Vacation in Norway : Oslo, Bergen and the Sognefjord: Day 3: Bergen (The Hanseatic Museum)

Awakening under the rain and the calls of seagulls. You must know that Bergen is nicknamed the City of Rain. The annual rainfall goes up to 2’250mm. Between October 2006 and January 2007, Bergen counted 85 consecutive days of rain.

Anyways! You got it right, don’t come to Bergen wearing flip-flops! Moreover, the locals often wear rubber boots and oilskins, or even one-piece rain suits for the children.

There is a Bergen Card enabling you to use unlimitedly the public transports (buses and tramways), get free access in most museums (with the exception of the Hanseatic museum) and also get discounts in some restaurants and other places. You can purchase this card at the tourist office and it remains valid for 24 or 48 hours according to the option chosen.

We decided not to buy it. Since the city is quite small, the distances are not a problem.

For more information: http://en.visitbergen.com/bergen-card

The Hanseatic Museum (Hanseatiske Museum)

Address: 1a Finnegården

Opening Hours: Every day from mid-May to September, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and for the rest of the year, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (4 p.m. on Sunday).

Admission: NOK 100, or NOK 160 for the twin ticket with the Norwegian Fisheries Museum (shuttle bus included). The ticket is valid for two days.

The museum is located in the historical district of Bryggen, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For the anecdote, the Hanse was a confederation of German merchant guilds who traded around the Baltic and North Sea between 1150 and 1650. Bergen was graced with a German trading post in the district of Bryggen.

The museum is to be found in an old trading house built in 1704. It is one of Bryggen’s best preserved wooden building. Inside, tools to prepare dried cod are exhibited. Signs (translated into English) describe the history of the Hanseatic trade in Bergen.

In the upper storeys of this old house, it is possible to admire the merchants’ well-preserved beds and desks.

http://xn--schtstuene-2cb.no/english/

The Hanseatic Assembly Hall (Schøtstuene)

Opening Hours: From May 1st to September 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from September 19 to December 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m..

These halls were the meeting places of the German merchants trading in the district of Bryggen. Food was prepared there, these halls were also used for festivities, religious ceremonies or as a tribunal and a school.

Interesting!