Travel Guide Bergen

Nicknamed the Rome of the North, after the 7 hills that surround it, Bergen, with its 265,850 inhabitants, nestles in a basin where it often rains. Very often. Almost always. The sea air, charged with moisture by the Gulf Stream, warms the sea and bumps into the mountains, inevitably causing rain to pour down on the city on a regular basis. But Bergen, in the deluge, in the drizzle, or just under a heavy sky, is enchanting.Founded by Olav Kyrre in 1070, Bergen was already an important city by the 13th century, the kings having abandoned Trondheim as their capital in its favor. Håkon V Magnusson was crowned king in 1299, and major works were undertaken, including the construction of the famous Håkon Hall.From 1360, under the reign of Eirik Magnusson, German merchants from the Hanseatic League were granted a charter giving them the right to trade here on an equal footing with Norwegians.Dried cod arrived from the Lofoten Islands in the north; wheat from the south. Once a deal had been struck, the ships were loaded and sailed back to Europe. Over time, the Hanseatic League became the real ruler of the area. Bergen, Scandinavia's largest city at the time, was one of their most important trading posts. An exact reproduction of a wealthy Hanseatic merchant's house can be seen in the Bryggen Museum. The Hanseatic monopoly lasted 200 years, and some of the German and Dutch merchants remained in the country for good. It was at this time that the city took on a cosmopolitan air... which it has retained ever since. Today, although fishing remains an important sector, it is the development of oil rigs that forms the basis of today's economy.Indeed, Bergen is currently experiencing its golden age of black gold. Also a university town, Bergen and its 30,000 students boast an intense cultural life. Bergen is the birthplace of great classical musicians such as Edvard Grieg and Ole Bull. And the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra has been in existence since the 18th century. And every year in early summer, the great Bergen Music Festival takes place. But, above all, the city is a major tourist center, the gateway to the fjords and a unique coastline of unparalleled beauty.Having outgrown its narrow mountain setting, Bergen spills over onto the surrounding peninsulas and even climbs part of the surrounding heights. Behind the city, the mountains close the road, but in front of them, the sea opens up to dreams of escape. A port city, a city of trade and crafts, Scandinavia's first major city, the country's first capital and the residence of its sovereigns, Bergen has always looked to the open sea, forging its own unique culture over the years. As Norway's international city, with its inhabitants less inclined to melancholy than the rest of their compatriots and more open to the outside world, Bergen can appear as a true homeland (a fact reproached by other Norwegians): many indeed readily say: "I'm not Norwegian, I'm from Bergen."Bergen a Unesco World Heritage Site Tourists make no mistake, and neither does Unesco. Since 1980, the Hanseatic houses of Bryggen quay, or the largest collection of wooden houses since the Middle Ages, have been listed as a World Heritage site. Destroyed by fire in 1702, the district was rebuilt identically to the original, respecting the architecture of German fishing houses. Today, the district is an intact copy of the 12th-century one. Tourists can step back in time on a stroll through this historic yet dynamic district. Restaurants, local craft stores and bars have taken over the area, giving it a definitively warm and picturesque atmosphere. In 2000, the city was chosen as European Capital of Culture, thanks to its many museums, philharmonic orchestra and new contemporary artists.