Bryggen

Table of Contents

Bryggen Ancient Harbour Guide

Bryggen in Bergen, Norway has so much to see beyond the colourful facade at the city’s iconic World Heritage site.

Travellers head straight for it as soon as they set foot off the cruise ships or train ride from Oslo. Bryggen is Bergen‘s UNESCO World Heritage site at the very heart of the city.

The set of wooden Hanseatic-era warehouses and office buildings are famous around the world for their colourful facades, but there are so many stories to discover once you’ve taken your photos.

Bryggen UNESCO World Heritage Site

In the Middle Ages, Bergen was the main port of export for dried fish and fish oil from northern Norway. German merchants began to join the trade, offering grains in return.

In the mid-14th-Century, the German Hanseatic League established an office in Bergen and acquired the rights to purchase goods from Nordland and Troms.

In return for the dried fish and fish oil, they supplied Norway with grain, flour, malt, ale, clothing and fabrics.

The merchants gradually bought all the houses in the area, which soon became a society effectively sealed off from the rest of the city.

It is believed there were up to 2,000 Germans living in this part of Bergen at the height of their activity. The office continued until 1754.

In 1955 parts of Bryggen burnt down. Over the next 13 years, the archeaeological excavations uncovered hundreds of thousands of objects that helped paint a picture of Bergen life in the Middle Ages.

Any of the city’s residents had wanted the remaining buildings demolished, but these finds helped sway public opinion and led to the protected status Bryggen enjoys today.

Behind The Facade

While Bryggen is known the world over for its colourful wooden facade, stepping inside the alleyways opens up a whole new experience.

Not only will you get a better feel for how the buildings were built, you’ll be able to imagine the life of a German trader in this small enclave.

Many small shops, galleries and cafes are now hidden away down the alleys so it’s well worth spending some time to explore.

Museums

The Hanseatic Museum tells the story of the Hanseatic League, the business that went on at Bryggen, and what life was like living and working in these conditions.

The main museum is set inside an atmospheric trading office. No light or heating was allowed due to the risk of fire, so the workers spent their leisure time in the nearby Assembly Rooms, which also form part of the museum.

Tip! If you just want to see the main museum, entrance is cheaper after 3pm

Part of the Bymuseet (City Museum) network, Bryggens Museum documents the finds following the 1955 fire and the subsequent renovations.

The museum is built over the remains of Bergen’s oldest building from the early 1100s, and also hosts a range of temporary art and other exhibitions about Bergen.

Book Tours and Purchase Tickets

Shopping

Bryggen is one of the top shopping destinations in the city. Despite one or two tacky souvenir shops, the majority of shops are of high quality with many of the boutiques home to small groups of designers.

Another popular stop is the year-round Christmas shop, stocked full of wooden decorations and ornaments to add a touch of Scandinavia to your Christmas celebrations.