Bucket List Adventure Day 4 - Contemplating Bergen

As my itinerary "topping" continues before the big voyage, I know I need to be in Bergen (Bryggen) for the Hurtigruten departure at 11pm. My train gets in at 3pm so I have a few hours. I'm quite a laid-back person and I don't like rushing things. After a long 7-hour train journey I think I would probably want to chill out and take in this gorgeous city. Bergen has an ice-free harbour sheltered from the North Sea by a chain of islands (not I'm not going swimming) and is sometimes called ‘The city between the seven mountains’.

It also has a fascinating history. Bergen was founded in 1070 AD by Olav Kyrre, king of Norway. He was the son of King Harald Hardrada who died in the famous battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. His nickname Kyrre indeed means peaceful. It was once the capital of Norway and its dependencies Iceland, Greenland and many of the Scottish islands, in 1217.

It replaced Trondheim, the first capital, and was itself replaced by Oslo in 1299. The Black Death plague in 1349 came to Norway from a foreign ship in the harbour of Bergen. It wiped out one third of Norway’s population and was a severe setback also to Bergen. Under Danish rule in the latter part of the fourteenth century Bergen was the centre of trade for all of Norway especially the dried cod which was exported to the catholic countries of Europe in connection with the fast.

Along with the grain, clothing and spices, the Hanseatic merchants lived in their own separate quarter of the city, on the east shore of Vaagen, where they built their living quarters and large wharfs, enjoying exclusive trade privileges with the fishermen from the North of Norway. Today, Bergen's old quayside Bryggen (pictured above) is where the Hanseatic traders lived, is on UNESCO's list as a World Heritage Site.

There have been many great fires in Bergen mainly because of its wooden buildings and narrow streets. Today some of the oldest buildings in Bergen are at the Bergenhus Fortress including Haakon's Hall (1261) and the twelfth century St. Mary's Church with its twin towers - the oldest building in Bergen.

You get the picture. This is a beautiful historic city, so decision made, I'm not going to rush this. I've tracked down a hotel on the waterfront in a converted warehouse and I'm going to spend the night here. I'm going to the fish market, Bergenhus Fortress, take a ride of the Fløibanen Funicular to the Fløyen Mountain for panoramic views and maybe find a hiking trail down and of course visit Edvard Grieg House where this famous composer once lived. I’ll take in the atmosphere of the wonderful harbour side restaurants and cafés, fit in a Sauna, a two-hour fjord cruise and wear my Norwegian Cardi and bobble hat.

Tomorrow I'm going to plan my shore excursions whilst on my Hurtigruten voyage.

Ha en fin dag!