City Tour - Bergen On Foot
Whoever wants to measure the narrowness of his homeland, travel.
Who wants to measure the narrowness of his time, study history.
Kurt Tucholsky
In 2020, Bergen will have the 950th anniversary of its foundation. 950 years of history have left traces in the city that are visible to everyone today, but whose importance is not always perceived. On this tour of the city, I would like to give you a brief history of what happened in Bergen a long time ago and not so long ago. The tour is divided into the following three thematic areas.
Part 1 - A walk through the city
In the first part of the tour, we go for a walk through the lively centre of Bergen. On our way past the fish market, the theatre and the old fire station, we encounter personalities such as Edvard Grieg and Henrik Ibsen. On our tour, however, I don't only want to bring you closer to the historical sides of the city, but also to the people of Bergen and their life in the here and now.
Part 2 - Bryggen and the German Hanseatic League
The picturesque, colourful wooden houses in the Bryggen district are the symbol of the city. Today there are cafes, restaurants and bars among the houses, which are frequented by locals and tourists. 400 years ago, however, there was the smell of dried cod in the air, which was stored here. German merchants bought the cod from Norwegian fishermen and then exported it to all of Europe. This fish made Bergen the most important trading metropolis in Scandinavia at the time. On our way through the Bryggen World Heritage Site, I will tell you what made the fish so special, what the Hanseatic League was and how life for the German merchants played out here.
Part 3 - The 2nd World War in Norway
The occupation of Norway and Denmark began with Operation Weser Exercise on 9 April 1940. Until the end of the war on 8May 1945, the German Wehrmacht had Norway under its control. During this part of the tour, we visit the Bergenhus Fortress Museum and the exhibition it houses on the 2ndWorld War. Here I will tell you a little history on what happened in Norway and in the city of Bergen during the occupation.
Important information about the tour
- Duration 2.5 hours (in English) / Tuesday - Sunday, starts at 10am
- Group size max. 16 people, min. 2 persons
- The meeting point is the staircase that leads up to the tourist information office (see photo) / Tourist information office address: Strandkaien 3, 5013 Bergen
- Tickets are available here on the site, at the Tourist information office in Bergen and remaining tickets are available at the meeting point before the tours starts.
- Ticket price adults 280Nok, children up to and including 15 years 200Nok
- Admission to the Bergenhus Fortress Museum is generally free of charge, so there are no additional costs.
