Bergen - Norway - page 274

Impressions
Reaching Bergen we fail to find it particularly attractive. Everything is
fishy. You eat fish and drink fish and smell fish and breathe fish.
—Lilian Leland, Traveling Alone: A Woman's
Journey Round the World, 1890

fifth day, explore the Sognefjord by express steamer, going by bus through Voss,
and returning by train to Bergen.
THE TOP ATTRACTIONS
In addition to the sights below, take a stroll around Bryggen . This row
of Hanseatic, timbered houses, rebuilt along the waterfront after a disastrous fire
in 1702, is what remains of medieval Bergen. The northern half burned to the
ground in 1955. Bryggen has been incorporated into UNESCO's World Her-
itage List as one of the most significant cultural and historical re-creations of a
medieval settlement, skillfully blending with the surroundings of modern
Bergen. It's a center for arts and crafts, where painters, weavers, and craftspeo-
ple have their workshops. Some workshops are open to the public.
Akvariet (Bergen Aquarium) A 15-minute walk from the city
center, this aquarium contains the most extensive collection of marine fauna in
Europe, lying on the outmost reaches of the Nordnes district, with a panoramic
view of the entrance to the port of Bergen. The exceptional marine life includes
seals, penguins, lobsters, and piranhas. In the outer hall you can get the feel of
the fish—dip your hand into the shallow pool of unpolluted water pumped up
from a depth of 120m (400 ft.) in the fjord outside. Nine glass tanks, each con-
taining about 62,500 gallons of water, ring the hall. Downstairs, a wide range of
marine life in 42 small aquariums demonstrates many colorful forms of sea life
and illustrates evolutionary development. Kids should enjoy the seal and pen-
guin feeding time, daily at 11am, 2pm, and 6pm in the summer; or, in the win-
ter daily at noon and 4pm.
Nordnesbakken 4. & 55-55-71-71. Admission 100NOK ($14) adults, 50NOK ($7.10) children, 250NOK ($36)
family ticket. May-Sept daily 9am-7pm; Sept-Apr daily 10am-6pm. Bus: 11 from the Fish Market.
Bergen Art Museum Separated into a trio of buildings overlooking
Lille Lungegårdsvann Lake, this ever-growing and expanding art museum pos-
sesses one of the most impressive collections in Norway.
Bergen Billedgalleri is devoted to both Norwegian and international art
extending from the 13th to the 20th centuries. The collection is known for its
magnificent Greek and Russian icons from the 1300s and its Dutch paint-
ings from the 1700s. Seek out, in particular, Birch in the Storm, a famous
painting by J. C. Dahl, as well as Vardøhus Fortress by Peder Balke. When the
gallery dips into modern art, there is a bit of camp, as in their display of poetry
and an exhibition by Yoko Ono as well as Bjørn Carlsen's mixed media piece,
“Mother I don't Want to Die in Disneyland.” The photography of Tom Sand-
berg confirms his reputation as one of Scandinavia's greatest photographers.
The impressive Rasmus Meyer Collection features paintings from the
18th century up to 1915. We come here to gaze upon Edvard Munch's mas-
terpieces , especially the trio The Woman in Three Stages, Melancholy, and
Jealousy. Some of the best paintings of the Norwegian Romantics also hang
here, including works by J. C. Dahl, Harriet Backer, and Nikolai Astrup, the

Kids