Must-see attractions in Bergen

  • Villa of Norwegian violin virtuoso Ole Bull on Lysoen Island, 25 km south of Bergen.

    Ole Bull Museum

    Bergen

    This beautiful estate was built in 1873 as the summer residence of Norway’s first musical superstar, violinist Ole Bull. Languishing on its own private…

  • Bryggen

    Bergen

    Bergen's oldest quarter runs along the eastern shore of Vågen Harbour (bryggen translates as 'wharf') in long, parallel and often precariously leaning…

  • KODE

    Bergen

    A catch-all umbrella for Bergen's art museums, KODE showcases one of the largest art-and-design collections in Scandinavia. Each of the four buildings has…

  • Edvard Grieg's Home, Troldhaugen

    Edvard Grieg Museum

    Bergen

    Composer Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina Hagerup spent summers at this charming Swiss-style wooden villa from 1885 until Grieg's death in 1907. Surrounded…

  • KODE 3

    Bergen

    KODE 3 is all about Edvard Munch: overall, the collection here is arguably even better than Oslo's Munch Museum. The rooms are fabulously intimate:…

  • KODE 1

    Bergen

    Reopened in 2017 after two years of renovation works, this impressive museum makes a good place to start your explorations of KODE's collection. Two new…

  • KODE 4

    Bergen

    Modern-art aficionados will want to make a beeline to KODE 4, which is home to a large permanent collection of European Modernist works including the odd…

  • Hanseatic Museum

    Bergen

    This interesting museum provides a window into the world of Hanseatic traders. Housed in a rough-timber building dating from 1704, it starkly reveals the…

  • Fisheries Museum

    Bergen

    Housed in a series of wonky wharfside warehouses dating from the 18th century, this museum delves into the industry that sustained Bergen (along with the…

  • King Håkons Hall

    Bergen

    Viking fans will feel right at home at this impressive ceremonial hall, built by King Håkon Håkonsson in 1247–61 and completed for his son's wedding and…

  • Akvariet i Bergen

    Bergen

    At the end of the Nordnes Peninsula, this aquarium makes a worthwhile trip, especially for families. There are around 60 individual aquaria here, housing…

  • Bergen Kunsthall

    Bergen

    Bergen’s major contemporary-art institution hosts significant exhibitions of international and Norwegian artists, often with a single artist's work…

  • KODE 2

    Bergen

    KODE 2 hosts several temporary exhibitions every year, as well as a contemporary art collection with a focus on Norwegian and Scandinavian artists from…

  • Bryggens Museum

    Bergen

    This archaeological museum was built on the site of Bergen's first settlement, and the 800-year-old foundations unearthed during its construction have…

  • Damsgård

    Bergen

    The 1770 Damsgård manor, 3km west of town, may well be Norway's (if not Europe's) finest example of 18th-century rococo timber architecture. The building…

  • Theta Museum

    Bergen

    Named after the Norwegian Resistance group who occupied it between 1940 and 1945, this excellent reconstruction of a clandestine Resistance headquarters,…

  • Bergen Museum

    Bergen

    Comprising two collections at separate sites, the Cultural History Collection takes in Viking weaponry, medieval altars, folk art, period furnishings,…

  • Fantoft Stave Church

    Bergen

    This stave church, in the leafy southern suburb of Paradis, was built in Sognefjord around 1150 and moved here in 1883. It is, in fact, a reconstruction,…

  • Cultural History Collection

    Bergen

    This history museum is part of the Bergen Museum, and explores a panoply of mainly Norwegian topics – from artefacts of Inuit and Aleut culture, through…

  • Leprosy Museum

    Bergen

    This rather macabre museum details Norway's contributions to leprosy research, including the work of Dr Armauer Hansen, who discovered the leprosy…

  • Harald Sæverud Museum

    Bergen

    Composer Harald Sæverud and his wife Marie lived in this simple timber home, 3km south of Troldhaugen. It was constructed in the 1930s of natural stone…

  • Bergen Maritime Museum

    Bergen

    Located on the university campus, Bergen's sea-themed museum is worth a look for its collection of model ships, including a few Viking galleons. There are…

  • Schøtstuene

    Bergen

    An essential complement to the Hanseatic Museum, Schøtstuene is a reconstruction of one of the original assembly halls where the fraternity of Hanseatic…

  • Mariakirken

    Bergen

    This stone church, with its Romanesque entrance and twin towers, dates from the early 12th century and is Bergen's oldest building. The interior features…

  • Rosenkrantztårnet

    Bergen

    Built in the 1560s by Bergen governor Erik Rosenkrantz, this tower was a residence and defence post. It also incorporates parts of the keep (1273) of King…

  • Bergen Cathedral, Hordaland, Norway.

    Bergen Cathedral

    Bergen

    Bergen's cathedral features stonemasonry in the entrance hall carved by the same artisans who adorned Westminster Abbey's chapter house in London.

  • Natural History Collection

    Bergen

    This small museum is closed for renovations until 2019, which should add new galleries and updated displays.

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