Bryggen is a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason. Absolutely gorgeous, steeped in history, and well worth the time it takes to walk around this small portion of the city near Bergen Harbor. Ignore the touristy shops and restaurants if you're not into that kind of stuff. I'm not really into that sort of thing, so while I did walk along the front, for me, the best part of this area was walking down the alleyways and seeing the unique architecture up close and personal. There are so many fun little woodworking details if you really take the time to look. We were here in the middle of summer, so a very busy time, with a lot of people around, and it wasn't too overbearing people wise. Especially in the alleyways and around back. There is also some green space and ways to get to other tourist sites in the back, so heading that way through the alleyways is a great adventure to be had. read more

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This Medieval wharf is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the oldest section of Bergen inside the historic harbor district known for its 62 colorful, wooden boat houses from the 12th century. Bryggen has been damaged by many fires and has been rebuilt after each, closely following the previous property structure and plan as well as building techniques. Bryggen's appearance today stems from the time after the fire of 1702. Today many of the buildings are being renovated & repaired. The ground level of must are now gift & souvenir shops along with Starbucks & restaurants catering to tourists. There are many alleyways with club's & restaurants hidden in the back. read more

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It may look like a Disneyland attraction circa 1955, but it has historical value in showing Bergen's former glory as the salted cod trading center of Europe. The Norwegians brought the cod to the port and the Germans would buy it to sell to the rest of the continent. Think of Bryggen as a really old Fisherman's Wharf. Besides, the facade of the colorful plankboard buildings makes it the ideal subject of refrigerator magnets (photo: https://bit.ly/3zRYuH7). Sure, it's picturesque because it's always the opening shot of any travel video about Bergen. But as usual, what lies beneath is what fascinates as the narrow alleyways between the leaning warehouses houses interesting shops, art galleries, and museums. Apparently it's been rebuilt several times over the centuries due to fires and such, so it's like an HGTV program on a constant loop. I also noticed otherwise normal housewives turn into cheek-sucking fashion models posing against the aged planks for their Instagram moments. Jamie W. and I tried to emulate their approach, but we didn't starve ourselves enough to look waif-like. More whale-like. RELATED - Exploring Norway? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3PEL4Fe read more

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This place is incredible. The history alone is very interesting. The houses now are restaurants, shops and a hotel. Half of the building are still original, the ones on the right side. Don't be fooled by the ones on the left that are currently the Raddison. read more

Bryggen - House's - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Bergen, 12

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Seriously this town is a storybook from Christmas past and what a charming place. Every where you turn is eye candy. Put on your seriously comfortable walking shoes and get ready to climb. We stayed on the oldest street in town and was centrally located. We walked everywhere rain or shine. Bryggen was a Rock's throw from where we stayed, so close. Take the tour of the Bryggen wharf when you are here to get the history. Very photogenic day or night. The building houses restaurants, souvenir shops to bars and a museum. Enjoy exploring.... read more

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Dog goes woof, cat goes meow. Bird goes tweet, and mouse goes squeak. Cow goes moo. Frog goes croak, and the elephant goes toot. Ducks say quack and fish go blub, and the seal goes OW OW OW. But there's one sound that no one knows... WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY? Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! WHAT THE FOX SAY? Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! WHAT THE FOX SAY? Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho! WHAT THE FOX SAY? Joff-tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! Joff-tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! Joff-tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff! WHAT THE FOX SAY? EXPLANATION: My first day in Norway just happened to land on Constitution Day, Norway's equivalent of 4th of July in America or Bastille Day in France. A large outdoor concert was setup with various musicians...including YLVIS!!! I loved the music video and never in my life had I expected to see and hear this in person! FANTASTIC! (I uploaded a a video clip :) ) Otherwise its nice historic shopping center that isn't as touristy as you would imagine. read more

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Bryggen is one of the most visited tourist sites and the oldest part of Bergen. It is really a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings lining the eastern side of the fjord coming into Bergen As in most of the buildings was built by wood so a lot of them have been destroyed by fire... with the most recent one in 1955. Since 1979, Bryggen has been on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites. Now most of these cute looking and colourful buildings housed souvenirs shops, restaurants and museums... Touristy but great for Photo taking!! read more

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We toured this area when we first arrived here as we heard what a wonderful UNESCO site it was. It was a very interesting tour as we went down some of the side alleys behind the main buildings. There are a lot of shops using the area so you have to use your imagination and try to visualize how it was back in the day. They have done a really nice job and it is still in progress restoring things to how they were. A must see area in Bergen. read more

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Amazing character of these beautiful and preserved historical buildings that are still used by thousands of people and carefully maintained. It's the magnet for the tourists. It's what Bergen is known for. Located right on the harbor with great vistas from far this UNESCO world heritage site is something to be experienced. I was truly impressed by the efforts that must have gone in preserving these historical artifacts. read more

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A UNESCO World Heritage site!! Bryggen reminds me of Nyhavn in Copenhagen. Many colorful buildings facing the water. Most of the buildings are tall, slim, and made of wood. Many stand side by side, but there are a few areas which are separated by alleys. Make sure to stroll through these alleyways. You will find interesting shops and galleries to browse and perhaps purchase items. Beautiful! Charming! Postcard perfect! Bryggen is a destination not to be missed when traveling to Bergen, Norway!!! read more

