BERGENHUS FORTRESS

Located on the southwestern coast of Norway in the city of Bergen, is one of the best-preserved fortifications of the country, the Bergenhus Fortress, or Bergenhus Festning.

Located on the southwestern coast of Norway in the city of Bergen, is one of the best-preserved fortifications of the country, the Bergenhus Fortress, or Bergenhus Festning. The fortress was well known for its historical significance and for serving as a royal residence, Bishop’s office, and military seat of power. Currently, the fortress complex serves as a venue for many representation events, large-scale rock concerts, cultural events and operatic and theatre performances. The complex is open to the public and has both locals and visitors visiting the attractive recreational area.

While visiting the Bergenhus Fortress, you must go on an exploration of its two main structures. One of them is the Gothic-style mediaeval stone hall, Haakon’s Hall, which is currently used to house concerts, banquets and other official functions. The other one is the Rosenkrantz Tower which dates back to the 1560s and still has well-preserved interiors with various exhibits.

Highlights

• Visit Bergenhus Fortress, one of the best-preserved fortifications of Norway located in the city of Bergen.
• Spend some time in its recreational area where various cultural events, concerts, operatic and theatre performances are held.
• Explore the Gothic-style mediaeval stone Haakon’s Hall, which is one of the main structures of the fortress.
• Go to the Rosenkrantz Tower which has exhibits narrating the history of the tower.
• Pay a visit to the Bergenhus Fortress Museum to learn the history of the fortress from its ancient times.

How To Reach

By Car: The Bergenhus Fortress is 1.7 km from the city centre, it will take 9 min via the Fv577 route.

By Foot: If you travel by foot to Bergenhus Fortress from the city centre, you will need to walk for 19 min to cover a distance of 1.3 km via the Fv577 route.

By Bus: Take a bus to Skutevikstorget station which is 450 m away from the fortress. You can reach the location from the bus station within a 6-minute walk.

By Train: Take a train to Bergen Station which is 7.2 km away from the fortress. You can reach the location from the train station with a 22-minute walk or a 12-minute car drive.

By Boat: Take a ferry to Bergen’s port which is 850 m away and walk for 11 minutes to reach the fortress.

Best Time To Visit

Bergenhus Fortress is open all year round from 6 am till 11 pm Monday to Sunday and remains closed only on some special occasions.

Best season: The best season to visit Bergenhus Fort is during the spring months from May to June and the fall months from September to October.

Best day of the week: The best day of the week to visit the fortress is during weekdays from Tuesdays to Thursdays when the crowd is lesser compared to weekends. 

Best time of day: The best time of the day to visit the fortress is in the early morning when there is a lesser number of people and the early morning light is excellent for taking photographs.

Other Essential Information

• You can visit the Bergenhus Fortress area for free but if you wish to visit the museums, events, festivals or concerts, you may need to purchase tickets.
• Although the fortress is open around the year, it may be closed on special occasions, so it is recommended to check before visiting.
• Bergenhus Fortress is a protected national cultural heritage site, so you will need to pay respect to the buildings, monuments, ruins and park areas.
• You may use the lawn of the fortress but you must ensure that you do not damage any plants.
• While visiting the fortress, you will be prohibited from activities such as playing ball games, having a barbecue, consuming off-licence alcohol, and flying a drone. 
• You may take your pet dog along but you will need to keep it on a leash all the time.