Museums

  • Finland, Museums, Turku

    Turku Castle: Finland’s Most Important Historic Site

    Turku Castle: Finland’s Most Important Historic Site

    Turku, Finland’s historic capital, is located on the west coast towards Sweden. Located on an island out into the bay is Turku Castle, a medieval castle that was founded in the 13th century as a bastion and administrative centre for Finland during the union with Sweden. It’s easy to visit Turku Castle from Helsinki for the day, or make it part of your visit to Turku.

    I visited Turku Castle on a cold winter day in February 2022 and found it fascinating. Helsinki is such a modern city (by comparison), so I didn’t think there were many of these historic places to be seen in Finland. Turku certainly proved me wrong, and this Castle is an excellent example of Nordic medieval castles.

    Here’s my guide to Turku Castle, including its historic importance and the exhibitions inside.

    Turku Travel Guide
    Finland Travel Guide

    In this article...

    History of Turku Castle

    Transformation to Living Quarters

    Eventually Turku Castle’s position shifted as various Duke’s were given control over the Castle. It was decided to expand the castle into more of a living quarters. The first major renovation took place in the 14th century. A kitchen and bakery were also added to the Castle. By the end of the century, Turku Castle was one of the largest and most important castles in the Nordic countries.

    In the 15th century one of the most remembered residents came and left his touch on the Cathedral. During the reign of Sten Sture the Elder, the castle underwent major changed during the most extensive construction works of the Middle Ages in Finland. Most importantly, the Catholic Church, known today as Sture Church, was built in the Castle. The Great Castle Hall was also expanded to two naves.

    The Vasas & the Renaissance Palace

    The next important residents were the Vasa. When Gustav Vasa became King of Sweden in the 16th century, he had Turku Castle expanded to include the bailey. He had visited the Castle and found it outdated and unpleasant. The Castle was also given a more Renaissance feel following German, Spanish and Polish examples. The Renaissance part of the Castle is known for being unique in Finnish conditions and was the only example of Renaissance-style court life in Finland. Since then, the Castle has never been added or extended, just repaired.

    Gustav Vasa’s younger son, Johan, moved into the Castle to serve as Duke of Finland. He had parties in the Castle as well as tournaments. His wife, Catherine, brought jewels, gold, velvet, curtains, tapestries, nightwear, and forks to the Castle, all of which had not really been seen in Finland before. Around 600 people worked at the Castle under Johan.

    Johan’s older brother, Erik, was King of Sweden and the two brothers did not get along. At the time, Sweden was at war with Poland, and Catherine was a Polish princess. Erik’s forces besieged Turku Castle for three months before Johan and Catherine were imprisoned.

    Eventually Johan became King of Sweden after a coup and Erik was kept prisoner at Turku Castle. After Johan died, his son Sigismund became the King of Sweden. From Catherine’s side, he had already been declared the King of Poland. This caused conflict between him and the Swedish Nobles, but the Finnish Nobles supported Sigismund from his fathers time as Duke. Turku Castle was besieged two more times, with the second time in 1599 ending with the massacre at the town hall of Turku on the 10th of November 1599.

    17th Century Decline

    The castle was used throughout the 17th century, but it was considered to be in bad condition by this time. There were a number of sieges and accidents at the castle throughout the 17th century. For example, in 1614, when King Gustav II Adolf visited, a huge fire destroyed the wooden structure of the main castle almost completely. After this, the main castle was abandoned and partly used as a store, while the residents moved into the bailey.

    When governor general Pietari Brahe lived here, the rooms were furnished for use of the official scribes and the fort had an armoury, shoemakers workshop, sauna, and brewery. The Castle was still important for social life where people dressed up, celebrated, and ate the European way.

    Conversion to a Prison & Russian Rule

    From the late 18th century to the late 19th century, part of the Castle was converted into a prison. Sometimes there were almost 20 prisoners to the one cell. In the winter, the air was musty and diseases were common.

    When the Finnish War began in 1808 the Castle was taken over by the Russian navy and handed back to the Finnish authorities a couple decades later, when the country became an autonomous state within the Russian empire. The Castle was then converted to a Russian barracks.

    Museum Conversion and Major Restoration

    Towards the end of the 19th century, interest in the Castle began to be renewed and the Turku Historical Museum was founded in the bailey in 1881.

    In the 1920s and 1930s, the first major restoration work began. During the work, wall paintings from the 1530s were found in the room above the gate.

    The renovation of the castle began before World War II but was interrupted by Finland’s two wars with the Soviet Union, was completed in 1987. The castle was damaged in aerial bombardments, especially in the summer of 1941 when firebombs hit the castle.

    The restored castle was handed over on 12 October 1998 to the city of Turku. The building is today owned by the Finnish state and is entrusted to the use of the city of Turku. The castle functions as a historic museum.

    Castle Construction

    Museum Conversion and Major Restoration

    Turku Castle has a medieval keep and Renaissance bailey. The keep is a square fort with two square gateway towers, and the thickness of the walls is around 5 metres (16 feet). The castle used to be surrounded by a moat.

    You can see the video below that outlines all the different stages of growth.

    https://vimeo.com/108994016

    Visiting the Castle

    The Main Castle

    The Main Castle is where you will visit first. You wander through the rooms, following a marked trail, and can read information signs that give an overview of the both the Castle’s history as well as Finland and Sweden’s history.

    There are two separate sections of the Castle when you enter: the medieval castle and the renaissance castle. They are clearly marked with arrows. In each room, there is a number on the wall and a matching description, so you never feel lost.

    There are lots of stairs and awkward entranceways, but this adds to the authenticity of the castle.

    Soon after entering the medieval castle you will see some of the 16th century artwork that was uncovered under the whitewashed walls. There’s nothing drawing attention to it, but you can’t miss it.

    Each room has an information sign in Swedish, Finnish and English with historic drawings of the castle and fun little stories. Take a look at the one above – Jordan the prisoner with multiple wives!

    The walkway up to the Sture Church

    Sture Church

    Sture Church

    The Nuns Chapel

    The most impressive rooms are the Sture Church and the Nuns Chapel, which hold the collection of medieval religious statues, something not seen elsewhere in Finland.

    The Nuns Chapel was built in the 1480s as a dining room for the Lord of the Castle, but it was given to Duchess Catherine to be her devotional chamber after she moved to Turku. After the Reformation, Catholic churches were referred to as monastic churches. The name of the Nuns Chapel therefore doesn’t reference actual numbers, but Catherine herself. In the 17th century it was used for storing flour and in the 18th century it was an armoury.

    In the Guest Room you can see one. of the first windows of Turku Castle. Before then, pig skin would be used instead of glass! Interestingly, the guest room was left empty and furniture was only brought in when needed.

    The King’s State Room was Finland’s most important secular room from the early 14th century. Nearly all of Sweden’s medieval Kings stayed in this room.

    The Kings and Queens Halls date from the 1550s, when the medieval fortification was turned into a Renaissance palace by Duke Johan and Catherine.

    The Bailey

    The exhibitions in the bailey focus on everyday life in the castle, its festivities, court and staff. I found this part a little less interesting as it feels very much like what you’d find in any other European castle. However, this will definitely be of interest to most people!

    Practical Information

    Opening Hours & Prices

    You can find up-to-date information about pricing on the museum website here.

    In winter, the museum is open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am to 6pm, while in summer it is open every day from 10am to 6pm.

    Getting There

    The castle is located out of Turku town centre, making it a little difficult to walk there. Thankfully, taking the bus is fairly easy.

    From Market Square, take bus line 1 from Platform D1 towards the harbour (satama in Finnish). The bus stop is in front of the castle.

    If you are driving, parking is available.

    Guided Tours

    Guided tours are only available in Finnish, though it is possible to book a private tour in English.

    Tell Us What You Think!

    Have you been to Turku Castle? Let us know in the comments.

    Turku Travel Guide
    Finland Travel Guide
  • Hurtigruten, Kirkenes, Museums, World War II

    Andersgrotta, the Bomb Shelter Beneath Kirkenes

    Andersgrotta, the Bomb Shelter Beneath Kirkenes

    Kirkenes, a small town located about 10km (6 mi) from the Russian border, is a fascinating place to visit. It is the turning point of Norway’s Coastal Ferry (Hurtigruten & Havila), so it is easily accessible for visitors to Norway. The town itself is very sleepy today, so it’s hard to imagine that during World War II it was one of the most important places for the Nazis in their fight against the Soviets. In fact, Kirkenes is the most bombed place in Europe after Malta.

    There are two attractions in town that cover World War II history. The first is the Grenseland Museum, located a little ways out of town and covering more the history of border relations between Norway, Finland and Russia, and the second is the Andersgrotta bunker, a complex system of tunnels beneath the town itself. Andersgrotta is offered as an excursion on the Coastal Ferry but it is also possible to visit it yourself while visiting the town.

    Here’s an overview of why Andersgrotta is significant as well as what you can see on your visit.

    In this article...

    Kirkenes Travel Guide

    Be sure to check out our Kirkenes travel guide! Here you can find all our recommendations of things to do and see, including our self-guided road-trips. 

    Kirkenes During World War II

    After Norway was occupied by Nazis, Kirkenes became a strategic town due to its proximity to the Soviet Union. Its importance increased when Operation Barbarossa put Kirkenes right on the front lines. Additionally, Murmansk is an ice-free harbour and one of the only ones with access to the ocean, and the Allies were sending ships there to keep the Russians well-stocked to push the Nazis out of St. Petersburg and Russia. The Nazis used Kirkenes as a base to bomb these ships but also try and invade the Soviet Union. Because of these attacks, Kirkenes was bombed more than 300 times, while air raid alarms were held more than 1000 times.

    History of Kirkenes

    Andersgrotta Bunker

    This is the largest bomb shelter in Kirkenes. It was built in 1941 to protect the civilians of Kirkenes from the repeated bombings of the war. Because of the air quality, people couldn’t stay all night but would come down every time there was an alarm. Babies were born here, livestock was kept here, and people just did everything they could to survive. In total, the shelter had enough room for 2500 people. Somehow they survived down there – though it still remains a bit of a mystery.

    After the war, Kirkenes was left in ruins. These bunkers became places where people could live while waiting for their home to be built. This took a while as there aren’t many trees in Northern Norway, so much of the timber had to be imported from the south. Many of the civilians also used the caves out at the mines, approximately 10km from town. Andersgrotta was never used for mining; it is purposely built as a bomb shelter.

    Visiting Andersgrotta

    To get inside, you go down a staircase under the Norwegian flag. It is very cold inside – around 0C – and the air feels musty and damp. You hear dripping water everywhere. There is electrical lighting in there today, but during the war there was no electricity, plumbing, or ventilation systems. During the Cold War all of these were added in. You see one of the air vents when you go to the Russian monument.

