YA Eco Mysteries, Memoirs, Novels & Travel
Bergen Travel Blog
17/01/15 12:41 Filed in: Travel
Bergen, Fjords, Cod Fish, and the Hanseatic League
As our ship glided between the cliffs of the Norway Fjord, we gathered on the deck to begin our journey deep into the interior to the port of Bergen, proclaimed as the Gateway to the Norwegian Fjords. As Boris pivoted from one side of the deck to the other attempting to capture the beauty in images, purple prose rushed through my head: rugged, majestic, crystalline cliffs, charming villages nestled on the hillside, breathtaking panoramas, serene forests, shimmering reflections, forbidding granite walls, plunging, lacey waterfalls . . .. Then my mind emptied. I just stood there, letting the magic flow over me!
As our ship glided between the cliffs of the Norway Fjord, we gathered on the deck to begin our journey deep into the interior to the port of Bergen, proclaimed as the Gateway to the Norwegian Fjords. As Boris pivoted from one side of the deck to the other attempting to capture the beauty in images, purple prose rushed through my head: rugged, majestic, crystalline cliffs, charming villages nestled on the hillside, breathtaking panoramas, serene forests, shimmering reflections, forbidding granite walls, plunging, lacey waterfalls . . .. Then my mind emptied. I just stood there, letting the magic flow over me!
After about an hour of splendid scenery, we docked in the heart of downtown Bergen, set, like a gem in a sheltered harbor at the end of the fjord.
As soon as we got the all clear, we descended the gangway for a stroll into town. We made the obligatory visit to the tourist information centre to gather maps and pamphlets before heading out. Although Bergen is notorious for its bad weather, we were fortunate to arrive on a day of sunshine and blue skies. Nearby the information center we stopped to explore the colorful Fish Market, feasting out eyes on the mouth-watering displays.
Sadly, we didn't sample much of the smoked salmon, shellfish, whale meat, and reindeer venison as the prices were way too high. We had been warned that things were expensive in Norway, still we were shocked that a MacDonald’s Hamburger meal cost $30.00 and a cup of Starbucks coffee $10.00.
Strolling on, Boris carefully composed photos of rows of brightly painted wood-framed houses along cobbled streets, while I savored the medieval ambience of this former sea-trading capital, harking back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Along the main road the rather forbidding Rosenkrantz Tower, looming over a stony promontory above the harbor, came into view. The tower, we learned, is named after governor Erik Rosenkrantz (1559–1568). The oldest part of the building contains a medieval tower built by King Magnus in the 1270s as part of the royal castle in Bergen. The Rosenkrantz complex once housed the notorious dungeons in use well into the nineteenth century. The residential rooms for the governor were higher up, and cannons were positioned on the top floor. In the 1740s, the tower was converted to a magazine for gunpowder, a function it served until the 1930s.
When Governor Rosenkrantz reinforced the tower his intention was to demonstrate the power of Norway and Denmark against the Hanseatic League. From 1370 to 1754 German merchants controlled Bergen's trade—the northern outpost of the Hanseatic League of merchants who traded in dried cod, grain and salt.
Since Norway depended on imported grain to feed its people the Hanseatic League was able to establish a port in Bergen. When the Norwegians tried to assert their rights to trade with other countries, the Hansa blockaded Norwegian ports, effectively cutting off the importation of grain and forcing the Norwegians to concede. As a result the German wharf at Bergen became known to Norwegians as “The Lice Wharf.”
On our self-guided tour through the historic Hanseatic Quarter we meandered down narrow lanes overhung with creaking old timber structures, and browsed in old shops and interesting small museums.
Despite being burned down several times, Bergen has been carefully preserved. Although somewhat gentrified, the old town is filled with welcoming restaurants, picturesque wooden warehouses, and shops filled with pewter trinkets, trolls, and hand-knit sweaters, all tempting to buy.
For a panoramic view of Bergen, we decided to ride the funicular to the top of Mount Floien, one of seven
mountains surrounding the city. We waited in a long line for a ticket for the funicular, but it was worth the wait. As the funicular ascended the thousand foot high summit, spectacular views of the town, encircled by islands and fjords, unfurled below us.
Just minute away from the tourist shops, we came to tranquil lake where school children were basking in the rare sunny weather.
