Historic Bryggen: A UNESCO Heritage Site You Can't Miss

my very first view of Bryggen

Welcome to Bryggen, Norway; one of the world's UNESCO Heritage Sites that you absolutely can't miss. Bryggen is situated in the center of Bergen, Norway along the harbor. Bryggen is Norwegian for 'wharf,' and my family and I were lucky enough to visit this beautiful site this past October! One of Europe's oldest port cities, Bryggen has been around- and will hopefully remain- for centuries to come!

The city of Bergen was founded prior to 1070 as earliest records state. In the above picture, many of the buildings that you see were built as early as the 1700s, and have miraculously survived fires and more to remain standing. The buildings are currently largely tourist shops, and so much fun to peek around in!

Bryggen wooden buildings

The majority of the buildings in historic Bryggen are built from wood, making them highly susceptible to fires. Now, you may be asking, what makes Bryggen a UNESCO heritage site?

Bryggen is built in the Port of Bergen. Unfortunately, due to various conditions, Bryggen is in need of protection due to several causes. In addition to being highly susceptible to fire, the buildings of Bryggen were built upon structurally questionable material, and are essential in danger of sinking. When examining the buildings of Bryggen, you can note how the original older buildings have begun to sag. Fortunately, the UNESCO Heritage Center is working hard to save Bryggen!

crooked stairs in Bryggen

Although the picture isn't exactly clear, this crooked staircase is an example of the 'sinking of Bryggen!'

narrow alleyway of Bryggen

The narrow alleyways of Bryggen can be characterized as customary throughout much of old Scandinavia, but the wooden structures make it especially interesting to view!

These are some of the newer and stone buildings located in the port of Bergen. The port is essentially a U-shape, with historic Bryggen located on the right-hand side of the U.

old wooden fishing boats

If you are lucky on your trip to Bryggen, you will be able to observe some of the old, wooden fishing boats located in the pier! Bergen is largely considered to be a fishing city with a large fish market, so definitely check out some of the beautiful boats!

view of opposite side of harbor

On the opposite side of the 'U', you can observe the rest of the wharf in Bergen. The opposite side houses much of the fish market, along with several shops and restaurants to explore.

historic Bryggen leading up to the newer buildings

historic Bryggen

Of course, on any trip to Bergen, Norway there are many things to do besides explore Bryggen! The two highlights of our trip were hiking Mt. Fløyen and visiting the fjords. If you are looking for a great trip to Norway, I would highly recommend spending at least 2-3 days in Bergen and exploring all of the beauty that Norway has to offer.