    Andersgrotta

    First your guide will show you a selection of images of Kirkenes from before and after the war, explaining the destruction that took place here.

    Next you will sit down and watch a 10 minute documentary that explains what happens in Kirkenes during the war. It includes fictional footage (acting of life in Kirkenes) but also documentary footage of the Nazis, the bombing, and the Soviet Union liberating Kirkenes.

    After the movie you have a chance to walk around. The complex consists of several corridors which lead to a number of exits.

    Outside Attractions

    Andersgrotta

    Guided tours include a visit to the Russian monument that sits on top of Andersgrotta. It may seem a bit surreal to have a monument to a Russian soldier in Kirkenes, but the town was liberated by the Soviets and has maintained a close, positive relationship with the Russians ever since.

    The monument is from 1951 and shows a Red Army soldier standing on a plinth. Originally the soldier was trampling a German eagle under his foot, as a symbol of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany, but the political climate changed and the eagle was replaced with a rock shortly before the statue was unveiled.

    Book Your Tour of Andersgrotta

    Andersgrotta is managed by Snowhotel Kirkenes. Andersgrotta is open to the public daily at 12:30pm – you can buy tickets at the entrance or on the Snowhotel website. Otherwise, other times are only available via private tour. These are booked through Snowhotel Kirkenes: https://www.snowhotelkirkenes.com/andersgrotta

    Here is the Hurtigruten excursion to Andersgrotta: https://www.hurtigruten.com.au/excursions/norway/7a-the-norwegian-border/

    Here is the Havila excursion to Andersgrotta: https://www.havilavoyages.com/excursions/the-russian-border

    It is easy to walk here. The entrance is approximately 250 metres from the town centre, though it is not marked with signs.

    Kirkenes Travel Guide

    Be sure to check out our Kirkenes travel guide! Here you can find all our recommendations of things to do and see, including our self-guided road-trips. 

  • Museums, Røros

    The Røros Museum ‘Smeltehytta’

    The Røros Museum ‘Smeltehytta'

    When you visit Røros, you have to go to the museum. Located just by the church, the museum is a reconstruction of the Smeltehytta that once stood here (I’ll explain what that is below). Inside you’ll find an overview of the unique mining history in Røros, from the process to the finance and beyond. But the museum isn’t just about mining – a topic I know doesn’t appeal to everyone – but the museum is about life in Røros. What was it like to live here 300 years ago? What happened to the Sami people? By visiting the museum, you get this newfound appreciation for the difficulty of living in such a remote spot.

    Back in September 2020, I visited the museum during my road-trip around southern Norway. I was impressed by many aspects of the museum, and it helped when I walked through Røros afterwards. I’ve found information about the museum online to be scattered, so I’ve put together this guide to help you get an understanding of what to expect when visiting.

    In this article...

    Røros Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    What is a Smeltehytta? The History of the Site Explained

    A Smeltehytta – or smelting cabin in English – is the place where the copper ore underwent a long and laborious smelting process before the finished product was exported. The mining didn’t take place in Røros but the surrounding area; once the copper ore was extracted, it was transported by horse and sledge to one of the many Smeltehytta’s around Røros. There were twelve Smeltehytta’s in total. The Smeltehytta had to be built by a river to utilise the waterpower, as well as be close to timber as the process required a lot of wood.

    I explain the mining history in-depth on a separate page, which you can view here.

    It’s believed one of the first-ever Smeltehytta’s was built on the site where the museum is today, and the town of Røros grew around it. Sadly, that Smeltehytta is long gone; the cabins were never really preserved. As mining was modernised, so was the smelting process. Also, the Smeltehytta in Røros burned down in 1953 and then again in 1975. Between 1986 and 1988 it was rebuilt as a cultural monument and museum, and a lot of work went into making it look as much like the real thing as possible.

    Inside the museum

    Arriving at the museum

    Signs are pointing to the museum all over town. If you are on foot, it’s a couple of minutes walk from the main street. If you have just arrived by train, it’s only a ten-minute walk (800m). Otherwise, there is a very large car-park outside the museum itself. Please note, though, that the roads leading up to the museum are very narrow for cars and most are one-way; pay attention to which way they go!

    View from the car-park

    Approaching the museum + car-park by car (taken from my YouTube video)

    After parking at the museum, you get an excellent view of Røros Church. Such an amazing view, but don’t let it distract you! You can explore the town after. I got so distracted I forgot to take a photo of the museum.

    Arriving at the museum

    You enter the museum on the top floor. The reception desk is right there, with the souvenir shop just behind. To your right will be an exhibition about Røros as a UNESCO World Heritage-listed region. It’s mostly just text on boards, but there are some great images there. The exhibition also shows you the other UNESCO sites in Norway, including beautiful Bryggen in Bergen. You can see what it looks like here.

    The shop is excellent, but I’ll talk about that below.

    Once you get your ticket and brochure, you head downstairs to the bottom floor: it’s two floors down. There’s also a lift. This is where the main exhibitions are.

    Vaskaryss og Bersa: A Sculpture Exhibition

    Before you walk into the main exhibition about mining, you’ll pass through this sculpture exhibit. It’s called ‘Vaskaryss og Bersa’ and it is a series of sculptures by local artist Per Sverre Dahl. The sculptures depict the dark side of mining in the early years: child labour and poor work conditions. The sculptures are excellent, but you are likely to skip right by them on your way to the main exhibit.

    The Main Exhibit: Mining around Røros

    This is what you came for. It shows examples of how mining and smelting took place in Røros from the 17th to the 19th century – i.e. pre-modernisation. It highlights the organisation, use of materials, and financing.

    Immediately you’re greeted with this huge display that says all the names of the mines and all the different jobs at each mine. It also shows how long they lasted. It’s a great visual representation of just how big mining was here, but note it’s all in Norwegian – old Norwegian too!

    Of course, one of the first displays is copper ore. You have to see what they made their money on. This piece is taken from Gamle Storwartz mine – the first mine in the region.

    There is another incredible display outlining how much copper was extracted each year, plus when each mine was in operation. I love visual displays like this; it’s so much nicer than reading a wall of text. If you read many of my pieces about museums, you’ll see I don’t care much for museums that are just made up of text. I like visual representations – that’s why I go to museums! If I wanted just text, I’d read a book. Anyway.

    After passing these displays, you turn into the main room. Here you see the models that represent how the process works. There’s also a section with items from the old mines. I should say that the items leftover from the mines is very minimal. While I found that disappointing, it’s worth remembering that the miners were not exactly preoccupied with preserving everything when doing that hard manual labour every day.

    The models are incredible. They move and replicate exactly what the mining process was like. It helped me understand how it all worked. I was mesmerised by the quality and attention to detail that went into these models. They are fantastic. You’ll spend most of your time here looking at them.

    The Ruins

    After walking through this room, you’ll reach the end. It feels small but go through the large barn door to your left. This is an additional room with models, but there’s also the remains of the old smelter here.

    In this room, you’ll also find some old photos. Many of these photos can be seen online here.

    Be sure to look up! This painting is above the entrance to this room.

    The barn-like room is where you see most of the old smelter. It’s great any of it remains considering it burned down in 1953 and 1975. There are old tools and gear here, and they aren’t in any exhibition case. They are just left scattered around, as though the workers have put them down for their break. I like this authenticity. It’s rough, rugged, and authentic.

    However, the room is small. You’re done in no time. Head back to the main exhibition room and then from there you head upstairs.

    Upper floor exhibition

    On the middle floor is an exhibition called Ti Finpussa (In Their Finery). It is a collection of clothing pieces that were worn by people in Røros throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. It shows how people dressed for the weekend, holidays, and parties. The clothing is inspired by European trends, but also reflects the practical needs of the people living here.

    I remember that almost all the information was in Norwegian. Luckily I had my husband there to translate, but we moved through this exhibition pretty fast and I didn’t take any photo.

    You can see the exhibition here.

    Temporary exhibitions

    The museum has temporary exhibitions every year. We didn’t go – I don’t think there were any when we visited. In 2021 they have an exhibition on the Alta Hydropower project, which is interesting considering Alta is very far away from Røros. My guess is that it ties in with the Sami community in Røros. Click here to view info on the exhibit.

    Interestingly, I couldn’t find any info about the temporary exhibitions on their English website; just the Norwegian website. Either they haven’t updated it, or they are only doing it in Norwegian.

    Visiting the museum

    How long should I spend here?

    The museum is small, and we were in and out within an hour. Of course, that depends on your interests.

    When is it open?

    The opening hours are:

    • 20 June – 15 August: 10.00 – 18.00
    • 16 August – 10 September: 10.00 – 16.00
    • 11 September – 31 May: 10.00 – 15.00 
    • 1 June – 19 June: 10.00 – 16.00

    NOTE – they update their website often, and I may not be able to update in time. Check the current opening hours here.

    Practical Information

    Accessibility

    The main exhibition is down two flights of stairs, but there is a lift as well.

    Audio guides

    They have audio guides you can borrow at the museum, or you can load it up on your phone ahead of time. The ones in the museum come in English, Norwegian, French and German. The one online seems to be in English.

    The audio guide for your phone is here.

    Want to get a really good overview of the museum? You can listen to it all online here. Or wait until you actually get there.

    Guided Tours

    Guided tours are available in the summer, and I highly recommend them. During summer, they have one English-language tour a day at 11am. During winter, they offer guided tours in English and Norwegian at 1pm.

    Check the current tour info here.

    Online exhibitions

    There is a crazy amount of information online, and there are two websites that are ‘online exhibitions’.

    The first one is about Røros on the World UNESCO List. There is so much info there. Click here to view the website.

    The second website is about Sami Culture & Heritage in Røros. Why is this an online-only exhibition? I wish I could’ve seen this in person. Click here to view the website.

    Parking

    Parking is free and located just outside the museum. It’s a fairly large carpark.

    Shop

    The shop is huge and full of goodies. There are many, many books on Røros – most of them are in Norwegian, though.

    There’s a section of Sami goods, including jewellery and handicrafts. The husband surprised me with a necklace from there; he knows Sami jewellery is my favourite thing.

    You can find the Røros tweed blankets here, as well as locally made ceramics and food.

    There’s also the standard t-shirts, postcards and magnets type of souvenirs.

    Røros Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Museums, Stavanger

    All You Need to Know about the Oil Museum in Stavanger

    All You Need to Know about the Oil Museum in Stavanger

    On my visit to Stavanger in September 2020, we were stuck looking for places to visit. I am a huge Norwegian history geek, so I was hoping to see the Canning Museum and the Archaeological Museum, but both were closed due to the corona virus. To top things off, we were in Stavanger on my 30th birthday. In a bid to find something to do (and get relief from the cold weather), we went to the oil museum in Stavanger. I never thought I’d turn 30 in an oil museum, but here we are!

