Tuesday, December 23, 2014

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

Bryggen Norway
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 in Bergen
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?

port of Bergen

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!

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

Bryggen, Norway

Bryggen buildings

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 boats
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!

Bergen harbor
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.

wooden builds of Bryggen
historic Bryggen leading up to the newer buildings
wood buildings of Bryggen
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.

25 comments:

  1. Carmen Perez: My family and I love to travel. This looks like a beautiful place to visit I love all of your photos!

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    1. Carmen- Bergen was so beautiful! I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did.

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  2. I have always wanted to travel and go to Norway. Hopefully one day. These photos look great! Hoping to one day get to see it for myself!

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    1. Jeanine, Norway was a destination that I did not expect to become one of my favorite places in the world, but it definitely is now!

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  3. I love how quaint it looks there. I always enjoy looking at photos from other countries/cultures because some things are so different from what we see here in the US.

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    1. That's exactly what I love so much about traveling as well, is seeing the differences in culture and lifestyles!

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  4. Those stairs would really make me nervous about using them. I would love to visit Norway someday.

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    1. Kori, I was a little worried about the stairs too but it turned out to be just fine!

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  5. Such a sweet and tranquil spot. I'd love to visit one day. Might have to add it to my travel bucket list!

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    1. Jenni, I definitely would- or anywhere in Norway, really!

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  6. Such a sweet and tranquil spot. I'd love to visit one day. Might have to add it to my travel bucket list!

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    1. Jenni, I definitely think you should. Bergen was such a great city!

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  7. What a beautiful place! I travel a lot, but I've never been to Norway. I might just have to check it out!

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    1. Cher, Norway was such a beautiful destination in so many ways!

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  8. I've never been to Norway before, but it looks like a beautiful place to visit. I love the look of the buildings.

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    1. That's exactly what i loved too! It had so much culture to the look.

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  9. Oh, I'm dying to visit Norway! And this city definitely is a must to see! Great post :)

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    1. Katarina, Bergen had so many terrific options to explore- I would definitely call it a must see for Norway!

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  10. It looks just like Norway in Epcot! ;) I would love to see it in person. I have heard amazing things about Norway and Sweden too. Did you watch the show Welcome to Sweden? I don't know if it's just an American show, but I loved it.

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    1. I haven't been to Epcot center in years, so I couldn't even compare. And I actually have watched Welcome to Sweden- it is such a funny show, because so many of the things are totally true!

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  11. What a beautiful place and well deserved to be on UNESCO's list of heritage sites. The houses are beautifully made and the colors are so rich....

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    1. Elizabeth, I definitely agree- Bryggen is well deserved of being on UNESCO's list of sites!

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  12. I love the bright bold colors of the buildings. I would be so nervous to have a business there since it's susceptible to fire. At least, it is close to water.

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    1. Yona, I think a lot of the businesses there have been around for years and years. The colors of the buildings make the area so pretty!

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  13. If you want to see Bryggen you should hurry. The politicians in Bergen are in the process of deciding, against the will of the voters, to build a Light Rail in front of it. In a couple of years this might be what you see: http://g.api.no/obscura/API/dynamic/r1/escenic/tr_1080_590_l_f/0000/archive/04870/bybanen20481118_4870221a.jpg?chk=C32C5F

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