Day 13: All Day in Charming Bergen
- The Day Distilled: The fascinating history of this ancient port is condensed in tight spiral staircases, narrow alleyways, and drunken buildings—and its colorful present expands before your eyes as the funicular carries you up Mount Fløyen.
- Woman of the Day: We celebrated our final group dinner and said farewell to our wonderful leader Ylva in an old merchant house that had been owned by a woman.
- Ship’s Log: From 1360 to 1900, Bergen was a major trading port that connected northern Norway’s all-important cod fisheries to the rest of Europe.
Welcome to Bergen!
Ylva took us on a morning orientation walk of Bergen, which included the brightly blooming Ole Bulls Plass, the dark cubic Seafarers’ Monument (Ylva’s comment: “It’s not very good, is it? There aren’t any women!”), and into the Fisketorget (fish market) where you could buy whale meat. (Ick.)
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Hanseatic history on a winding walk
And then it was on to the Bryggens Museum, where Ylva handed the reins to a local guide who led us through 900 years of history within Bergen’s small Hanseatic Quarter.
As we walked through a warren of narrow alleys and into creaky warehouses, we learned about the Hanseatic League’s German merchants, who dominated northern European trade for hundreds of years and used Bergen as one of their four main trading posts. |
A bird's eye view of colorful Bergen
In the afternoon, Mom and I explored the various floors and exhibits in the 13th century Rosenkrantz Tower (via extremely steep, tight spiral staircases that I loved and Mom hated), then walked over to the Fløibanen funicular. The ride was fun and the top had a spectacular view of the city and its surroundings.
We savored one last cinnamon roll at the little café on the mountain before heading back to our hotel to dress for dinner. |
Our last group dinner
We had our final, beautifully plated and delicious group meal in a high-end restaurant in the thick-beamed main room of an old, old merchant house. Ylva gave each of us small, personalized goodbye gifts, and we all raised our glasses one last time to thank her, and each other, for a wonderful tour. Skål!
For more photos of Bergen, see the slideshow below. |
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