    Honestly, the oil museum in Stavanger is a fascinating look into Norway’s petroleum industry. My husband went on about how he felt like he was back in high school (they were taught a lot about the oil industry in Norwegian schools). I learned some things I never new about oil, so it felt worth it.

    In this article...

    Stavanger Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    The oil industry

    While the museum has a ton of information about the oil industry, I think it’s worth going in with a general understanding about Norway’s oil industry.

    The oil industry is a big topic and hard to condense. When I’m doing tours around Norway, I give a topic about the good, bad and ugly of the oil industry. I’m working on adjusting that into a blog post.

    In the meantime, you can read about the oil industry on the Norwegian government website (it’s in English). Click here.

    The oil museum in Stavanger

    The Oil Museum (Oljemuseet) shows how oil, particularly offshore operations, is Norway’s most important industry. The exhibitions present historical developments in the oil industry. It starts with the exploration in the North Sea and the construction of steel and concrete platforms. It goes right up to modern production ships and subsea systems. Then, the exhibitions look to the future of the oil industry.

    Moreover, the museum is stunning to look at. It’s probably unsurprising that it is designed by an architectural firm, and part of the museum looks like an oil platform when viewed from the outside. The building is a landmark in the Port of Stavanger.

    The Oil Museum opened on the 20th of May 1999 by King Harald V. Currently, it is the most visited museum in Stavanger.

    The museum is a stop on my self-guided walking tour of Stavanger:

    Exhibitions

    The exhibitions include technological advances and how oil revenue has affected Norwegian society. Climate change is a focal point, especially issues with greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Original objects, models, films, and interactive exhibits convey the history of oil operations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Information boards explain what it’s like to work offshore and underwater.

    For kids, they can slide down a real rescue chute and play on a miniature oil platform. There are tons of interactive exhibits for them to try.

    The museum is spread out over two floors. You enter on the lower floor.

    Lower floor exhibitions

    When you first enter the museum, there’s an extensive timeline. It outlines the development of the oil industry in Norway, from the first exploration to the present day. Since we are in Stavanger, there’s a focus on how the town changed with the discovery of oil. It’s a fascinating timeline with plenty of documents, images and text. You could spend 20 minutes or one hour reading the timeline.

    Short film

    The staff will likely recommend that you watch the short film first. It’s a fictional film and not a documentary, so it’s going to be quite different from the types of museum films you expect. Starring famous Norwegian actor Kristoffer Joner, the film explores a man reflecting on his childhood in Stavanger during the oil boom. His father worked on the rigs, and Joner’s character is bitter towards the oil industry. After all, it took away time with his father. The story is a little out there, but the footage of Stavanger in the 1970s is very interesting. I especially liked how it showed the American influence on Stavanger, with all the bars and cars. 

    Future of the oil industry

    Lastly, on the lower floor, there’s an exhibition about the future of the Norwegian oil industry. Before you go into the exhibit, you’ll see a row of various drilling bits. They kind of remind me of the creatures from horror and sci fi movies!

    The exhibition explains how the oil is state-owned, with the profits being invested abroad. There’s a counter with the current value of the Norwegian oil fund and the current price of oil:

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    What’s great about this exhibition is that it has a balanced opinion. The exhibition shows the protests and newspaper articles in Norway that has had a negative opinion about the oil industry. At the same time, the exhibition shows where they plan to drill for oil in the future, namely in the Arctic. This is a very heated debate at the moment in Norway.

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    Moreover, the exhibition also explains what exactly the oil and gas is used for. Norwegian gas supplies 25% of gas to Europe and the UK. Also, Norway doesn’t use its own oil! A downstairs exhibit explains how the steel pipelines are placed on the seabed, linking the Norwegian continental shelf to Norway, Germany, France, Belgium and the UK.

    The upper floor

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    You enter the oil platform recreation once upstairs. It’s a really cool place to walk around, and we had fun messing about in the control room section. All the equipment is authentic and interesting to look at. However, I know so little about the oil platforms that it all looked so foreign. The upstairs exhibitions explain how they search for oil and how the drills work in the ground. From the upstairs platform, you can go outside and slide down a net. We did not as the net looked like it may break one of our bones. There’s also lovely views of Stavanger from the outside!

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    An upstairs exhibition focuses on the impact of climate change around the world. It focuses on Norway’s role in combating climate change. Displays explain protests in Norway against oil, overpopulation, and the government’s decisions. It’s a mixed view, though it may lean towards painting Norway in a positive light. Other topics are changes in the free marked, international collaboration, and technological changes. You can read about the exhibition on their website.

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    The last upstairs exhibition is about the North Sea, focusing on how they work out there. There’s a film showing a British man connecting pipes underwater that is interesting to watch. I was fascinated by the fact they have to spend a good portion isolated as they readjust to the pressure above the sea. You can try on the helmets they wear underwater too.

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    Stavanger Oil Museum

    Practical Information

    Languages

    The signboards are in English and Norwegian. They have brochures available in more languages like German, Russian and French.

    Restaurant

    Attached to the museum is the Bølgen and Moi Restaurant with lunch and dinner. It has a small but excellent menu plus an extensive drinks range. We had a burger split between the two of us (they even cut the burger in half!) and a local apple juice plus a coffee. It was really good and just what we needed.

    Read about the restaurant

    Visit their website

    Souvenir Shop

    The souvenir shop has a lot of science toys, including experiment kits, slinkies, goo, and so on. If you’ve been to a science museum and seen the kids’ section of the souvenir shop, it’s very similar. There are some t-shirts and caps with the museum logo, and a small collection of books (most are in Norwegian. There’s also some jewellery, if that’s your thing. We bought a magnet from the museum, as we do everywhere.

    Read about the shop.

    Guided Tours

    The museum does offer guided tours in Norwegian, English and German. However, these are not regularly scheduled and most be booked in advanced. They are generally for large tour groups and not couples or individual travellers. That’s a shame because they offer oil tasting at the restaurant, which would be cool to experience.

    Read more

    Stavanger Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Bergen, History, Museums

    A Guide to Gamle Bergen

    A Guide to Gamle Bergen

    For me, Gamle Bergen was one of those places I occasionally took groups, but never really understood. I never had the chance to go there myself, and when I was with tourists I was too busy with them. As a tour guide, I memorised information about the important houses, and always made sure to give them their maps and point them in the right direction, but that’s about it. I never understood why to make the journey to Gamle Bergen when modern Bergen is full of old houses!

    With the corona situation, I’ve had much more free time to go exploring, and it’s finally giving me the chance to build up this blog. I decided that I would visit Gamle Bergen and write about it for Hidden North, hoping to find some new appreciation for the museum. And boy, did I!

    So, for my Gamle Bergen Guide, I’m going to go over what you can see at the museum but also the hidden attractions around the museum because, honestly, they are just as special (and they are free!)

    In this article...

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    What is Gamle Bergen?

    Gamle Bergen (English: Old Bergen) is an open-air museum located a few kilometres outside the city centre of Bergen. The museum was established to save the characteristic houses that represent Bergen architecture. Bergen did catch fire often!

    The museum’s founder was Kristian Bjerknes (1901-1984), a cultural historian and member of a group of likeminded locals. He became the first director of the museum and ran it until 1971. As the city was expanding at the beginning of the 20th century, the widening of streets led to the demolition of many of Bergen’s wooden homes. The museum group would instead take the houses and place them on their site.

    In 1944, a German freight ship exploded on the Bergen Harbour. The explosion damaged many wooden houses, and the museum sped up its efforts to save these buildings. They were rebuilt at Gamle Bergen.

    The museum has 32 houses plus smaller buildings and items from the old times. Gamle Bergen’s purpose is to highlight Bergen’s history and cultural life, with objects and information boards telling about what it was like to live in Bergen in the 18th and 19th centuries.

    Historic Overview of the Site

    Gamle Bergen was built on Elsesro, an old summer estate. The wealthy shipbuilder Rasmus Rolfsen had Elsesro built to accompany his boatyard. He named the site Elsesro after his wife Elsebe (Elsesro = Else’s Peace). In the 19th century, the pavilion, gatekeepers house, summer house, tower house and barn were added.

    Rasmus Rolfsen’s son, Tønnes Rolfsen, expanded the main building when he moved in. Damsgård Manor, which sits directly across the fjord, likely inspired the architecture of the building. Tønnes Rolfsen also had Haugen built, with its Chinese pavilion, park and ponds, designed in an English garden style.

    After Tønnes Rolfsen passed, his son Rasmus Rolfsen took over the property and continued using it as a shipbuilding business. The shipyard operations were ceased and the business was abandoned in 1839. Rasmus Rolfsen, on his travels to Copenhagen, had become interested in the liquor business and decided to use the property for that. The business didn’t last long; in the second half of the 19th century, the property was a paint-making business.

    When Rasmus Rolfsen died in 1903, he left no descendants. The city took over the estate in 1906. From 1911 to 1916, the property was used as an orphanage for children from tuberculosis homes. From 1919, the building was used as a nursing home for children with syphilis. The purpose of sending the children there was to isolate them to prevent infection as well as sure them. This home was abandoned in 1939.

    From 1936, the Gamle Bergen Association took over Elsesro in several stages, and in 1949 the museum opened with the first restored houses.

    I’ll go over the original buildings a little more on the walk-through.

    On the way to Gamle Bergen

    For my guide below, I walked from Bryggen to Gamle Bergen. Therefore, my walk starts on the opposite side of the park from the main entrance. Honestly, I found it a lot nicer than using the main entrance, which is on a dirt road. It’s much more peaceful using the side entrance as you pass these lovely historic homes as well as the old shipyards.

    The Ropemakers House

    The point in which you leave the main road to walk to the Gamle Bergen entrance begins at the recently restored Ropemaker’s House. This lovely 19th century home was the residence of the owners of the ropeworks you’ll see behind it.

    The area you walk through now is an area that has many historical monuments. Sadly it’s also an industrial area, so there’s a mix of history and then ugly modernity.

    Måseskjaeret

    Hidden amongst the industrial buildings is Måseskjaeret, a 1798 villa (lystgård in Norwegian) that sits out on the water. The building has been converted into modern warehouse buildings.

    Ditleffsengen & the Sailors Homes (Strandens grend)

    Ditleffsengen is another 18th-century villa we pass on our left.

    After this building, we pass a village-like cluster of old houses known as Strandens grend today. These were the homes of sailors as well as workers at the factories. They also signify the northernmost part of Sandviken.

    Holmefjordboden

    This building was built in 1804 for merchant Johan Ernst Mowinckel, who imported corn, textiles and other ‘kolonial’ products. For a while, this was also a stockfish warehouse.

