Bergen - Norway - page 278

Lepramuseet i Bergen (Leprosy Museum) Visiting a former lepers'
colony might not be your idea of a hot time, but this complex holds fascination
for some visitors. Exhibits focus on the country's contribution to leprosy
research, especially the work of Dr. Armauer Hansen, who gave his name to
Hansen's disease, the modern name for leprosy. In the Middle Ages, St. Jørgens
Hospital here was a hospital for lepers, and many of the oldest buildings date
from the beginning of the 1700s. The museum also exhibits the Bergen Collec-
tion of the History of Medicine.
Kong Oscarsgate 59. & 55-96-11-55. Admission 30NOK ($4.25) adults, 15NOK ($2.15) children and stu-
dents. May 20-Aug daily 11am-3pm. Bus: 1, 5, or 9.
Mariakirke (St. Mary's Church) The oldest building in Bergen (per-
haps dating from the mid-12th c.) is this Romanesque church, one of the most
beautiful in Norway. The oldest ornament in the church is the altar. The
baroque pulpit, donated by Hanseatic merchants, bears carved figures depicting
everything from Chastity to Naked Truth. Church music concerts are given
from June to August several nights a week.
Dreggen. & 55-31-59-60. Admission 10NOK ($1.40) adults, free for children 6 and under. May 22-Aug
Mon-Fri 9:30-11am and 1-4pm; Sept-May 21 Tues-Fri 11:30am-1:30pm. Bus: 5, 9, 20, 21, or 22.
Mount Ulriken For one of the grandest views in western Norway, visit
Bergen's highest mountaintop, Ulriken, at 642m (2,106 ft.). The attraction lies at
Landaas, 5km (3 miles) southeast from the center of Bergen. The Ulriksbanen
( & 55-20-20-20 ), the most famous cable car in western Norway, runs up the
mountain. A shuttle bus departs for the Ulriksbanen from the Tourist Information
Office in Bergen (p. 256) daily from May to September. Off-season departures
depend on the weather. Once at the cable-car station, you can walk for 3 hours
north along a well-trodden track to the top of the Fløibanen funicular railway,
with scenic vistas in all directions. This is our favorite walk in the Bergen area.
Landaas. & 55-20-20-20 for the cable car. Return fare 80NOK ($11) adults, 40NOK ($5.70) children. Com-
bined cable car and shuttle bus 130NOK ($18) adults, half price children. Sept-May shuttle bus departures
every hour on the hour 9am-6pm; May-Aug 9am-9pm. Cable car in summer daily every 7 min. 9am-10pm;
off season daily 10am-5pm.
Norgen Fiskerimuseum (Norwegian Fisheries Museum) More than
you'd ever want to know about fishing—unless you're a fisherman—is presented
in this specialized museum that traces the history of the fishing fleet, so vital to
the economy of Bergen, through the ages. The nature and management of fish-
eries is presented in detail, as are depictions of the sea and its vast, though
diminishing, resources. The controversial Norwegian custom of whaling and
sealing is also on show, as is the much less controversial fish farming. The pro-
cessing of fish, such as the vital cod, is revealed along with exportation methods.
Bontelabo 2. & 55-32-12-49. Admission 20NOK ($2.85) adults, 10NOK ($1.40) students and seniors, free
for children. June-Aug daily 10am-6pm; Sat-Sun 11am-6pm. Bus: 1, 5, or 9.
Rosenkrantz Tower This defense and residential tower was constructed in
the 13th century by the governor of Bergenhus (Bergen Castle), Erik
Rosenkrantz. Two older structures were incorporated into the tower: King Mag-
nus the Lawmender's keep, from about 1260, and Jørgen Hanssøn's keep, from
about 1520. It was rebuilt and enlarged in the 1560s. The panoramic view of
the seaport of Bergen is worth the trek here. There are guided tours of the tower
and Håkonshallen (see above) about every hour.
Bergenhus, Bradbenken. & 55-31-43-80. Admission 25NOK ($3.55) adults, 12NOK ($1.70) children. May
15-Aug 31 daily 10am-4pm; Sept 1-May 14 Sun noon-3pm. Bus: 1, 5, or 9.