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One cannot visit Bergen without exploring Bryggen. This UNESCO World Heritage site is quite literally the postcard picture of Bergen that is seen around the world. Rain or shine (and there is certainly more rain than shine when it comes to Bergen) you can enjoy visiting Bryggen. I recommend you start your visit not at Bryggen but across the Vågen, the bay that separates the Nordnes peninsula from Bryggen. From that vantage point you can take in the scenery and capture some great photos. The walk from the peninsula to Bryggen is a quick one and once there you can explore the shops that now occupy the 1st floor of the buildings. Be sure to wander through the wooden alleys and check out everything that occupies the spaces between the building as well as the museum. read more

Bryggen - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Bergen, 12

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The oldest part of Bergen is Bryggen, which is a series of buildings that used to house the old Hanseatic German community. . There is a museum here where the guided tours start and they will explain to you how this community evolved. You will then enter some of the old gathering rooms for those communities, ending with a walk through some of the existing buildings that now house souvenir shops, and then along the harbor to yet another museum which shows the old fish merchant's home and how they sold fish. The entire tour takes about an hour and a half but check to make sure,it is being done in the language that you want. And then when it's over - return to those shops. While some are your typical Souvenir shops- there are some gems hidden in between like specialty crafts, knits and jewelry. You'll find some unique one of a kind pieces . read more

The most stereotypically Bergen thing in Bergen! I was a little disappointed to learn that it is all rebuilt, but it is still a cool cultural site and beautiful sight seeing. Be sure to both meander through the alleyways in Bryggen, and also walk across the harbor to get a great view from afar! read more

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Bryggen is quite pretty and in a lot of ways reminds me of Nyhavn in Copenhagen because of the colorful houses, though these are clearly crafted in a more Norwegian fashion. Bryggen itself is not necessarily the most exciting place in the world. It's basically theses old-fashioned UNESCO protected houses that have been commercialized and turned into restaurants and overpriced souvenir shops. The area itself is not very large and you can walk it.... in less than a minute. It's pretty though, and certainly historic. You're pretty much bound to see it if you're in Bergen, but the place itself... is not super exciting. tldr; pretty but there's not really much to do besides taking a look and taking a quick snap read more

Bryggen - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Bergen, 12

This wonderfully preserved historical district is one of the highlights of Bergen. We arrived by ferry from Balestrand, and as we crept into the harbor, you were able to get the sense of what this place may have been like back in the day as part of the Hanseatic Trading League. The harbor area is quite busy, as there are shipping vessels everywhere. Despite all the activity in the harbor, it is hard to look away from the Bryggen area. It's a rainbow of buildings, whose color has faded over the years. Now, there are museums dedicated to preserving the heritage as well as plenty of shopping and dining opportunities to cater to tourists and locals alike. Both museums are worthwhile adventures. When the weather is nice (we caught a brilliantly sunny day in Bergen), the place is teeming with people strolling up and down the harbor. To learn more about the area, I'd suggest going to a few of the museums in the wharf area, which focus on the Hanseatic Trading League (hello European history class) and life in the area during the glory days. It's pretty amazing to learn about life in Bergen during the prosperous times of the Hanseatic Trading League, while also learning about the myriad of fires that plagued the area. One night, we had a fantastic meal at Enhjørningen. Since the wharf seems like it could be a bit of a tourist trap for dining, we found this restaurant highly recommended via Lonely Planet and Rick Steves. This turned out to be a great meal. For more, see my review of the restaurant in my Norway list. Place has a lot of character in terms of the internal architecture, decoration, and atmosphere. Plus the food was fantastic. read more

Gorgeous in any season. It's hard to miss Bryggen on your visit to Bergen. also creates a stunning, old-world backdrop to the tall ships races as well. You should definitely go to the museum to understand just how much this area has changed in the last 400 years and how miraculous it is that Bryggen still exists (and in such great condition). Can be touristy, but not overwhelmingly so. And you get a great view from across the wharf at The Flying Dutchman. read more

Came here back at the end of May... walked around Bryggen to take a few pictures and then walk through some of the stores. I saw a pretty decent mixture of tourists and locals hanging out around this area. Aside from shopping you can also visit some of the museums there as well as some restaurants. Feeling that a lot of the stores here were tourists traps, we decided to eat elsewhere. This is something definitely to see if you're in the area but I wouldn't make a day out of it. read more

Bergen's historic harbor area and the wooden wharf buildings aren't just a UNESCO site, they are also beautiful and unique. They're pretty to look at from the waterfront, but even cooler up close where you can wander in the tiny alleyways between the buildings. Inside are stores, restaurants, art galleries, and even a museum. It gets crowded in the middle of the day, so an early morning exploration of the buildings is the best way to see it without crowds. With the sun rising between the buildings, it truly feels like stepping back in time. read more

Obviously, every one who visits Bergen is going to check out these historic houses on the harbor. But the best thing about visiting this little area was going into the alleys behind the storefronts. You walk on narrow wooden walkways that are surrounded by these houses that lean in all different directions. The shops that you will find off of the walkways had much better deals that the ones facing the harbor. There was a cool jewelry shop named Bergen Steinsenter off of the walkway, that had a cat laying in the middle of the shop table. Got a pretty good deal on a necklace from there, check them out. read more

I had seen the pictures and knew that it was a UNESCO site and had reasonably high expectations given the designation. I couldn't have been more disappointed. It is just a bunch of shopping set in an historic setting of culturally significant buildings. I get that the original use of the buildings was for business and lodging, but It might be better as a living history museum or interpretive center. I am not a shopper so this may sway my opinion, but it seemed like a tourist trap. Who needs a seal skin really. We spent about 30 minutes total in the area. Given all the photos and reviews on the internet it was totally different than I expected. read more

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Bryggen is amazing. Great views if the gorgeous buildings from the wharf. Highly recommend going here. We loved it!