Norway 2024, part 12 (Bergen, Voss)
Walking around Bergen, I finally reached Bryggen, more precisely the part that stretches along the northern side of Vågen Bay.
I had previously mentioned Bryggen a little, but now I'll do so in a more consolidated manner. It is an old wharf in Bergen. The city was a very important part of the Hanseatic League, a trading empire with roots in Germany. Considering that the houses here were traditionally made of wood, it's no surprise that many buildings have been lost to fires over time, but many of them, built in accordance with local traditions and vernacular building methods, have survived to this day. Today, 62 buildings from the old days can be seen in Bryggen and this historic dockside quarter is one of the cultural properties listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Of the four Hanseatic trading posts abroad, the one in Bergen is the only one that has survived.
Bryggen is essentially a small, purpose-built settlement that served as a true colony for German traders. The buildings are multi-storied, while narrow passageways resembling streets run between them. Everything is made of wood, except for a few warehouses in the back that are made of stone. These warehouses stored goods and also had cooking facilities to minimise the risk of fire.
What can be seen today reflects the appearance Bryggen was given after the fire of 1702.
Today, some of these buildings house modern shops, galleries or cafés.
I wandered through the district without any particular order or purpose, simply capturing details that caught my eye.
Then I got back to the quay and enjoyed the beauty created by the fronts of the buildings belonging to Bryggen, which were illuminated by the sun, highlighting the colours of the façades even more. Although the following photos show essentially the same thing, I like each one, so here they are...
In the previous photo, a little farther away, to the left, you can also see the Rosenkrantz Tower (Rosenkrantztårnet) from the second half of the 16th century. The tower is considered the most important Renaissance monument in Norway and was built to encompass an old keep from the late 13th century and the outwork from the early 16th century. According to what I’ve read, the tower offers a beautiful view of Bergen and Bryggen, but I didn’t go there.
As for me, I took a stroll along the quay and then sat in a café to enjoy not only a coffee, but also the sunny day. I wasn’t the only one with this idea.
I found a cosy spot and ordered the coffee, which I leisurely sipped while enjoying the moment. But then I noticed that most people around me were drinking beer. I thought, "Why not?" So I ordered a beer as well and they asked if I wanted a small or a large. Hmm! What a strange question – of course I wanted a large one. And yet, in the end, I was quite surprised when I realised that a large beer at this place meant 0.75 l of this delightful liquid. What else could I do but start drinking it?
I managed to do that, of course, but in the meantime, I wanted to capture the moment as well. So, I took a selfie showing that the hand holding the glass was in a glove – not because of the beer's temperature, but because of the outside air temperature. Yes, that day in Bergen, the sun was shining brightly, but it was cold.
After the quite pleasant and unusually long break for me, I finally got moving, but I didn’t go far – just to the starting station of the Fløibanen funicular.
I may have skipped the beautiful view of the city from the tower, but I decided to make up for it by taking the funicular to the upper station on Mount Fløyen, which is 320 meters above sea level.
The funicular opened in 1918 and it essentially operates with two cars that pass each other in the middle of the 844-meter-long track. Over time, these cars have been replaced and modernised, but the system remains the same.
When I arrived at the upper station of the funicular, I immediately looked for a spot where I could both enjoy the view of Bergen and take some photos. It wasn’t difficult at all.
I also took photos of Vågen Bay and some islands further west towards the sea.
Then I took a stroll and enjoyed the truly wonderful day. On Fløyen hill, there are plenty of hiking trails, as well as a playground for children and some cafés. There were also a few goats around.
I only took a short walk here and even sat on a bench where I could enjoy the beautiful view of Bergen and the sunny weather. I also felt like taking a photo of myself there.
A little later, I went back to the upper station and soon found myself in a funicular car again, but this time heading down.
It was already late afternoon and although the day in the north of Europe was long (in late April, the sun in Bergen sets after 9 PM) I still wanted to walk some more before heading to dinner. So I did. Although I couldn’t resist photographing Bryggen again, this time I expanded the circle of my exploration a bit.
In the photo below, you can also see the route of the Fløibanen funicular as it makes its way to the top of the hill above the city.
And then I returned to Vågen Bay and finally sat down for dinner at a restaurant. It was quite sufficient and definitely very tasty.
