art and culture arena with a total of 120 companies in all disciplines within art and culture.

Fredriksberg Fortress is located on the highest point of the Nordnes peninsula. On the west side there is a steep side down to the sea, and from the fortress there is a good view over Bergen city center and towards Laksevåg. In the 17th century, there were fortifications with cannon batteries around the entire Nordnes peninsula . Fredriksberg fort was a military area until 1904. From the 18th century, the fort also got a fire tower, and in the event of a fire, the military had to fire shots. The number of shots fired told where in the city it burned. In 1926, the fire service here was closed down, but the fire tower still stands on the fort today.

Nordnes Sea Water Pool was opened in 1910, and until 1965 the sea water pool consisted of floating wooden boxes in the sea that were attached to land with chains. In 1965, the modern seawater pool was ready and later the water was also heated. Today, Nordnes Sjøbad is a 25m long, heated, saltwater swimming pool. The main pool is kept lovely and warm at a temperature of 29°C (84°F) and you can also take a refreshing dip in the sea. The facilities include indoor changing rooms and a sauna.

Bergen Aquarium is a facility from 1960 that shows fish, aquatic animals and penguins. The aquarium also has a tropical section with snakes, crocodiles, spiders and other tropical animals. The aquarium has more than 300 species and over 60 large aquariums. In 2016, an ocean aquarium was opened that can be seen from the outside and inside. Penguins, sea lions, otters and large fish live in four outdoor ponds, and in the tropical section there are snakes, crocodiles, spiders, lizards and other exotic animals.

In 1561, Bergen got its first customs house, which also became the city's largest wooden building. The jetties protruded more than 100 meters into the sea. Thus one came out on such deep water that even large ships could dock. The Tollbod extension served both as a shelter against the northwest storm and as a narrowing of Vågen, so that it became easier to prevent smuggling.

The large, white, stone, cruciform church was consecrated in 1622 as "Holy Trinity Church", but it's generally known as Nykirken (The new church). When the church was originally built in 1622, there were 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 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.

Murhvelvingen was built after the town fire in 1561 as a private house and representation for the sheriff of Bergenhus fortress. He had received the king's permission to collect soapstone from a monastery ruins, and this can be seen in corners and frames. The building was damaged by fires in 1625, 1640 and 1643. It was repaired by public funds in the years 1651, and after that used by guards. The lower floor has several smaller basements on each side of the vaulted passage, where there have been shops since the 17th century. Large slate slabs from Hardanger are just as nice today as when the house was built. In the basement, dynamite was also sold until the late 1960s, allegedly enough to blow up the whole city.

The Fish Market in Bergen is one of Norway's most visited outdoor markets, and it has a charming location in the heart of the city. The square has been a meeting place for townspeople, merchants, farmers and fishermen for centuries. You can find fresh fish, shellfish and local farm products such as fruits, berries, vegetables and flowers here. There are also several restaurants serving a large selection of seafood. The outdoor Fish Market is open from May to September, while the food hall with outlets and restaurants is open all year. In addition to the merchants on land, there were also historical sales from boats along the quay. Fishermen who lived outside the city rowed into the square to sell the catch of the day before rowing home the same day.