    Masteboden

    Masteboden, or the ‘mast booth’ is part of the original Elsesro property; and is the long brick warehouse on the waterfront. It was the building that was built to repair the Russian ship. Rasmus Rolfsen repaired the ship, a task which took one year and 8 months. The building is probably the largest privately owned Empire-style brick building in Bergen.

    The Old Postal Road

    Just before the Gamle Bergen entrance, close to the gate there is the first leg of the postal road that ran from Bergen to Trondheim; the route can be followed for many kilometres into the hills above the modern street of Helleveien. At the side of it is a water mill which incorporates the vestiges of one fo the largest mill complexes of Old Bergen, Storemøllen, which began in the 16th century. It was torn down in 1971.

    Gunhilds River

    The brook, besides being a remnant of a once so forceful stream that propelled the giant wheels of the mill, is a historic landmark of the first rank. This is Gunhildåen, ‘Gunhild’s River’, which is mentioned in Bergen’s City Laws of 1276 as being the northern boundary of the city; from here the boundary ran inland far into the hills before turning southward.

    Today the river is called Sandvikselven (Sandvik River), and it comes out of a ravine called Munkebotn (The Monk’s Hollow). The name derives from the fact that in the Late Middle Ages the Dominican brethren in Bergen had property and mill rights in this area.

    Inside Gamle Bergen - the free part

    Now it’s time to go into Gamle Bergen. As we do, it’s worth noting that the park can almost be seen in two parts: there is a free part you can walk through (it’s very popular with locals) and see most of the buildings from there.

    There is also a paid portion of the park, and that consists of the famous ‘street’ and surrounds. During the summer months, the buildings in the paid portion of the park are opened up and you can step inside and view exhibitions. Additionally, they have actors representing people from the 18th and 19th centuries that you can talk to, and they give little demonstrations throughout the day.

    The paid portion of the park is only for the summer months, May to September, and outside of those months you can explore the paid portion of the park for free, however the buildings are closed up.

    Does that make sense? I think so. Let me summarise:

    • Free Park: Some buildings. Open all year
    • Paid Park: Best preserved buildings. Costs money between May-September with entrance into the buildings and exhibitions. Free off-season, but the buildings are closed.

    Now let’s do the free part of the park first.

    Elsero

    One of the first buildings you’ll pass is Elsesro, the original summer residence. The central part was built by shipbuilder Rasmus Rolfsen in 1785, while his son Tønnes Rolfsen added the two wings around 1810 to make it look more grant. Tønnes made the property into a miniature manor that was very popular at the time; he had the whole area landscaped and created dams and small waterfalls.

    Today Elsesro is a lovely Norwegian restaurant.

    The Park

    If you continue past Elsesro, you’ll soon arrive at the garden, which has been designed in the style of an English garden. This was a common type of park in the 18th century. To speak romantically, the English garden was to emphasise man’s rational and emotional sides. At the same time, the park was supposed to look natural.

    Today it’s the home of some ducks and geese.

    The Pavilion

    The pavilion was part of Tønnes Rolfsen’s expansion, and it was designed in a Chinese style. The view from the pavilion once inspired J.C. Dahl to paint one of the finest views of the hometown, but Edvard Grieg also found inspiration here. He borrowed the pavilion in 1873/74 to serve as his studio while writing the music for Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson’s play Olav Tryggvason and then for Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt.

    While the pavilion is nice, it’s the view you come here for. You can see three of Bergen’s seven mountains, Sandviken, and the city fjord. On a sunny day, this view is everything. It’s easy to see why artists like J.C Dahl and Edvard Grieg would come here for inspiration of their city.

    If you walk along the park, you’ll see a lovely white manor hiding behind the trees.

    Frydenlund

    Frydenlund was built in 1797 for the wealthy merchant Lorentz Holtermann as his summer estate at Sandviken. The name means ‘grove of delight’ and became a major summer estate for himself and his family.

    The house consisted of Lorentz, his wife Anna Margrethe, their five small children, a housekeeper, four serving girls, a farmhand and three merchants clerks. Holtmann sold the property in 1832 and it was passed around by various wealthy merchants. In 1870 it underwent a major renovation. After the war, it had to be demolished to make way for a housing project, so it was moved to Gamle Bergen in 1949.

    Inside Gamle Bergen - the paid part

    Now let’s move on to the paid portion of the park. As mentioned above, you can go inside the buildings and see exhibitions there. I’ll try and get back later this year to take photos of the interiors, but for now, I’ll explain each building you can see.

    Let’s start with the so-called ‘main street’. I’ll go through the buildings in order as if you were walking up the hill and passing them.

    The Watchmaker's House & Sea Captain's House

    The watchmaker’s house (green) and the sea captain’s house (white) are located at the bottom of the hill.

    The Baker's House (The Yellow Building)

    The Baker’s House was built in 1728 to house, you guessed it, a bakery. Originally the building was one floor; the second storey and attic were added in 1788.

    This wasn’t just any baker’s house; this was the home and bakery of Master baker Ditlef Martens. His son, Nikolai Martens, ran the bakery from 1840 and the Martins family owned 11 bakeries in the city. Back then, the profession of the baker was a privileged status, and there could only be 25 bakers in the city.

    Nikolai Marten’s great grandfather, grandfather, father, brother, son, grandson and great-grandson were all master bakers in Bergen. This particular bakery was located just behind St. Mary’s Church. The bakery operated until the 1944 explosion.

    The Merchant's House (The Blue Building)

    The Merchant’s House is an example of a Norwegian merchant’s home in Nordnes; this building was located just behind Nykirken Church. Originally this building would’ve had a lovely courtyard, stone cellar, and washhouse. As Bergen became increasingly populated in the 19th century, this house was converted into a three-storey apartment building. In total, there were six apartments.

    Once at the top of the hill, you’ve reached the main square. I’ll go around the buildings clockwise from here.

    The House of Craft and Trade

    The home dates back to after the fire of 1756. It functioned as a residence until it moved to Gamle Bergen. It houses various artisan workshops, though it was originally a residence.

    Inside the building, you can see a printing press, bookbinding workshop, Bergens Tidende (Newspaper) office, plumber workshop, and photo studios with waiting rooms.

    The Glazier's House

    The home dates back to after the fire of 1756. It functioned as a residence until it moved to Gamle Bergen. It houses various artisan workshops, though it was originally a residence.

    Inside the building, you can see a printing press, bookbinding workshop, Bergens Tidende (Newspaper) office, plumber workshop, and photo studios with waiting rooms.

    The Town Hall

    This building was originally owned by the Solhimsviken Indremisjonsforening (Solheimsviken Evangelical Association), which used the hall as a chapel. Yes, this is a religious building! Doesn’t look like it today, right?

    When Solheimsviken was undergoing a major renovation in the 1970s, the chapel was expropriated, and then in 1977 Gamle Bergen was offered the building. The museum uses the hall for assembly events, so all the religious symbols have been removed.

    The House of the Official

    You can tell this was the house of the official. Back then, the most privileged houses were completely symmetrical; compare this to the merchant’s house, the baker’s, or the glazier’s house, for example.

    The House of the Official stood on Kong Oscars Gate (near the Leprosy Hospital/City Gate (Stadsporten). Carsten Lydkien, a customs agent and police prosecutor, lived here from 1795. The property remained a single-family home until 1914, something not many houses in Bergen can claim.

    Dentist's House

    This is another Nordnes building; in fact, it was the neighbour of the merchant’s house. It was a residence for a middle-class family. The building itself underwent a modernisation in the 19th century, getting a lovely new Swiss-style facade. The building is converted into a dentist’s home and surgery representing the period 1885-1900. Take a look at the dentist’s equipment if you can go inside. Thank god we live in the 21st century.

    There is also an umbrella business in the building, because Bergen.

    Dorothe Engelbretsdatters House

    Dorothe Engelbretsdatter is a well known Bergen priest and writer from the 18th century. She is the first known female writer in Norway.

    Dorothe lost her original home in the 1702 fire. As a priest, she had trouble building a new house and lived for a long time in a poor house. When King Frederik IV of Denmark/Norway visited in 1704, Dorothe handed him a poem and prayer letter and asked for his help for a new house. He didn’t help her. After she asked the city authorities in 1709 she got her house.

    The Grocer's Shop

    In Norway, grocer’s shops were referred to as ‘Kolonial Stores’ because they were where people would buy goods ‘from the colonies’. These shops started appearing in the 1870s, but it was not until the 20th century that this type of shop began to dominate the grocery trade. Back when the Kolonial Stores were the grocery shops, they were special local shops. Goods weren’t stored in people’s homes like they are today. Grocery products were bought in small quantities every day. It’s kind of like a ‘storeroom’ for the nearby houses.

    Krohnstedet

    Krohnstedet is a typical summer estate that appeared in Bergen in the 18th century. It was built for the wealthy merchant Hans Krohn. Hans Krohn ran one of the city’s biggest shipping companies that imported and sold wine. He had twelve children with four wives, and only six children survived to adulthood.

    The house is accompanied with by caretaker’s house, which was common at the time.

    Now make your way back to the main square. Once at the main square. You’ll see there is a path that runs in front of the sailor’s house. It’s a lovely secret path where you can see the backs of these old buildings. It will also take you back to where we began and marks the end of my little walk!

    Now onto the practical information.

    Practical Information

     

    Opening Hours

    Gamle Bergen is open from mid-May to mid-August.

    During mid-August to mid-May, you can still walk around Gamle Bergen for free. Just keep in mind that you can’t go inside the buildings.

    Getting There
    Walking

    Gamle Bergen is a thirty-minute walk from Bryggen. The walk is mostly flat, with some gentle inclines. It’s a lovely walk; you walk through historic Sandviken before turning off to reach the ropemaker’s house. For my above walking tour, I walked from Bryggen and took the back entrance from there.

    Bus

    From Bryggen:

    Take Bus 3, 4, 5, 6 from the bus stop in front of the wooden houses. The bus ride takes 10 minutes and the name of the bus stop is ‘Gamle Bergen’. Once off the bus, cross the road and follow signs to Gamle Bergen. This takes you to the main entrance, not my side entrance.

    Tickets can be bought via the Skyss App, on the bus (for 2x the cost of the app), or at a ticket machine.

    I hope you liked my Gamle Bergen guide 🙂

    Sources:

    Gamle Bergen brochure

    Nordhagen. Per Jonas. Bergen Guide & Handbook. Bergensiana-Forlaget. 1992.   

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Bergen, Museums

    Visiting the Edvard Grieg Museum, Troldhaugen

    Visiting the Edvard Grieg Museum, Troldhaugen

    One of the most popular attractions in Bergen is the Edvard Grieg Museum, Troldhaugen, and rightly so: this charming house provides an incredible insight into the life of the famous composer, and you can fully immerse yourself in his music.

    Located 10 kilometres (6 miles) south of Bergen, it may seem a little daunting to reach. Most tour companies do include a visit to the museum, as do most cruise ships. For independent travellers, it’s possible to join a tour or explore on your own.

