Bergen - Norway - page 282

IN NEARBY LYSØEN
To reach the island of Lysøen, 26km (16 miles) south of Bergen, drive or take a
bus (from Platform 20 at the Bergen bus station, marked FANA - OS - MILDE ) to
Sørestraumen on Road 553. Take the Ole Bull ferry across the channel from
Sørestraumen, Buena Kai. The round-trip fare is 40NOK ($5.70) for adults,
20NOK ($2.85) for children. When the museum and villa are open, ferry
schedules coincide with the site's hours, and boats depart for the mainland at
hourly intervals. The last boat leaves a few minutes after the museum closes.
Museet Lysøen/Ole Bull's Villa This villa and concert hall were built in
1872-73 for the world-famous violin virtuoso and Norwegian national hero, Ole
Bull. The building, now a national monument, is preserved as it was when the
musician died in 1880. The building itself is an architectural fantasy of the 19th
century, with a dome, curved staircase, cutwork trim, and gingerbread gables.
Bull built 13km (8 miles) of romantic trails that meander around the island.
Lysøen. & 56-30-90-77. Admission 25NOK ($3.55) adults, 10NOK ($1.40) children. Guided tours early May
to Aug Mon-Sat noon-4pm, Sun 11am-5pm; closed Sept to early May. Transportation: See “Organized
Tours,” below.
ORGANIZED TOURS
For information about and tickets to tours, contact Tourist Information,
Bryggen 7 ( & 55-55-20-00 ). The most popular and highly recommended tour
of Bergen is the 3-hour city bus tour. It departs daily at 10am and covers the
major attractions, including Troldhaugen and “Old Bergen.” It operates May to
September and costs 250NOK ($36) for adults, 160NOK ($23) for children.

WALKING TOUR HISTORIC BERGEN

Start: The Fish Market.

Finish: West Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts.

Time: 1 hour.

Best Time: Any day between 8am and 5pm (when it's not raining, of course).

Worst Time: When cruise ships anchor.

1 Fish Market
Around the turn of the 19th century,
this broad esplanade at the innermost
reaches of Bergen's harbor teemed
with fishermen selling their catch, as
well as the blood, guts, and carcasses.
Today, in a much-sanitized format, it's
a venue for crafts, knitwear, carved
Siberian and Lappish souvenirs, and
to a lesser degree, fish and seafood.
From here, walk west along the Strandkaien,
hugging the harborfront on your right-hand
side, making a small detour inland at the
Strandkaien's end. Within a block, at an
angular jog in the avenue known as the
Strandgaten, you'll see the solid, partially
fortified walls of:

2 City Wall Gate
This gate was originally built in 1550
as a checkpoint in a once-continuous
wall that surrounded Bergen. Today it
stands isolated amid the newer build-
ings and broad avenues that surround
it on all sides. There's a cheap-clothing
outlet on its ground floor, and an
obscure, rarely visited museum (the
Buekorps Museum) upstairs.
From here, walk west along Strandgaten,
noting the many shops that line the street
on either side. Within about 5 minutes you'll
reach one of Bergen's most visible houses of
worship:
3 Nykirken
Noteworthy features of this church are
the Danish-inspired, mansard roof