From the lake we hiked the trails meandering through forests of ancient Norway pines. Once more, as Boris clicked away, I gazed in awe at the great trunks of towering pines, imagining how these pines were felled for constructing sturdy Viking ships and masts of tall sailing ships that sailed the high seas. Lowering my eyes, I marveled at the gnarled roots, clawing deep into the forest floor richly carpeted with lichens, moss and ferns. In my childhood, I had imagined ancient forests like this peopled with mythical creatures. In fact there is a rich folklore woven around sacred trees and trolls and gnomes.
I hope this Bergen Travel Blog has whet your appetite to go there. In the meantime, you can become and armchair traveler by downloading our ebooks, The Passionate Traveler: Eastern Caribbean, and The Passionate Traveler: Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and The Passionate Traveler:Highlights of Norway from: www.mediamint.net. Free sample chapters of The Passionate Traveler are available from the iBooks Store.
As soon as we got the all clear, we descended the gangway for a stroll into town. We made the obligatory visit to the tourist information centre to gather maps and pamphlets before heading out. Although Bergen is notorious for its bad weather, we were fortunate to arrive on a day of sunshine and blue skies. Nearby the information center we stopped to explore the colorful Fish Market, feasting out eyes on the mouth-watering displays.
Sadly, we didn't sample much of the smoked salmon, shellfish, whale meat, and reindeer venison as the prices were way too high. We had been warned that things were expensive in Norway, still we were shocked that a MacDonald’s Hamburger meal cost $30.00 and a cup of Starbucks coffee $10.00.
Strolling on, Boris carefully composed photos of rows of brightly painted wood-framed houses along cobbled streets, while I savored the medieval ambience of this former sea-trading capital, harking back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Along the main road the rather forbidding Rosenkrantz Tower, looming over a stony promontory above the harbor, came into view. The tower, we learned, is named after governor Erik Rosenkrantz (1559–1568). The oldest part of the building contains a medieval tower built by King Magnus in the 1270s as part of the royal castle in Bergen. The Rosenkrantz complex once housed the notorious dungeons in use well into the nineteenth century. The residential rooms for the governor were higher up, and cannons were positioned on the top floor. In the 1740s, the tower was converted to a magazine for gunpowder, a function it served until the 1930s.
When Governor Rosenkrantz reinforced the tower his intention was to demonstrate the power of Norway and Denmark against the Hanseatic League. From 1370 to 1754 German merchants controlled Bergen's trade—the northern outpost of the Hanseatic League of merchants who traded in dried cod, grain and salt.
Since Norway depended on imported grain to feed its people the Hanseatic League was able to establish a port in Bergen. When the Norwegians tried to assert their rights to trade with other countries, the Hansa blockaded Norwegian ports, effectively cutting off the importation of grain and forcing the Norwegians to concede. As a result the German wharf at Bergen became known to Norwegians as “The Lice Wharf.”
On our self-guided tour through the historic Hanseatic Quarter we meandered down narrow lanes overhung with creaking old timber structures, and browsed in old shops and interesting small museums.
Despite being burned down several times, Bergen has been carefully preserved. Although somewhat gentrified, the old town is filled with welcoming restaurants, picturesque wooden warehouses, and shops filled with pewter trinkets, trolls, and hand-knit sweaters, all tempting to buy.
For a panoramic view of Bergen, we decided to ride the funicular to the top of Mount Floien, one of seven
mountains surrounding the city. We waited in a long line for a ticket for the funicular, but it was worth the wait. As the funicular ascended the thousand foot high summit, spectacular views of the town, encircled by islands and fjords, unfurled below us.
Just minute away from the tourist shops, we came to tranquil lake where school children were basking in the rare sunny weather.
From the lake we hiked the trails meandering through forests of ancient Norway pines. Once more, as Boris clicked away, I gazed in awe at the great trunks of towering pines, imagining how these pines were felled for constructing sturdy Viking ships and masts of tall sailing ships that sailed the high seas. Lowering my eyes, I marveled at the gnarled roots, clawing deep into the forest floor richly carpeted with lichens, moss and ferns. In my childhood, I had imagined ancient forests like this peopled with mythical creatures. In fact there is a rich folklore woven around sacred trees and trolls and gnomes.
I hope this Bergen Travel Blog has whet your appetite to go there. In the meantime, you can become and armchair traveler by downloading our ebooks, The Passionate Traveler: Eastern Caribbean, and The Passionate Traveler: Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and The Passionate Traveler:Highlights of Norway from: www.mediamint.net. Free sample chapters of The Passionate Traveler are available from the iBooks Store.
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