    A lot of people also don’t fully realise who Edvard Grieg is or why the museum is so important. I get those people a lot in my groups, but normally once we start exploring the museum or attend the lunchtime concert, their mind has totally changed! Even if you aren’t Grieg’s biggest fan, the museum is a lovely place to visit and essential when in Bergen.

    For this guide, I’m going to focus on what you see and what you can do. I’ve included an overview of the highlights of the museum, but if you are just interested in the practicalities you can skip to the bottom of the article. My goal is to help you make the most of Troldhaugen!

    In this article...

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    Edvard Grieg, Norway's Most Famous Composer

    Even if you don’t know the name Edvard Grieg, you certainly know his music. I think it’s important to know that when you think of Edvard Grieg, you don’t try to compare him to the masters like Mozart or Beethoven. Grieg isn’t that internationally renowned. What’s important about Edvard Grieg is that his music has become part of the Norwegian identity. Whenever Norwegians want to depict something as part of their culture or identity, Grieg’s music plays in the background. When you listen to his music, you see Norwegian fjords, mountains and nature. Edvard Grieg was born on the Nordnes Peninsula in 1843, and he quickly developed a natural talent for the piano. When he was a child, the famous Norwegian violinist Ole Bull (who I’ll also cover in more depth soon) heard him play, and actively encouraged that he study in Leipzig at the conservatory, which he did. After finishing his studies in Leipzig, Grieg moved to Copenhagen – the only place in the Nordics with a real active arts scene. While in Copenhagen he met Norwegian composers and artists, including Bull, and became influenced by the national romantic movement occurring in Norway at the time. He decided to move back home.

    Edvard Grieg’s music became almost instantly famous due to the way he blended European trends with Norwegian folk music.

    “To paint in music Norwegian nature, Norwegian folk music, Norwegian history and Norwegian folk poetry appears to me to be the sphere where I can achieve something.” Edvard Grieg

    Edvard Grieg became a major success when he started working with Henrik Ibsen to write music for the stage play Peer Gynt. The play debuted in Oslo on the 24th of February 1876 and became an immediate success. Grieg published the work for Peer Gynt in 1888 and 1893, and the two Peer Gynt suites are among the most played orchestral pieces in the world.

    Edvard Grieg passed away in 1907 of chronic exhaustion. he was 64 years old.

    Troldhaugen

    The plan to build a house in Bergen came around the time Grieg was working as a conductor for the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra between 1880-1882. He and his wife, Nina Grieg, had developed a close relationship with Frants and Marie Beyer and they started considering building a house together. After the Grieg’s left Bergen, the Beyer’s built their own home in the countryside.

    Originally, they had planned to build a second home on the same plot of land, but they quickly realised that it would be too crowded. The Griegs purchased a neighbouring plot of the land from a farmer for 2,300 NOK. Frants (who was a lawyer) drew up the contract, which ensured the farmer would not sell any adjoining property without informing the Griegs, and that he would prevent sheep from grazing on the property.

    Designing Troldhaugen

    When it came to designing the villa, Edvard and Nina wanted it to resemble a simple Norwegian farmhouse. They also travelled a lot around Europe, so they were also inspired by Victorian architecture, which was trendy at the time. The house was designed by Schak Bull, Edvard’s cousin.

    The house has a base area of approx. 100m2 and is three floors. The basement has a flower room, wine cellar, larder and storage. There were two entrances on the ground floor: a kitchen entrance and the main entrance. On the top floor are the main bedroom, a guest bedroom, two walk-in wardrobes, and the stairs to the tower. There was no running water or toilet facilities; these facilities are in the small neighbouring building. The Grieg’s had to pump water to the kitchen from their well.

    House-turned-museum

    After Edvard passed away in 1907, Nina continued to return to the house in the summer. Often friends and family would join her so the house felt less lonely. During the first few years after his death, Nina ran something of a summer academy at Troldhaugen; inspiring composers would come to the villa to write music, and established composers would visit to help understand Grieg’s music.

    Grieg’s music publisher in Germany had been Nina’s main source of income, but when World War I began contact was severed. She had planned to donate Troldhaugen to the municipality, but they declined the offer. At the age of 74, Nina saw selling Troldhaugen as her only option. The most valuable objects were placed for safekeeping at the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bergen Museum of Art, and the West Norway Museum of Decorative Art. Everything else was sold off at auction. In 1918, the house was sold to Joachim Grieg, a relative of Edvard Grieg.

    Many people in Bergen wanted to turn Troldhaugen into a memorial. A few years after purchasing the villa, Joachim Grieg had documents drawn up giving Troldhaugen to the municipality. The condition was that Troldhaugen was to be used “for purposes in harmony with Edvard Grieg’s intentions and worthy of Troldhaugen’s traditions.” The municipality accepted the gift and established a committee that would restore the villa and collect the objects. They had Nina’s approval.

    Recreating the museum

    For the next 10 years, the committee worked to collect the objects that had been auctioned off and had the objects that were in safekeeping returned. They wanted to re-create the Grieg home, putting everything back in its place. One of the most important returns was the composer’s hut, which was shipped back from the Folk Museum in Oslo.

    Troldhaugen opened to the public in 1928 and was an instant success. Nina was there on opening day. She brought the Moscheles edition of Beethoven’s sonatas that Edvard used as a seat. She took it down to the composer’s hut and placed it on his piano seat.

    The last time Nina visited Troldhaugen was when the Norwegian Radio recorded a concert there in 1932. Nina listened to the music of her husband as she sat on the sofa under her family portraits. Afterwards, she shared some thoughts with the audience, about how Edvard’s music took form at Troldhaugen. Nina passed away three years later.

    The property has been expanded since it first opened; the concert hall, Troldsalen, opened in 1985 with the Norwegian royal family attending, and then in 1995 a museum building was added.

    Now it’s time for you to visit Troldhaugen.

    What to see at Troldhaugen

    When you first arrive at the property, you will be about 400m away from the main museum building. To get there, you walk along the same unpaved road the Grieg’s took when they returned home. Along the way, you’ll see beautiful twisted beech trees, the old house that belonged to the farmer who owned the land, and a massive villa built by shipbroker Alexander Grieg in 1917.

    Before reaching the main museum building, you’ll see Gunnar Torvund’s Grieg monument ‘Open 1’. It was unveiled by King Harald when the museum building opened in 1995.

    The Main Building

    The main building has the ticket counter, cafe, shop & a film room. I really recommend the film room – it’s a hit with my groups – as it plays a 25-minute movie of Edvard Grieg’s ‘greatest hits’ with images of Norway as the background.

    Indoor Exhibition

    In the main building, you can also find an exhibition with some items from the Grieg’s life and travels. Items include artworks, clips of his hair (!), his travel trunk, and much more. 

    Concert Hall

    Once you leave the main building, you’ll start walking to the house. Along the way you pass the concert hall, Troldsalen, a contemporary building with a grass roof. Troldsalen was completed in 1985 and is renowned for its acoustics for chamber music. The building was designed to blend into the environment, and it looks out over the composer’s hut. There is seating for 200 people, and between May and September, it’s possible to attend a lunchtime concert there. More on that below.

    The house

    Once you are standing on the bridge, the house comes into plain sight. This is one of the best places to take a photo!

    To get to the entrance, you walk to the left of the house and up the stairs. I’m not going to cover every object in the house, but I’ll provide a short overview of some of the interior highlights.

    • The Memory Room: The ‘memory room’ was originally the kitchen. When the Bergen Festival began in 1953, Sigmund Torsteinson, the first director of Troldhaugen, wanted to give visitors a richer experience of Edvard Grieg. So, they turned the kitchen into a memory room. The room has been filled with objects that belonged to Troldhaugen and provide an insight into the Grieg’s life. Here are some highlights.
    • The Dining Room: This room is completely authentic, with all the original furniture. You can also see the original ceiling height in this room.
    • The Sitting Room: This room has Grieg’s Steinway piano, the family portraits, and some lovely furniture.

    The gardens

    The composer’s hut is located down by the water, a few minutes walk from the house. You can look through the window (but not go in) and see where Grieg would write his music. He used the composer’s hut frequently when he stayed at Troldhaugen, and whenever he left he would leave a note on his desk saying:

    “If anyone should break in here, please leave the musical scores, since they have no value to anyone except Edvard Grieg” Edvard Grieg

    The hut was built in 1891 and includes a piano built by Brødrene Hals in Kristiania. A thick book lay by the piano stool, containing 32 sonatas of Ludwig von Beethoven, edited by Grieg’s piano teacher in Leipzig, Ignaz Moscheles. It provided the small composer with added height so he could reach the keyboard.

    When the house was sold, the composer’s hut was moved to the Norwegian Folk Museum in Oslo. However, a clause was included that reserved the right to move it back to the original location at Troldhaugen should it ever be made into a museum, which happened in 1928.

    The grave site

    The gravesite is located on the other side of the hill from the composer’s hut, down by the lake. When you reach the lake, the gravesite is up on the side of the cliff. The spot was chosen by Edvard; when he was out fishing with Frants Beyer one day, the last rays of the sunset hit that spot on the rock. “There I would like to rest forever,” said Edvard. The funeral was held on 9 September 1907, and over 40,000 people came to pay their respects.

    The cove where Frants Beyer’s house used to be is visible from this spot; it is no longer there but the street has been named after him.

    Practical Information

    If you are planning on visiting Troldhaugen, I strongly recommend making the most of it. You can’t just have a quick visit to Troldhaugen; you need to do everything the museum offers. Go for walks around the cove, watch the movie in the film room, have a coffee, attend the lunch-time concert, and so on. Visiting the house along doesn’t do it justice; you have to immerse yourself in his music. That’s when Troldhaugen comes to life!

    Groups & Tours

    • Tour Companies & Cruise Ships: If you are visiting Bergen with a tour company or cruise ship, it is very likely they will offer a tour to Troldhaugen with a concert. Some companies have private concerts, while some attend the lunchtime concert. While the prices for cruise ships can be steep, I highly recommend doing their tours. The Troldhaugen public tour (see below) is cheaper, but you are mixed in with a lot of people and you lose the personal experience.
    • Guided Tour with the Museum: The museum offers its own tour of Troldhaugen, starting every day at 11am from the tourist information centre in Bergen. A bus transports you to do the house, you have a guided tour of the villa followed by some free time to explore on your own, and then you attend the 1pm lunchtime concert. You arrive back in the city centre at 2:30pm. The cost is 290 NOK per person.To read more about the tour, click here.