By the time I finished dinner, the sun had already set, but it was still not completely dark. However, although I took a few photos and found the details of this very beautiful city intriguing and attractive, I didn’t linger long on the streets of Bergen. The next day, I would continue my tour of Norway by car, so it was important for me to get a good and sufficient rest.
The next day was exceptionally beautiful, but also quite exhausting. What made it most memorable was the incredible luck I had. The day was perfect – blue sky, mostly free of clouds, and the sun shining brightly through the clear air characteristic of Norway. The country benefits from its coastal location, extensive forests (over 33% of Norway's land area is covered by forests) and a population that does not litter, plus they are wealthy enough to advocate and practice a "green agenda."
(As a side note: Without diminishing the natural features, the sea and forests, or the cleanliness of the people themselves, it wouldn’t surprise me if Norway, like many wealthy countries, exports its waste to be recycled in less affluent countries (often in Southeast Asia, meaning it’s transported halfway around the world) that need the money and are willing to accept anything. This makes the "green agenda" of wealthy countries somewhat hypocritical, but such practices are common among entities with money – they can get away with it.)
In any case, I left Bergen relatively early and since it was a Sunday, I thought there wouldn’t be much traffic on the road. I was mistaken in that regard, but it wasn’t dramatic. There were simply more vehicles than in the previous days. Perhaps I was also travelling on more popular routes.
Here is a map showing where I travelled on this day:
I didn’t head directly to my final destination for the day, as I had planned the trip and route to make the most of travelling by car and to explore the country as much as possible, even if it meant a lot of driving. On this day, I spent 11 hours driving from the starting point to the final destination. Considering the number of stops I made in order to take photos, this is not too surprising, but it was all worth it. It’s also important to note that in late April, the sun sets after 9 PM at these latitudes, so the day was long enough.
First, I headed towards Gudvangen, which is located at the end of the Nærøyfjord, a narrow and long arm of the Sognefjord that I had travelled along the previous day.
After leaving Bergen and navigating through some initial traffic where I had to focus closely on the road and the conditions there, the route began to lead me through incredibly beautiful landscapes with less traffic. This allowed me to stop at a pull-off on the opposite side of the road and walk over to the guardrail to capture what I found appealing.
I must admit that I wished Norwegians had more designated parking areas where one could stop briefly and enjoy the stunning views. If that were the case, it would have taken me at least 2 days to cover the same route. The distance from Bergen to Gudvangen is nearly 150 km, and it takes almost two and a half hours to drive that distance.
Fortunately, there were occasional pull-offs along the road after all, often because of local bus stops, which were quite sufficient for taking photos.
So I arrived at the lake called Seimsvatnet, which is 2.7 km long, while the scenery there was absolutely magnificent. When it came to selecting photos to accompany this story of mine, I faced a huge dilemma. All the photos looked stunning and I felt they all deserved to be shared with others. Nevertheless, I had to make a more selective choice.
And then I moved from the designated parking area a hundred metres further to a bus stop, where I had to get out of the car again to take photos because I was completely captivated by the beauty.
At this spot, I also had the “bonus” of seeing a beautiful white wagtail (Motacilla alba).
Then I drove another 4 km and (once again) had to stop. This time, it was near Lake Vangsvatnet. All the lakes I’ve mentioned are located in the municipality of Voss, while this particular lake is situated roughly in the centre of the municipality. The lakes are connected by the Voso River flowing westwards into a fjord. Lake Vangsvatnet covers an area of nearly 8 sq. km.
Here, I also managed to spot and photograph two types of birds. One was the Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) and the other was the great tit (Parus major).
By the way, my photos, while showcasing incredibly beautiful landscapes, only reflect a small part of the natural splendour that is abundant in Norway and that I could see in passing.
After this stop, I continued towards Gudvangen and passed by a waterfall called Tvindefossen. The waterfall is 116 meters high and is renowned for its beauty. Since the late 20th century, it has gained even more fame for its reputed properties – the story goes that the water from the Kroelvi stream, which creates the waterfall, is excellent for rejuvenation and enhancing sexual potency. As a result, over 200,000 people from all over the world visit the waterfall annually to collect its water. This is much better than killing rhinos, while the result is probably the same.
Soon I arrived at Lake Oppheimsvatnet, as well. Although the lake is not very high – at about 360 meters above sea level – it still had ice left over from the previous winter.
Then the road led me between high mountains and I soon arrived in Gudvangen. I’ll share more about that in the next sequel of my story about the journey through Norway in April 2024.