Bergen is an international city packed with history and tradition. You can find more than two dozen museums in Bergen, covering a wide range of topics like Bergen’s important history within trade and fisheries, contemporary art, architecture and musical art.
Bergen has been an important European port and city of trade for a thousand years. The city carries a major historical monument defined by fires and a tradition of wooden architecture, with the Bryggen UNESCO world heritage site as one the most important areas.
The historical Bryggen
At Bryggen you will find several of the most important museums in Bergen. The Bryggens Museum is a cultural history museum based on findings during the archaeological excavations at Bryggen between 1955 and 1972, presenting the foundations of the city’s oldest buildings from the 12th century on its original site.
The Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene with its medieval art displays one of the oldest and best preserved wooden buildings in Bergen, furnished in the 18th century style to provide an intimate picture of life during the important Hanseatic days.
In the Bryggen-area you will also find the Theta Musesum, The King Håkon’s Hall, Rosenkrantz Tower and St. Mary’s Church, providing a rich historical insight to Bergen.
A city of fisheries and trade
The Norwegian Fisheries Museum and the Bergen Maritime Museum are both great settings around the Norwegian tradition of fisheries and hunting by the coast line and out to sea. At the Norwegian Fisheries Museum you can find the traditional sea houses, some of them older than Bryggen, and a harbor filled with traditional boats.
At the Bergen Maritime Museum you can see the history of shipping, its development and importance to Bergen and Norway in the past and today. Ship models, including Viking shops, paintings, marine archeological findings are displayed to give a unique insight.
The Norwegian Fisheries Museum and Bergen maritime Museum are both great for children, as the experiences involves fun activities specially made for kids.
A rich musical history
Many of the museums in Bergen are related to the city’s proud musical history and tradition. Troldhaugen, the home of the world famous composer Edvard Grieg, is one of several museums connected to world known artists.
The Edvard Grieg Museum displays Grieg’s villa at Troldhaugen, the composer’s hut and the Grieg couple’s gravesite as well as a modern museum building and the concert hall Troldsalen – a chamber music hall seating 200 people.
During the summer you can enjoy lunchtime concerts in the concert hall, giving you a unique musical experience.
See the great masterpieces of Munch at KODE
Take a tour in Kodes extensive collection of art and design in four buildings in the center of Bergen along the lake Lille Lungegårdsvann. Discover masterpieces by Edvard Munch, Nikolai Astrup, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee and J.C. Dahl.
KODE Art Museum exhibits an exceptional permanent presentation of its unique Edvard Munch collection at KODE3, along with several exhibitions in the contemporary art category.
Old Bergen Museum
The Old Bergen Museum is an open-air museum with more than 40 wooden houses, representative of Bergen architecture and interiors in the 18th and 19th centuries. The houses provide a picture of life in a small town with its houses, various shops, bakery, barber shop, dentist and other shops from the “old days” in Bergen.
During the summer, actors make the stories come to life, and you can walk through the streets and experience the life in Bergen during the two important centuries for Bergen. A real feeling of nostalgia. You can also enjoy a meal at Bergen Tracteursted, an a la carte restaurant.
Museums outside the city center
Most of the museum are located within walking distance from the city center. However, there are several museums outside the city that are well worth a visit. Here are 7 museums outside Begen city center.
If you are looking for accessible attractions you can find a list of wheelchair friendly attractions and museums here.
The Museums in Bergen are easy to get to. They are either located right in the heart of the city centre, or you can easily get there by public transportation. Many of the museums in Bergen have free admission with the Bergen Card, available online, from the Tourist Information in Bergen or from several of the city hotels.
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