    On Your Own

    • Driving: Troldhaugen is fairly easy to reach if you have a car. There is free parking at the museum, but keep in mind during summer there will be many tour buses there. Simply put “Troldhaugen” into the GPS or Google Maps.Time: 15-20 minutes Cost: A couple of toll booths, petrol. Parking is free.
    • Taxis: You can take a taxi to/from Bergen, but it will cost a bit of money. Expect it to cost at least 200 NOK from the city centre one way. You can find taxis all around the city centre, but you will have to order one from the museum as there’s no taxi rank.Time: 20 minutes Cost: At least 200 NOK, more for ordering a taxi
    • Public Transport: Public transport is certainly possible, but be prepared to walk for 20-30 minutes through hilly suburbia. To get there, you take the Bergen Light Rail from the city centre (Byparken) to the station ‘Hop’. Follow signs to Troldhaugen from there.Time: 45-60 minutes Cost: 39 NOK for a public transport ticket. Machines at the Light Rail stop.

    Lunchtime Concert

    I 100% recommend attending the lunchtime concert, but keep in mind that you should probably book it in advance.

    The concerts involves a Norwegian or international pianist performing Edvard Grieg’s music on a piano for 30 minutes. Sometimes the pianists explain each piece in between or some just play for the full 30 minutes.

    You can find a schedule of pianists here: http://griegmuseum.no/en/concerts/lunchtime-concerts

    Facilities at the Museum

    • Souvenir Shop: I love a good souvenir shop. Here are some highlights at the Troldhaugen shop:
      • The movie that plays in the film room (not region locked)
      • A wide selection of CDs
      • A lot of stationary
      • Many books in many different languages. Most are biographies of Edvard Grieg
      • Sheet music
      • Umbrellas
      • T-shirts
      • Puzzles
      • Grieg’s lucky frog
      • Troll plush toys
    • Cafe: The cafe has a small but good selection often including wraps, soup of the day, waffles, ice cream, coffee, tea, and cold drinks.

    Opening Hours & Tickets

    For all the up-to-date information regarding opening hours and tickets, check out the Troldhaugen website. https://griegmuseum.no/en

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Museums, Oslo

    Exploring the Museums in Oslo on Bygdøy

    Oslo is one of the best places to visit in Norway if you’re a museum junkie, and what makes it even better is that the major ones are located practically next door to each other! There are six museums in Oslo that focus on Norwegian culture, history and industry are located on a peninsula called ‘Bygdøy’. These museums are must-see’s for anyone visiting the Norwegian capital, but at first glance can seem a bit confusing; I’ve always found it tough to explain to groups, so I decided to sit down and map out exactly what you should see as well as how to do it. This is what I’ve put together. 

    Oslo Travel Guide

    In this article...

    What is Bygdøy?

    Bygdøy is a peninsula located just outside Oslo’s city centre. The name comes from an Old Norse term that means ‘built district on the island’ as the peninsula was originally an island (the land has been rising). Due to its proximity to the city, real estate here is expensive: a small apartment will cost you $1 million USD, while a house will cost several million. In 2013, a house went on the market for $20 million USD, breaking records.

    The most known museums in Oslo are located on Bygdøy.

    The Royal Summer Residence & Oscarshall

    Bygdøy hasn’t just attracted the wealthy; it is also home to the Norwegian Royal Family’s summer residence (you will see it if you take the public bus to or from Bygdøy). It’s believed that the land has been used by Norwegian monarchs almost continuously since 1305. The estate, Bygdø Royal Farm, was originally built in 1733 for the Danish governor, but after the establishment of a Swedish-Norwegian union, King Charles III purchased the land from the government. King Oscar I built the palace Oscarshall (visible from the main highway to Bygdøy & the ferry) on the grounds. King Oscar II constructed residences and also established the Norwegian Folk Museum on the ground. After Norway became independent in 1905, King Haakon VII and Queen Maud lived at the estate while the Royal Palace was refurbished. Since then, it has served as a summer residence for the royal family and is actively used every summer.

    Today, Bygdø Royal Farm is one of the best examples of an upper-class 18th-century country house in Norway. It has ceased its function as a royal farm; King Harald handed over the user rights of the farm to the Norwegian Folk Museum, who are actively preserving it.

    What does Bygdøy look like?

    Museums Oslo Bygdøy

    The Museums at Bygdøy

    There are six museums you can visit at Bygdøy. Three of them focus on Norway’s seafaring and exploring the history and the other three focus on Norway’s history and culture.

    Here’s my quick overview of the museums, numbered according to the map above. I’ve also included some tips about each museum. 

    Norwegian Folk Museum (Norske Folkemuseum)

    The open-air museum contains over 140 buildings, sorted according to their county in Norway. Most notable is the Stave Church, which was relocated from the village ‘Gol’ in the 19th century. The museum has an excellent exhibition on the indigenous Sami population, as well as Norwegian farming culture. During the summer months, actors walk around the museum providing additional information and activities on the old ways of life.

    Note- this museum takes 2-3 hours to explore fully and involves walking and hills. Not recommended on a rainy day. Viking Ship Museum

    Viking Ship Museum

    One of the most popular museums in Norway, the Viking Ship museum lets you get up close to real Viking ships from around the year 800 AD – and they are 96% original! Three ships are inside the museum, and there’s also an exhibition with the goods that were found in the ships when they were discovered in the 19th century. This is an unmissable museum, but keep in mind its popularity draws large crowds.

    Notes- the souvenir shop is excellent! Bags cannot be taken into the museum. The ticket gives you free admission to the Historical Museum within a 48 hour period. Recommended visiting time: 45 minutes – 1 hour.

    Kon Tiki Museum

    The Kon-Tiki Museum is all about the exploration and research of Thor Heyerdahl, who is famous around the world for his crossing of the Pacific Ocean on the balsa-wood raft Kon-Tiki in 1947. Inside the museum, you can see the original Kon-Tiki, the Ra II, as well as artefacts from Easter Island, Fatu-Hiva and the Galapagos. The Academy Award-winning Kon-Tiki documentary is screened every day at 12pm.

    Note- Combo tickets can be purchased for the Maritime Museum & Fram Museum. This museum sells ferry tickets back to the city. Recommended visiting time: 30-45 minutes

    Image result for fram museum

    Fram Museum

    The Fram ship is famous for its expeditions to the North and South Poles. The museum has excellent exhibitions about these expeditions, and you can also walk onto the Fram and see how the crew lived and worked together. There’s also an introductory film about the expeditions. This is my favourite museum!

    Note- Excellent cafe and souvenir shop, which has an extensive book collection and lots of Arctic-themed souvenirs. Recommended visiting time: 1.5 – 2 hours

    Image result for maritime museum

    Maritime Museum

    The museum covers Norway’s maritime history (makes sense) and has exhibitions about the Hurtigruten, maritime art, and the shipping industry.

    Note- has a great cafe! Recommended visiting time 30-45 minutes.

    Image result for holocaust center oslo

    Holocaust Centre

    This is the centre for Studies of the Holocaust and Religious Minorities – it’s more of a research centre than the museum. The building is the former residence of Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling. There is an exhibition about the Nazipolicy of mass murder with special focus on the fate of Norwegian Jews.

    Note- Long walk from the other museums. There is a Jewish Museum in Oslo if you want to learn more about Jews in Norway. There is a Resistance Museum in the city if you want to learn more about World War II.

    Practical Information

    Opening hours for the museums in Oslo on Bygdøy
      Jan-April May June-August Sept Oct-Dec
    Viking Ship Museum 10-16 9-18 9-18 9-18 10-16
    Kon-Tiki 10-16 10-17 9:30-18 10-17 10-16
    Fram 10-17 10-18 9-18 10-18 10-17
    Maritime 11-16 10-17 10-17 10-17 11-16
    Folk 11-16 10-17 10-17 10-17 11-16
    Holocaust 10-16 10-18 10-18 10-18 10-16
    Prices for the Museums
      Adults Seniors Kids
    Viking Ship 120 NOK 90 NOK Free
    Kon-Tiki 120 NOK 90 NOK 50 NOK
    Fram 120 NOK 90 NOK 50 NOK
    Maritime 120 NOK 90 NOK 50 NOK
    Folk 160 NOK n/a 40 NOK
    Holocaust Center 70 NOK 50 NOK 30 NOK
    Combination Tickets & Oslo Pass

    The Fram, Kon-Tiki & Maritime Museums have combination tickets available:

    • 2 of the museums: Adults 220 NOK / Seniors 160 NOK
    • 3 of the museums: Adults 320 NOK / Seniors 240 NOK

    If you visit the Viking Ship Museum, you can use the ticket for free entrance to the Historical Museum (located in the city centre) if used within 48 hours.

    The Oslo Pass covers all the museums as well as public transport. The 24-hour Oslo Pass costs 445 NOK for adults.

    Getting to/from Bygdøy to see the museums in Oslo

    Option 1: Take the ferry

    white line on the map.

    The Bygdøy ferry runs from Oslo’s City Hall and stops twice at Bygdøy: Dronningen & Bygdøynes. The journey has incredible views of the Oslofjord, Akershus Fortress & Oslo city. The walk from Dronningen to the Viking Ship Museum may be a little long for some, but the Bygdøynes stop is right behind the Kon-Tiki/Fram museums.

    The ferry doesn’t run all year: it runs from 15 March – 13 October. Keep this in mind when planning your trip!

    One Way Ticket Cost: Adults 50 NOK (Seniors + Kids 50% off)

    Round Trip Ticket Cost: Adults 75 NOK (Seniors + Kids 50% off)

    Tickets can be bought on board (10 NOK more expensive), at the ticket office on the pier, or at the Kon-Tiki Museum. If you have the Oslo Pass it’s free – you just have to show the pass on board.

    Note – last year some of my groups had issues with the ferry being over-crowded during the high season, resulting in delays.

    Timetable

    Note – this timetable is from 2019. Hopefully they will publish an updated 2020/2021 timetable.

    The pier at City Hall is easy to find: there’s a big sign saying “Ferry to the Museums”. Otherwise, look for pier 3. The Dronningen stop is signed from the Folk Museum, but it can be a little tricky to find (try to use Google Maps or the map). The Bygdøynes stop is also not marked, but you can see the pier from the Kon-Tiki & Fram Museums. The ferry is a pastel-yellow colour.

    Image result for bygdøy ferry
    Option 2: Take the bus

    Navy line on the map

    The public bus network Ruter operates from the city centre to Bygdøy. The bus you are going to want is Bus 30.

    City Centre – Bygdøy

    The bus departs from both the central train station (Jernebanetorget) and the National Theatre before heading towards Bygdøy. It will stop four times on Bygdøy: Folkmuseet (Folk Museum), Viking Ship Museum, Bygdøynes (Fram, Kon-Tiki, Maritime) and Frimurerhjemmet (closest for Holocaust Center) before terminating at Huk.

    Bygdøy – City Centre

    If taking the bus back to the city from either the Viking Ship Museum or the Folk Museum, simply wait for the bus heading to Nydalen and get off in the city at the stop best for you.

