){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
BERGEN
the principal town of Western Norway--was founded by King Olav Kyrre in 1070 AD. This makes it one of the oldest towns in the country--and its population of 215,000 makes it the second largest.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, when the power of Norway was at its height, Bergen was the biggest and most important trading centre in Scandinavia. The seaward approach to this charming and distinctive town, which is ringed about by seven majestic mountains, brings the visitor through the sheltering islands of the skerryguard right into the main harbour.
Bergen is linked by rail with Oslo and constitues the southern terminal for the coastal-express vessels that call at ports all the way up to Finnmark in the far north. Modern ferries and other craft traffic the fjords, serving the needs of the surrounding districts, which are connected to Bergen also by a network of roads, while numerous domestic and foreing flights converge on the local airport, Flesland.
Bergen has painstakingly preserved much of its past, and its streets are steeped in history. The town is the site of one of Norway's most prized mediaeval buildings, Bergenhus, and the eastern bank of Vagen, the harbour, is lined by picturesque timbered houses (Bryggen), relics of the golden age of the Hanseatic League. Behind them stands the early 12th-century Church of St Mary. The Aquarium at Nordnes is another attraction of note; and for a bird's-eye-view of the town there is the Floybanen funicular (alt. 320 m).
As is attested to by the increasing stream of tourists, Bergen is a natural gateway to Hardanger and the scenic fjords of the west. It is also a seaport of note and a prosperous industrial and commercial town.
- Posted on
- Monday 19 April 2021
- Albums
- Visits
- 1389
- Rating score
- no rate
- Rate this photo