Private Guided City Sightseeing - Bergens Top Attractions

Bergenhus Fortress is located at the entrance of Bergen harbour. The castle is one of the oldest and best preserved stone fortifications in Norway. The fortress contains buildings dating as far back as the 1240s, as well as later constructions built as recently as World War II. In medieval times, the area of the present-day Bergenhus Fortress was known as Holmen and contained the royal residence in Bergen, 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, which might have been erected by King Olav Kyrre. In the 13th century, until 1299, Bergen was the capital of Norway and Holmen was thus the main seat of Norway's rulers. It was first enclosed by stone walls in the 1240s. Håkon’s Hall was built between 1247 and 1261 by Håkon Håkonsson. It was the largest and most imposing building of the royal residency in the 13th-century when Bergen was the political centre of Norway. Håkon’s Hall is 750 years old and was built by King Håkon Håkonsson as a royal residence and banqueting hall. When his son Magnus Håkonsson Lagabøte married the Danish princess Ingeborg in 1261, 2000 guests were invited. At that time Bergen was Norway’s largest and most important town, and Håkon’s Hall was the site of major national events, such as the drawing up of Norway’s first complete set of laws.

Colorful Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf 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, and the city of Bergen is a designated World Heritage City. The world heritage site consists of the old Hanseatic wharf and buildings, and one of the best known urban areas from the Middle Ages in all of Norway.

The Fish Market in Bergen is one of Norway's most visited outdoors markets and here you can buy seafood, fruit and vegetables. The Fish Market has a charming location in the heart of the city between the fjords and Bergen's 7 mountains. ​The Fish Market has since the 1200s been a meeting place for merchants and fishermen. You can find fresh fish and seafood, local farm food like fruit, berries and vegetables as well as flowers and plants at here. There are also several restaurants serving a large selection of seafood. The indoor Fish Market is open all year and the outdoor is open from the 1st of May and during the summer. ​The Fish Market has been one of the most important places for trade between fishermen, farmers and the inhabitants of the city. In addition to the merchants on land there were also historically sales from boats along the quay. Fishermen who lived outside the city used to row in to the Fish Marked to sell their catch of the day before rowing back home the same day. ​The first Fish Marked was located next to Bryggen in Bergen. When the Hanseatic league came to Bergen in the 1300s, the area was filled with German merchants and the city grew fast. Until the 1500s, the local merchants continued to trade in the Bryggen area, but in 1541 a demand was put forward to move the Fish Marked to prevent the Hanseatics from gaining too much power over the city's most important trading place for the citizens of Bergen. In 1556, the Fish Marked was moved to the inner part of Vågen and established itself as the central trading venue in Bergen. The Fish Marked became increasingly important and grew with the surrounding area. A large amount of buildings was built in the area through the 1700s and 1800s. In 2012 the indoor Fish Marked - Mathallen opened. Here the merchants have permanent shops and restaurants indoors and are open all year.

The trip starts from the city centre, just 150 metres from the Fish Market and Bryggen. The exiting trip up to the mountain is a magnificent experience in itself. From Mount Fløyen, approx. 320 metres above sea level, you can enjoy the beautiful view, study the cityscape in detail and the seaward approaches and fjords surrounding Bergen. At Fløyen there is also a restaurant, cafeteria, souvenir shop and play area. Fløibanen funicular (the Fløibanen train): The Fløibanen line is 844 m (2,769 ft) long, covers a height difference of 302 m (991 ft), and carries over 1,8 million passengers a year. The line is single track with a central passing loop and was build in 1918. The track is has a gradient that varies between 15 and 26 degrees. There are two cars, each of which can carry 100 passengers. The track has 6 stops and are frequently used by locals living up on the mountain side as well as two kindergardens on the mountain.

In 1879, the new Fortun Church was constructed as a replacement for the medieval stave church. Fantoft Stave Church was threatened with demolition, as were hundreds of other stave churches in Norway. Fantoft Stave Church was bought by consul Fredrik Georg Gade and saved by moving it in pieces to Fana near Bergen in 1883. On 6 June 1992, the church was destroyed by arson; the first in a string of church burnings by members of the early Norwegian black metal scene. Reconstruction of the church began soon after the fire and it took six years to build again. The reconstruction was completed in 1997.

Gamlehaugen has a history that goes as far back as the Middle Ages, and the list of previous owners includes many of the wealthiest men in Bergen. Today owned by the Norwegian state, the most recent private owner was Christian Michelsen, a politician and shipping magnate who later became the first Prime Minister of Norway after the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway. Michelsen commissioned the construction of the current main building at Gamlehaugen, where he would live for most of the rest of his life. Gamlehaugen was the site of a farm as early as the Middle Ages, but it was abandoned as a result of the Black Death. In 1665, it once again became farmland, as part of the larger Fjøsanger manor. In 1809, Gamlehaugen was separated from Fjøsanger. Marie Krohn, the niece of Danckert Danckertsen Krohn, who had owned Fjøsanger until his death in 1795, built a mansion at Gamlehaugen. A Schack Stenberg purchased Gamlehaugen in 1838. In 1864, Alexander Bull, the son of the violinist Ole Bull bought the property, however, he sold it to copper smith Ole Andreas Gundersen only two years later. The last owner who operated Gamlehaugen as a farm was the merchant Anton Mohr, who bought it in 1878. When he died in 1890, his widow, Alethe Mohr, sold the property to a pair of artisans from Bergen. However, she was allowed to continue using the property and the main building due to a clausule in the sale contract.

Troldhaugen is located in Bergen, Norway and consists of the Edvard Grieg Museum, Grieg’s villa, the hut where he composed music, and his and his wife's gravesite. Troldhaugen and its surroundings are now operated as the Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen, which is dedicated to the memory of Edvard Grieg. In 1995, a museum building was added, with a permanent exhibition of Edvard Grieg's life and music, as well as shop and restaurant. In the villa’s living room stands Grieg’s own Steinway grand piano, which he was given as a silver wedding anniversary present in 1892. Today the instrument is used for private concerts, special occasions, and intimate concerts held in connection with Bergen International Festival. Troldsalen, a concert hall, offers concert series in the summer and autumn months, as well as many other concerts and events. Troldsalen, which was completed in 1985, is an elegant and beautiful concert hall, with excellent acoustics. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind the stage provide the audience with a lovely view of the composer's hut and Lake Nordås.

The church was built in the mid-1100s, and, from the end of the Middle Ages, it was the German's church in Bergen. The church has the most elaborate church art of all the Middle Age churches in Norway.