Spain and Scandinavia: Bustling around in Bergen

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Bergen is a bustling seaport on the west coast of Norway. It has already celebrated it's 900 year anniversary! Hard to imagine, when our country is just celebrating 250 years!

Bergen is well known for its wooden buildings along the harbor which served as a trade center.

The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its historical significance. There is quite a history of a self-contained German merchant community.

There are narrow walkways and houses very close together.

Our guide said that Bergen is at the same latitude as Anchorage Alaska, but the Gulf Stream keeps the temperatures moderate--they get only a few snows each year. He also said Bergen gets twice as much rain as Seattle, but we enjoyed a beautiful sunny day exploring the city.

A couple in our group named Sorensen found this spot.

...And Jim found a spot he could relate to.

A touching area we visited was the St. Jergens (St. Georges) leprosy hospital area. In the 1700's, to fight the spread of the disease, people were quarantined in this hospital which could hold 150 people, although thousands were infected. Eventually a Norwegian physician discovered the bacteria that caused the disease which led to effective treatment. It's hard to imagine what life was like.

A funicular (cable car) to the top of the mountain was built in 1919--we felt pretty brave getting on!

(found out it has been through many restorations, the latest in 2022--whew!)

At the top, there were spectacular views of the harbor and the city.

Also found out the idea for the funicular came from John Lund in 1895! (Another long lost relative?) Here's a view from inside the carriage on the way down.

Trolls are a part of Norwegian folklore. We hiked through the troll forest at the top of the mountain. The path was made of tree roots, and troll figures carved from wood were found throughout the trail.