Bergen - Norway - page 276

Damsgård This off-the-beaten-path manor house from 1770 is the
finest example of 18th-century rococo timber architecture in western Norway.
The roof is of black glazed tiles from the Netherlands, a sign of grand extrava-
gance back then. In 1983 the municipality of Bergen acquired the house and its
furnishings. The interior is painted in a “jolly range of baroque colors.” After a
visit inside, wander through the lavish baroque rose gardens, with their ponds,
Grecian sculpture, and flora.
Alleen 29, Laksevåg. & 55-94-08-70. Admission 70NOK ($9.95) adults, free for children. May-Aug
Tues-Sun 11am-4pm (last tour at 3pm). Bus: 19, 70, or 71. 3km (1 3 ⁄ 4 miles) west of Bergen on Rte. 582.
Det Hanseatiske Museum In one of the best-preserved wooden build-
ings at Bryggen, this museum illustrates Bergen's commercial life on the wharf
centuries ago. German merchants, representatives of the Hanseatic League cen-
tered in Lübeck, lived in these medieval houses built in long rows up from the
harbor. With dried cod, grain, and salt as articles of exchange, fishers from
northern Norway met German merchants during the busy summer season. The
museum is furnished with authentic articles dating from 1704.
Finnegårdsgaten 1A, Bryggen. & 55-31-41-89. May-Sept admission 45NOK ($6.40) adults; Oct-Apr admis-
sion 25NOK ($3.55) adults; free for children year-round. June-Aug daily 10am-5pm; Sept-May daily
11am-2pm. Bus: 1, 5, or 9.
Domkirken (Bergen Cathedral) For 9 centuries this has been a place of
worship, although it's faced turbulent times. The first stone church was built in
the mid-12th century and dedicated to Olav the Holy, patron saint of Norway.
By the 13th century the Dom was in the hands of the Franciscan brothers, but
the fires that swept Bergen in 1248 and again in 1270 caused massive damage.
Under a grant from King Magnus (“the Lawmender”), the friars reconstructed
a beautiful church, which stood here in 1301. Regrettably, the massive Bergen
fires of 1463 and again in 1488 swept over the church. With the coming of the
Lutheran Reformation, the first Lutheran bishop claimed the old Franciscan
church and turned it into the cathedral of Norway's oldest diocese. Unfortu-
nately, two more fires destroyed the cathedral in 1623 and 1640. The present
building dates from its major restoration in the 1880s, which saw the addition of
beautiful stained-glass windows with biblical motifs. All that remains from the
13th century are the Gothic choir stalls and the foundations of the towers. Since
the Battle of Bergen in 1665, a cannonball has been imbedded in the West Wall.
Kong Oscarsgate and Domkirkegate. & 55-59-32-70. Free admission. Late May to Aug Mon-Sat 11am-5pm,
Sun 10am-1pm; off season Tues-Fri 11am-2pm, Sat 11am-3pm, Sun 10am-1pm. Bus: 1, 5, or 9.
Fantoft Stavkirke This is a rare opportunity to see what a wood-
built stave church looked like, even if it's merely a mocked up version. In the
Middle Ages Norway had a total of 750 stave churches, but only 30 are still
standing. Architecturally, these churches were unique with their “dragon heads,”
carved doorways, and staves or vertical planks. The original stave church was
constructed in Fortun in Sogn in 1150 and moved to Fantoft in 1883 at a point
5km (3 miles) south of Bergen. Regrettably, a self-styled Satanist burned it to the
ground on June 6, 1992. The present church is an exact duplication of the orig-
inal. Adjacent to the church is a large cross from 1050. It was moved here from
Sola in Rogaland.
Fantoftveien 46, Paradis. & 55-28-07-10. Admission 30NOK ($4.25) adults, 20NOK ($2.85) students, free
for children 6 and under. May 15-Sept 15 daily 10:30am-2pm and 2:30-6pm. From the bus station in Bergen,
take any bus leaving from platform 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, or 100. Departures every 20 min. for the 10-min. jaunt
to the stave church. Get off at Fantoft. From the bus stop, it's a 10-min. walk up the hill.

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