    It’s a bit trickier if you are leaving from Bygdøynes (Fram, Kon-Tiki, Maritime). The only bus that stops there is going to Huk. Get on the bus and get off at Frimurerhjemmet. From there, cross the street and wait for the bus heading towards Nydalen. This saves time and is better than travelling all the way to Huk and then waiting for the bus to turn around.

    The journey from Bygdøy to the National Theatre (and vice versa) takes around 15 minutes. The buses come every 10-15 minutes depending on the time of day.

    Tickets

    If you have the Oslo Pass, the bus is free.

    If you need to buy a ticket, a single adult ticket is 36 NOK for one hour of travel. Seniors & kids are 18 NOK for one hour of travel.

    Tickets can be bought at kiosks and ticket machines. There are plenty of these in the city, but none at Bygdøy – if you are travelling this way, I’d recommend picking up a 24-hour card in the city before coming out. You can buy tickets on board, but you must pay in cash. Otherwise, if you have a phone you can download the Ruter app and use it to buy tickets.

    Option 3: Walk/Cycle

    green line on the map

    The Oslo bike share bysykkel is located throughout Bygdøy and the city centre, and with that, you can cycle to or from the peninsula. To use the bikes, you will need to have the app on your phone.

    If you are up for it, walking takes around 1 hour 15 minutes from the Folk Museum to the City Hall. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it. Once you are past the summer residence you walk alongside the main freeway into Oslo, which is noisy and not very nice. You do, however, walk along the water.

    Getting Around Bygdøy

    Say you start at the Viking Ship Museum and want to walk to the Fram Museum – how doable is it?

    Pretty doable!

    The walk between those two museums takes around 20 minutes, and you walk through the neighbourhood, giving you the chance to check out these upper-class Bygdøy homes. It’s not well signed for pedestrians; however if you keep an eye on the road signs, they point towards the museums. It is a little hilly in some places. The public bus follows the same route as the walking path, so as long as you can see where the public bus (or the countless tour buses) is going, you are fine!

    If you have a bus ticket, you can also easily take the public bus between the museums.

    Eating at Bygdøy

    If you are after a quick bite to eat, the best museum cafeteria’s are at the Fram Museum and the Maritime Museum – both have simple sandwiches and pastries. For more sit down cafes, there is a great one at the Folk Museum. However, my favourite place to go to is Cafe Hjemme hos Svigers. Located between the Viking Ship Museum & Fram Museum, this cosy cafe has excellent sandwiches, salads, and small meals. The owner is typically always around for a chat, and the food is incredible considering how quick they prepare it. The cafe also doubles as an antique shop! I’d really recommend it if you need a break from the museums and want to try somewhere more local.

    FAQ’s + tips

    How crowded does it get at Bygdøy? During the summer, it gets very crowded. It’s not uncommon to see a dozen tour buses outside the Viking Ship Museum as it opens. Most tour groups visit the Viking Ship Museum & Kon-Tiki Museum, and they typically do so in the morning. If you can wait to the late afternoon, I’d 100% recommend visiting then. The Folk Museum can get crowded during the summer break as it’s very popular with kids

    Should I use the hop-on hop-off bus to get to Bygdøy? I honestly wouldn’t recommend it. I understand the comfort of knowing how the bus works, having it in English, and it being catered to tourists, but the public bus is cheaper and provides a more local experience.

    Can I do Bygdøy in a day? Technically, yes you can. However, you will be rushing through the museums. In 2018 my husband and I got a 24-hour Oslo Pass and did Bygdøy in a day. We started at the Folk Museum and then went to the Viking Ship, Kon-Tiki and Fram Museums – taking the bus to Bygdøy and the ferry to the city. We didn’t really focus on information at the museums and barely saw the Folk Museum. We were also exhausted by the end of the day. But it is possible!

    Have a question? Let me know!

    Resources for Museums in Oslo

    https://www.visitoslo.com/bygdoy

    Oslo Travel Guide
  • Museums, Oslo

    Why You Should Absolutely Visit the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo

    Important: The Viking Ship Museum is closed for renovations until 2025
    Oslo Travel Guide

     

     

    No trip to Norway is complete without seeing something to do with Vikings. Luckily, it is the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo can provide the Viking fix you need. Focusing on three Viking ships and their burial sites, the museum provides an incredible insight into the life of the Vikings, which is much more unique than many other museums which focus on their trading history. Instead, this museum focuses on what they found important to them, how they respected the dead, and how they viewed the after-life. Probably the most popular museum in the country, it’s hard to pass up a chance to see real Viking ships in person.

    About the Museum

    The museum focuses around three Viking ships that were uncovered in areas around the Oslofjord from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The ships, titled Tønsberg, Oseberg and Gokstad (after where they were found), are the best-preserved Viking ships in the world.

    Besides the ships, there’s also an excellent exhibition with the items that were found in the Viking ships. They are placed together to provide an incredible insight into how people were buried and what each item meant in the afterlife. There are also two graves – a man and a woman – that were uncovered with the ships.

    Important: Renovations at the Viking Ship Museum

    From autumn 2021, the Viking Ship Museum will close for five (!) years for a major renovation. Why? The current building and huge increase in traffic is causing the ships to decay at a fast rate. A new building will house the ships and protect them much better.  They have a whole website with information about the new museum, but it’s all in Norwegian. Here are some highlights:

    • The new museum will be completed in 2025 (I think this will be delayed)
    • The new building will be climate regulated
    • The new museum will be three times as large as the old one
    • This will be an extension to the current building

    The Three Ships

    The Oseberg Ship

    The Oseberg Ship is 96% original. It was excavated in 1904-1905 in what is considered the world’s largest burial site. Parts of the ship date back to 800 AD, but recent research indicates that the ship may be much older. This ship is the most popular for a reason; it so clearly evokes the power and strength of the Vikings and their seafaring capabilities. Spend some time admiring this beauty.

    The Gokstad Ship

    The second of the three ships you will see is the Gokstad Ship. This is the largest of the three ships and was uncovered in 1880. Inside this grave, they found a skeleton of a man in his 40s-50s with a powerful build. Some items were also found here, including small boats, a tent and riding equipment. While looking less like a Viking ship and more like a regular boat, it’s still impressive to see.

    Be sure to walk past it to the end of the room, where you’ll see the two skeletons that were uncovered with the ships. The man mentioned above as well as a 25-30 year-old woman.

    The Tune Ship

    Opposite the Gokstad ship is the third ship – Tune. This is the least complete of all the ships but was the first excavated in 1867.

    Behind the ship is one of the burial tends that was uncovered during the excavations. This is interesting to look at; especially how elaborate these graves were. Here you’ll see the smaller boats that were excavated along with the large ships.

    What Else Can You See?

    Watch the short film

    A newer addition to the museum, there is a short film that plays on the ceiling above Tune three times an hour. The film, which has music but no words, provides an overview of the life of a Viking and Viking ship, from the time the ship is built to the time the Viking dies in battle and is buried. It’s an okay film and worth stopping for if you are there when it starts.

    Explore the additional exhibition

    The last corner of the museum is the exhibition, where various textiles, chests, jewellery pieces, and statues from the burial sites have been put on display. Information boards in Norwegian, English and German provide useful information into what the object is, as well as why it was buried with the individual. This part of the museum is where you’ll spend most of your time. See some images below – the best room in this exhibition is the textile room, but sadly images aren’t allowed there. Also, the glass cabinets make photo-taking a little tricky. But, of course, it’s much better in person 🙂

    Facilities & Practical Information

    Shop

    I love a good souvenir shop, and this one certainly delivers. Think of it as ‘Viking overload’ if you can put a Viking on it, it’s for sale. There’s even a Donald Duck cartoon about the Oseberg ship. The book selection is the best in the country – most of the books are in English and cover everything (and I mean everything) about the Viking Age. I have bought a book on the Vikings in Norway, Norse Mythology, Snorre Sturluson’s Sagas, and one about a Queen called Emma (it felt fitting). There are t-shirts, posters, Viking helmets, keychains, magnets, figurines, statues, and so on. Prices are typical of Norwegian museums.

    Museum Guidebook

    If you are looking for a museum guide, the shop sells a book called The Viking Ships in Oslo. It uses some of the information from the signs around the museum, but also builds on the discovery and excavation of the ships, the design and build, the symbolic details, and how the ships are being preserved. It’s more novel than museum guide and not something you will read while in the museum, but it does provide an excellent insight into the ships, Honestly, after reading the book, I just wanted to go back and take another look at the ships – not something everyone will be able to do.

    The book costs 69 NOK

    Museum Brochure

    The museum has a brochure that it shares with the Historical Museum, and it mostly provides an overview of the exhibitions in each museum. The information about the ships is the same as the information boards.

    Languages

    The museum has information boards in English, German & Norwegian. The brochure is available in more languages.

    Notes

    Crowds in Summer

    The Viking Ship Museum is the most popular in Oslo, and when you go (especially during summer) there will be other people there. Almost every cruise ship offers excursions there, and almost every tour group goes there. It gets crazy packed.

    If you want to avoid crowds, either visit out of season (Oct-April) or go in the evenings. Most tour groups & cruise ships do their tours between 8:30am and 12pm or maybe in the afternoon around 1pm-2pm. In summer the museum closes at 6pm.

    Tickets & Security

    As soon as you enter the building, the ticket office is immediately to your right (there may be long queues blocking the door). You scan your Oslo Pass, or pay for your ticket, at the ticket office.

    Afterwards, there is a ticket inspector before you are able to enter the museum. This is not museum staff; rather, it is a security guard.

    Bags are not allowed inside the museum. The security guard will be checking this, and you will have to leave your bag outside in a locker if he catches you. Be on the safe side and put your bag inside the locker before queuing to enter the museum.

    When you buy your ticket it gives you free admission to the Historical Museum, provided you use it within 48 hours.

    Practical Information

    Opening Hours

    • 1 October – 30 April: 10am – 4pm
    • 1 May – 30 September: 9am – 6pm

    Prices

    • Adult 100 NOK
    • Students/Seniors 80 NOK
    • Children under 18: Free
    • Oslo Pass: Free
    • Note – your ticket gives you free admission to the Historic Museum if you visit within 48 hours of the Viking Ship Museum

    Getting Here

    • Take bus number 30 towards Bygdøy (stop: Vikingskipene)
    • Take the Bygdøy ferry (summer months only)
    Oslo Travel Guide
  • Bergen, Museums

    All You Need to Know When Visiting the Schøtstuene Museum Bergen

    Bergen is closely associated with the Hanseatic League, a trading company that dominated Baltic and North Sea trade. Today, it’s possible to learn about the history of trade here at the Schøtstuene Museum Bergen, located just behind Bryggen.

