Bergen, Norway
Early this morning the National Geographic Endeavour made her way up the Byfjord heading for her morning destination of Bergen, Norway. Bergen is considered the largest and most important seaport of Western Norway. It was founded by King Olaf III in 1070, and was Norway's capital during the 12th and 13th centuries. Today, it is the county seat of Hordaland County and is Norway's second largest city. With slightly over 200,000 inhabitants, Bergen still holds much power in the country of Norway and is considered the cultural center for Western Norway. Bergen became a leading trade center during the middle Ages, being the most northern contour or trade-goods outpost for the Hanseatic League. From this northern destination members of the Hanseatic League gathered dried fish, stored it, until it could be transported to Lübeck, Germany the center for this international group of merchants who dominated trade during the middle Ages. This association, or hansa, became very powerful and was able to develop monopolies and force trade concessions for its members, as well as defend its members from pirates and other competitors, enact commercial laws, and maintain fleets with professional sailors and chart makers to aid their trading centers. The Hanseatic League lasted for several centuries from the late 1200's to the mid 1700's, and eventually included many foreign member cities, Bruges, London, Novgorod, Riga, Gdansk, Riga, and Visby.
One of the most impressive sights is seen as one enters into the main harbor of Bergen. The Hanseatic trade houses or posts as the original German traders referred to them, line one side of the port called Bryggen. The original trade houses were destroyed by fire in 1702. Subsequently many were replaced by stone warehouses in a style modeled on that of the Hansa period, but a small section of timber buildings has survived and now houses many restaurants and shops. The trade houses that were reconstructed in the original location follow the original building line: the governing body of the Hansa tradition station stipulated the exact depth and width of each merchant's building and the width of the passage separating them!
Our morning would be spent visiting two of the most important sites located near the city of Bergen. Fanthoft Stave Church was originally in a small village outside of Bergen was brought closer to the city in the 1800's. During that period in Norway, there were hundreds of stave churches; today, only 30 remain, standing throughout the country. Fanthoft is considered one of the most impressive of this style of wooden church construction. Unfortunately vandals burned the original church in 1992; community reaction was one of extreme loss and a group of people gathered together enough money to have an exact duplicate rebuilt and this new version looks identical to the original!
Our second stop was to the home of internationally known composer, Edvard Greig. He spent the last 22 years of his life in this home, and it is here that we got a sense of who Edvard Greig was as a man. He was and is still a very popular and likeable figure in Norway. From June to October one can hear his music in concert each day in the city of Bergen. He was disarmingly modest about his music: "I make no pretensions of being in the class Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Their works are eternal, while I wrote for day and generation."
Our afternoon was spent exploring this picturesque western Norwegian city…from a Funicular ride to the high overlook over Bergen, to walks through the shopping district, culminating at the end of the harbor at Torget a colorful fish market and considered the first ground settled, specifically for commerce a thousand years ago…walking the paths, and flagstones that make up this ancient trading center we also traded in goods as so many had done before us…enjoying the bustling activity that has brought the city of Bergen great success in the past…and continues through the present and into the future.
Early this morning the National Geographic Endeavour made her way up the Byfjord heading for her morning destination of Bergen, Norway. Bergen is considered the largest and most important seaport of Western Norway. It was founded by King Olaf III in 1070, and was Norway's capital during the 12th and 13th centuries. Today, it is the county seat of Hordaland County and is Norway's second largest city. With slightly over 200,000 inhabitants, Bergen still holds much power in the country of Norway and is considered the cultural center for Western Norway. Bergen became a leading trade center during the middle Ages, being the most northern contour or trade-goods outpost for the Hanseatic League. From this northern destination members of the Hanseatic League gathered dried fish, stored it, until it could be transported to Lübeck, Germany the center for this international group of merchants who dominated trade during the middle Ages. This association, or hansa, became very powerful and was able to develop monopolies and force trade concessions for its members, as well as defend its members from pirates and other competitors, enact commercial laws, and maintain fleets with professional sailors and chart makers to aid their trading centers. The Hanseatic League lasted for several centuries from the late 1200's to the mid 1700's, and eventually included many foreign member cities, Bruges, London, Novgorod, Riga, Gdansk, Riga, and Visby.
One of the most impressive sights is seen as one enters into the main harbor of Bergen. The Hanseatic trade houses or posts as the original German traders referred to them, line one side of the port called Bryggen. The original trade houses were destroyed by fire in 1702. Subsequently many were replaced by stone warehouses in a style modeled on that of the Hansa period, but a small section of timber buildings has survived and now houses many restaurants and shops. The trade houses that were reconstructed in the original location follow the original building line: the governing body of the Hansa tradition station stipulated the exact depth and width of each merchant's building and the width of the passage separating them!
Our morning would be spent visiting two of the most important sites located near the city of Bergen. Fanthoft Stave Church was originally in a small village outside of Bergen was brought closer to the city in the 1800's. During that period in Norway, there were hundreds of stave churches; today, only 30 remain, standing throughout the country. Fanthoft is considered one of the most impressive of this style of wooden church construction. Unfortunately vandals burned the original church in 1992; community reaction was one of extreme loss and a group of people gathered together enough money to have an exact duplicate rebuilt and this new version looks identical to the original!
Our second stop was to the home of internationally known composer, Edvard Greig. He spent the last 22 years of his life in this home, and it is here that we got a sense of who Edvard Greig was as a man. He was and is still a very popular and likeable figure in Norway. From June to October one can hear his music in concert each day in the city of Bergen. He was disarmingly modest about his music: "I make no pretensions of being in the class Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Their works are eternal, while I wrote for day and generation."
Our afternoon was spent exploring this picturesque western Norwegian city…from a Funicular ride to the high overlook over Bergen, to walks through the shopping district, culminating at the end of the harbor at Torget a colorful fish market and considered the first ground settled, specifically for commerce a thousand years ago…walking the paths, and flagstones that make up this ancient trading center we also traded in goods as so many had done before us…enjoying the bustling activity that has brought the city of Bergen great success in the past…and continues through the present and into the future.
