Bergen was the final destination of our journey aboard the Viking Neptune, and the city provided an appropriate conclusion to our tour of Iceland and Norway. Our ship docked beside Bryggen Wharf on Vågen Harbor, placing us near the historic center of a city that has depended upon the sea for almost a thousand years. From the ship, we could see Bergen rising from the waterfront toward the surrounding hills, with buildings crowded between the harbor and the mountains.
Bryggen is Bergen’s best-known landmark. Its narrow rows of wooden buildings recall the period when German merchants of the Hanseatic League controlled much of the trade in dried cod and grain along Norway’s western coast. Fires repeatedly destroyed parts of the waterfront, but the buildings were rebuilt on the same narrow foundations. Today, Bryggen is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it preserves the character and layout of that important trading settlement.
Our scheduled excursion was a panoramic bus tour. This was a sensible way to see Bergen because the city extends well beyond its historic harbor, climbing over hillsides and wrapping around bays and inlets. From the bus, we saw a mixture of old neighborhoods, commercial streets, waterfront activity, parks, and more modern sections of the city. Bergen is surrounded by seven mountains, and even within the central area, its sloping streets remind visitors that this is not a flat port city.
The weather was less cooperative. Rain fell intermittently throughout the excursion, sometimes as a light mist and sometimes so heavily that umbrellas and raincoats were needed. Bergen is famous for its rain (2/3 of the year has rain), so perhaps we were seeing the city under its most characteristic conditions. The wet pavement reflected the buildings, trees, streetlights, and gray sky. Although the rain limited our views and made walking less comfortable, it also gave the city a subdued atmosphere that seemed entirely appropriate for Norway’s western coast.
We eventually left the bus and walked downhill toward Festplassen, Bergen’s large public gathering space beside Lille Lungegårdsvann. Along the way, we passed the monument to Ole Bull, the internationally known Norwegian violinist and composer who was born in Bergen in 1810. Created by sculptor Stephan Sinding and unveiled in 1901, the bronze monument shows Bull playing his violin above figures associated with Norwegian nature and folklore. Bull was more than a successful musician. He promoted Norwegian culture during a period when the country was developing a stronger national identity, and he helped establish a Norwegian-language theater in Bergen.
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One of our principal stops was Nykirken, or the “New Church,” located near Vågen Harbor. We spent about 30 minutes inside while a local director explained the church and its history. Its name now sounds misleading, given that the church is centuries old. It was called Nykirken because, when first completed in 1621, it was the newest of Bergen’s parish churches.
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The building has endured much of Bergen’s turbulent history. It was damaged and rebuilt after several major fires. During World War II, it was again severely damaged when an ammunition ship, German Voorbode, exploded in Vågen Harbor on April 20, 1944. The church was later reconstructed, and its present spire was completed in 1955 according to an earlier design. Nykirken is also known as the Children’s Cathedral because of its special emphasis on children and families. This focus is evident in the interior, which is adorned with decorations crafted by local children. Hand-painted icons, mobiles, and stained-glass effects created by setting paintings into double-glazed panels fill the church with a sense of warmth and community spirit.
One of its most distinctive features is a golden baptismal angel that can be lowered above the baptismal font.
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Standing inside the church, protected for a short time from the rain, allowed us to appreciate how often Bergen has recovered from fire, war, and destruction. The building’s survival reflects the same resilience seen throughout the city.
Our rainy visit did not reveal Bergen under ideal photographic conditions, but it gave us a genuine impression of the city. We experienced its harbor, its steep streets, its cultural history, and one of its remarkable churches. As we returned to the Viking Neptune, Bergen seemed like an appropriate final chapter to our journey: a historic maritime city looking outward toward the sea, shaped by trade, music, faith, difficult weather, and centuries of determination.