    The city’s famous wharf, Bryggen, is where these German merchants traded between 1360 and 1754. But it wasn’t until the last century that interest in the merchants rose.

    In the 1930s, the people of Bergen didn’t care for the Hanseatic League and had a rather negative opinion of them. Christian Koren Wiberg was running the Hanseatic Museum at the time, which focused on the trading structures of the merchants. He decided to open an additional museum, the Schøtstuene, to show the public not just how the Hanseatics lived in Bergen, but also how their social lives were. The goal? To ‘humanise’ the Hanseatics.

    Sadly, in October 2018 the Hanseatic Museum closed for restoration (the museum was sinking into the ground). Since then, the city has made an effort to promote the Schøtstuene museum as the Hanseatic museum to visit. They’ve put great work into building a new souvenir shop and visitors centre, and then they have moved some of the items from the Hanseatic museum to the Schøtstuene museum.

    So, is it worth visiting? I decided to visit the new Schøstuene museum during one of my breaks between tours. Back in May, the museum sent out a guidebook to all the tour guides to help us learn about the new museum. So, with that in hand, I tried to uncover what makes the Schøtstuene museum special.

    Bergen Travel Guide

    Table of Contents

    What is a Schøtstuene?

    It’s probably best to start by explaining this long, strange word. Schøtstuene is a Norwegian word that refers to an old assembly hall and common room. It was also the cookhouse, so the merchants would eat, socialise and drink in these buildings. But they would also use them for meetings, councils, legal courts, and schools for the younger apprentice. So, these rooms were pretty much used for everything.

    Definition
    Schøt Stu = room // ene = plural “the common rooms”. If it said “Schøtstue” it would be a single room

    The word comes from the Old Norse skytningsstova, which referred to a tavern.

    The layout of a Schøtstue

    The buildings were typically two-storeys, with a kitchen on the lower floor and the assembly hall on the upper floor. Originally, each trading house on Bryggen would have a schøtstue, but after the great fire of 1702, the law stated that each trading house in a particular row or alley must share a schøtstue at the back. This reduced the risk of fire.

    In the main hall, you’d find benches that are divided in a way that different groups sharing a schøtstue had their fixed share of bench space. They also had a table and food cupboard. They’d often have a chandelier, a great long table, washbasins, jugs, and roller-towels. In most buildings, there would be a separate room where the beer was stored – very important stuff!

    In the cookhouse, the tiled roofs were laid directly onto the rafters, so smoke could escape between the tiles. There are also large vents in the walls. Along the long wall hung all the kitchen utensils and it’s again divided up between each group. Each group also had their own serving bench.

    Inside the Museum

    Today, the museum consists of four assembly rooms and two cookhouses. Some of the buildings are reconstructions and some of them have been moved from their original location.

    The Hall
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    When you step into the museum, the first thing you’ll see is the entrance hall. It is not authentic; the Hanseatics never had an entrance hall like this. Rather, when the museum was built in the 1930s, this hall was added to welcome you to the museum. The paintings on the wall are called ‘ranke’ paintings, and while new, they are inspired by paintings found on the 18th-century buildings.

    Stairs will lead you up to the first Schøtstue.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    A painting they moved from the Hanseatic Museum.
    The Jakobsfjorden & Bellgården Schøtstue

    While this schøstue was constructed in 1938, it reflects what a schøstue might have looked like before the fire of 1702, which destroyed over 90% of Bergen. This one has been inspired by an assembly room in Lubeck in the ‘Seafarers Guild Hall’ – after all, the Hanseatic Merchants did come from Lubeck.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    The fireplace at the back has a beautiful stone ‘logo’ on it, with the Hanseatic symbol of Bergen. Around it is the word ‘Brandtwein’, which means brandy or liquor. It’s believed that this came from the old wine cellar, which was destroyed first in 1702 and again at the start of the 20th century when they replaced it with the modern brick buildings (roughly where the shop ‘Røst’ is). On it seems to be the date ‘1542’.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    Here you can see the dividers for each group that shared this hall. Written on them are the job titles of who’d sit there – on the side of the benches, you can see logos of various Hanseatic cities. In the middle on the largest dividers is another Bergen Hanseatic logo.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    These washbasins date back from around 1554 and come from the old Hanseatic Museum.

    Back then (and even today!) it was considered rude to point, so the Hanseatics had this stick with a finger on the end. If they wanted to accuse someone of something, rather than rudely point with their own finger, they’d get this stick and point it at the accused.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    The Svensgården Schøtstue

    The real Svensgården Schøtstue still stands on its original location at the back of Bryggen, and today it’s the restaurant ‘Bryggen Tracteursted’. The schøtstue was in such a poor condition that it was unable to be moved. If you don’t get a chance to visit the restaurant (which you really should), you can see a replica of the schøtstue here at the museum. The replica is an exact copy in its form, construction, and furnishings. The tiles on the ground are from Bremen in Germany – a major Hanseatic city.

    When I visited, the Svensgården schøtstue was being used to display what the Hanseatics ate, with cabbage seemingly the main source of nutrition. Behind the schøtstuene would be vegetable gardens. Fake cabbage plants can be found around this room.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    When this building was constructed in the 1930s, they used both old and new logs. What’s nice about this room is that you can see the older logs in contrast to the newer logs.

    See that sliding panel there? The museum isn’t so sure what it’s about – they believe it used to open up into the cookhouse so the apprentice chefs could be checked upon.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    If you look closely at the logs, you can see they are numbered. This is how people in Bergen used to buy homes – they’d buy a second-hand home, number the planks of wood, disassemble and then reassemble their home in their desired spot. These numbers on the planks are currently being studied – but it’s so cool seeing them up close like this!

    More cabbage and carvings – can you see the wooden carvings on the planks?

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    Bredsgården Schøtstue

    This schøtstue is one of the originals, having been constructed in 1709. It has two floors – the lower floor has storerooms and a cookhouse. The room was rebuilt in 1761 – the room for storing beer was not reconstructed, but most of the old materials were used. It’s believed that by then the Hanseatics had become Norwegian citizens and were no longer living here, meaning that eating areas were not exactly needed – they could eat at home! This building was used up until the 1840s.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    Washbasins in the room date back to 1614. Does it look like a dog on the end?

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    Otherwise, in this room, you can see an original schøtstue. It never used to be brown – the brown walls were painted. Look closer on the walls…

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    These symbols were discovered in April 2019, and the museum doesn’t quite understand why they are here… They are currently being studied, as is the age of the benches.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    Bredsgården Cookhouse

    This cookhouse is a reconstruction, but the materials used are old. Since the Hanseatics moved into their homes throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, these cookhouses became obsolete and were eventually torn down. All that was remaining of this one was the bottom wall and remains of the walls and flagstones.

    These shoes were worn by apprentices and could only be worn in the cookhouse – the goal was to prevent the burning coal spreading into the other rooms. This would, of course, cause fires.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    The large white stove is original. These stoves were added to the buildings after the 1702 fire and heated the entire schøtstue.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    To cook, the pots were placed above the stone area in the middle of the room, where there was a fire. When the fire got too hot, they raised the pot. When the food was ready, the burning coals were raked together and put beneath a copper lid.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    Much like the main assembly rooms, the cookhouse was divided up amongst each group that shared it.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    Dramshusen Schøtstue

    The Dramshusen Schøtstue and the cookhouse (in the next room) is one of the oldest timber buildings preserved on Bryggen. Built in 1703, the building was torn down in 1900 to make way for those new brick buildings on Bryggen. However, it was reconstructed more or less as the same in 1936.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    The red colour was recreated in 2012 and comes from some ranke paintings that were found in the room. This type of painting isn’t unique to Bergen, but rather comes from different places in Europe and takes its inspiration from Baroque and Renaissance styles.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    The colourful doors date back to the 18th century. The benches are likely new, but the jambs between them are possibly original.

    Dramshusen Cookhouse
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway

    The Dramshusen Cookhouse was built in 1703 and is the most authentic building in the museum. It shows well how the cookhouse was linked to the main sitting room. They are currently using the cookhouse to showcase another important part of the museum, the medieval ruins underneath.

    When the museum was being built in the 1930s, they uncovered the remains of a possible house that dates back to 1280. While little of the house is known, this room has a small exhibition on how they collect samples from the ground to date the ruins.

    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    schotstuene museum, hanseatic league, bergen norway
    Outside the Museum

    When you step outside the museum, before going to the exit take a look at this beautiful logo. On it, you can see another Hanseatic logo for Bergen, but also the name ‘St. Catherine’s. This is an old hospital. It’s believed the hospital was established around the 13th century, and it was originally intended as a hospital for leprosy. From 1500 onwards, it was run by the Hanseatic League and was referred to as a poorhouse.

    The hospital burnt down in 1702 but was rebuilt. In 1779, it closed down. It was excavated in 1986, and now you can see the ruins across the street from St. Mary’s Church. It’s named after Catherina of Alexandria, who is a saint and a patron for girls, virgins and wives, educated professions like scientists and teachers, and service workers like hairdressers and seamstresses.

    Facilities

    Shop

    There is no shop inside the Schøtstuene museum itself; there is a museum shop located on Bryggen (about a 5 minute walk away) that has excellent books in English, Norwegian and German as well as Bergen & seafaring-themed souvenirs.

    Cafe

    There is no cafe inside the museum, but you are minutes away from Bryggen and the various restaurants and cafes there.

    Restrooms

    Located in the main entrance hall

    Language

    Signs are in English and Norwegian

    Guided Tours

    When you pay the admission fee, you’ll have the opportunity to take an included guided tour. The tours last 15 minutes and cover the museum and history of the Hanseatic League in Bergen. Check with the reception desk about tours in different languages other than English.

    Longer tours with the Schøtstuene and Bryggen are offered daily at 3pm and last 40 minutes. They start at Schøtstuene and end at the souvenir shop.

    Visit the website for more information: https://hanseatiskemuseum.museumvest.no/english/our-exhibitions/daily-guided-tours-at-schoetstuene-and-bryggen/

    Practical Information

    Opening Hours
    • January – April: 11am – 3pm
    • May: 9am – 5pm
    • June – August: 9am – 6pm
    • September: 9am – 5pm
    • October – December: 11am – 3pm
    Admission Fee
    • Adult: 120 NOK
    • Child: Free
    • Student: 100 NOK
    • Not included with the Bergen Card
    Getting There

    The Schøtstuene Museum is located next to St. Mary’s Church, just behind Bryggen and the Radisson Blu Hotel.

    Accessibility
    • The museum has narrow stairs to get to to the upper floors
    Plan your visit
    • Allow around 45 minutes to visit the museum
    • Luggage lockers are not available
    Useful Information
    • Be sure to visit the exhibition about the house discovered under the museum; it’s one of my favourite parts of the museum!

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    Bergen Travel Guide