BERGEN continued

                 More About Bergen, Norway

            In this quaint picturesque city small wooden houses painted lovingly in bright colors are a special feature of the city. Owners take great pride in maintaining them. Many date back to the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Bergen was chosen as one of Europe’s cultural cities in 2000.

            We walked to the fort at the far end of the city where, in spite of the misty day, we had a good view of the city and harbor.  Hakon’s Hall, 1247 and 1261, is the largest secular medieval building still standing in Norway. Built of local stone, its corners, window and door casings were worked in soapstone. The hall was the most imposing building in the royal residence at "Holmen", the political centre of the 13th-century Norwegian kingdom. It was built for great occasions in the history of the monarchy and the realm.  In  1520 it was used for storage. Roofless by the 17th century, it was refitted as the storehouse of Bergenhus Castle around 1680. The hall was restored in 1880-95. A German ship explosion in 1944 set the Hall on  fire, leaving only the walls standing. Restoration followed. The Hall today is used for ceremonial occasions, and for concerts. Rosencrantz Tower dates back to medieval times. The tower served as a combined residence and fortified tower to Bergen.

            People have worshiped for  900 years in the Bergen Cathedral, Domkirken, built in 1150. The original small parish church was damaged  in 1248 and 1270 by fire. In the early 13^th century Franciscan Friars were granted use of the church and built a beautiful church next to their convent. Again fire damaged the church in 1463 and 1488. When Lutheran Reformation was introduced to Norway the old cathedral was in ruins. The first Lutheran Bishop claimed the old Franciscan church and made it the Cathedral of the country’s oldest diocese. The cathedral was rebuilt after fires in 1623 and 1630. Restoration took place in the 1880s. The old rococo interior was replaced with the present interior. A new organ was acquired in 1997.

            At the Hanseatic Museum we were lucky to pick up an interesting English guided tour just as it began. In 1360 German merchants set up import/export offices in Bergen and dominated the trade for 400 years. A 1702 fire   reduced the city to ashes, but the museum  was quickly rebuilt on the foundations that had been in place since the 11^th century. The museum is one of the best preserved buildings in the city and is furnished in the style of the 1700s.  Hanseatic apprentices were teenage boys. They slept two to a bunk, head to toe, in narrow single beds in enclosed cabinets. They actually were locked in at night so there was no monkey business.  Punishment was severe for rule infractions. No smoking was allowed because of the real danger of fire. The guide was very knowledgeable and made this visit not only interesting but a lot of fun.

            The 12^th  century St. Mary Church  is the oldest building in Bergen, and one of the most outstanding Romanesque churches in the country. The Baroque pulpit is one of the finest in Norway. Hanseatic merchants worshiped here 850 years ago.

            St. Jorgen’s Church, built in the Middle Ages, forms part of the old leprosy hospital. Rebuilt after the 1702 fire, it is now used for special services for students, associations and English congregations. We ran on to this church by accident and happened to run into a couple of English-speaking fellows who enjoyed filling us in on the history and background of the church.

Bergen was heavily bombed  in WW II. In 1944 a German ship loaded with explosives entered the harbor as the captain wanted to see his brother. The explosion tossed boats up onto land, broke windows and threw the ship’s anchor 4 kilometers away.  This reminded me of the Nova Scotia harbor explosion during the same time period.

            Norway is more than untouched nature. The country is rich in history, but Nature and  its rich natural resources has formed the Norwegian character and given it a kind of durability that has formed the country’s national identity. There is rightfully a special pride in being one of the first countries to eradicate illiteracy!

BERGEN, NORWAY

                                 Delightful Bergen

          Bergen, established in 1093, is squeezed between mountain ranges and bounded by water. Bergen means meadow between the mountains. The city center is between the harbor and the railroad station. The capital of Norway in the 13^th century, it was the country’s largest city for the next 600 years. The main square is called Torgalmenningen. In the Middle Ages the Bryggen waterfront became a thriving center of international trade. Because of its harbor and commercial importance it was a vital link in the Hanseatic League, a tradesman organization. The parallel rows of colorful buildings with their seaward-facing gables are characteristic of a building tradition 900 years old. The old wooden buildings along the waterfront are a UNESCO site.

             Norway’s oldest city is a city that has seen a dramatic change of life in the past century as it has evolved from an area of small farms and fishing villages to a city now dominated by gas and natural oil industries. 

           The northern end of the city, Sandviken, is filled with warehouses. Cobbled streets, medieval houses, numerous cafés, colonnaded shops, and an open-air fish market add charm to the city center. At Gamle Bergen one can step back into the early 19^th century. Most major attractions are located within walking distance of the Fish Market. 

         The next day we woke to a very heavy mist---there goes my Bergen pictures! This weather also prevented us from riding the funicular as the visibility was zero. Taking advantage of the weather, in the morning we rode out of town a bit to the Royal Residence, a castle-like structure on lovely park-like grounds. The grounds keep one full time and a couple of part time gardeners busy. 

         The residence was built in 1900 by the Prime Minister. When he died he willed it to the Royal Family to stay in when they visit the city. It was a short uphill walk to the grey stucco residence.

       En route our local guide told us, “Although Bergen is Norway’s second largest city with 250,000 residents, the city feels like a small town. People have lived and worked here for centuries. Much fish is shipped into the city as Bergen does not have a fishing fleet. This year 234 cruise ships will visit the city in a five month period. The unemployment rate is very low. The Gulf Stream moderates the weather, so the city seldom experiences freezing temperatures and we see very little snow. The old south gate to the city remains. The University of Bergen has   23,000 students. Chimneys must be cleaned every three years by law and many of the chimney sweeps are women. It is supposed to be good luck to touch one.

            The hospital is a major employer with a compliment of 8500 people. It has a state-of-the-art burn center, a large ob-gyn division as well as all other disciplines except for organ transplants, which are done in Oslo."

        Beautiful flower boxes were all over the city.  Local people are fond of saying they are not from Norway, but from Bergen. They are very proud of their city and its history. They also have a distinctive dialect. Bergen is a delightful city---old, picturesque, historic and friendly.

            More about this delightful city next time.