Well, we are off on another long cruise to visit Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and Canada on the Viking Saturn. This is a 28-day cruise we are doing with Leo and Jo Sanchez. Linda Beaubien and Laurie McCullough are joining us on the first 14 days of this cruise. All 6 of us flew out of Atlanta on August 1st, arriving in Bergen, Norway on August 2nd. We had been to Bergen exactly 6 months earlier when we did the Northern Lights cruise in February. Bergen is a great city to just walk around. It is a beautiful city with many colorful buildings outlining a very scenic harbor area. On the day we arrived we took a walk around the harbor to keep us awake. After long transatlantic flights that arrive early in the day, we are firm believers in not taking naps but stay awake until bedtime (although in may be a somewhat earlier bedtime!). The weather was great with temperatures in the low 70’s. After struggling through the 90’s in Atlanta for the last month, this was a very pleasant change.
A short distance from where the Viking Saturn was docked is the Bryggen area. This is a UNESCO heritage site where German merchants arrived in Bergen back in the 1300’s to make Bergen a significant trading port in the area. The German merchants created the Hanseatic League and owned a large portion of Bergen which was established in the 1200’s as a major Norwegian port for trade. The Germans traded cereal for fish stock which was very valuable back in Germany and other European countries. Bryggen has been damaged by many major fires over the years and its appearance today stems from when it was rebuilt in the 1700’s. Whenever repairs are required today, they must be made with the same materials and used in the same manner as they were back in the 1700’s. Repairs go very slow, and it takes years to restore buildings. Today Bryggen buildings are leased to today’s merchants, and you can buy clothing, souvenirs, bakery goods, food and many other things in these shops. It is certainly a worthwhile place to visit and check out some of the shops. Make sure you walk behind the 8 large shops in the front because there are 64 buildings that comprise of Bryggen which are in back of these shops.
As you continue around the harbor you will see a Hanseatic Museum that was created for you to learn more about Bryggen. At the end of the harbor are several fish markets that have turned into restaurants where you can enjoy the fresh catch of the day. There are many ferries in the harbor that go anywhere from short hauls to some of the nearby island to other ferries that take passengers 5 hours down the fjords to Flam. There are many tourist boats also that will take you around to see the sights along the coastline. Also docked in the harbor were a few world class sailboats and a very strange looking boat called the Hydrolicer which delices fish in fish farms (something new to us). On the far side of the harbor, you can get some great pictures of the beautiful store fronts of Bryggen. The Radison has built 5 more buildings that resemble the original Bryggen store fronts and use them as part of the hotel which is behind these buildings.
A short distance from where the Viking Saturn was docked is the Bryggen area. This is a UNESCO heritage site where German merchants arrived in Bergen back in the 1300’s to make Bergen a significant trading port in the area. The German merchants created the Hanseatic League and owned a large portion of Bergen which was established in the 1200’s as a major Norwegian port for trade. The Germans traded cereal for fish stock which was very valuable back in Germany and other European countries. Bryggen has been damaged by many major fires over the years and its appearance today stems from when it was rebuilt in the 1700’s. Whenever repairs are required today, they must be made with the same materials and used in the same manner as they were back in the 1700’s. Repairs go very slow, and it takes years to restore buildings. Today Bryggen buildings are leased to today’s merchants, and you can buy clothing, souvenirs, bakery goods, food and many other things in these shops. It is certainly a worthwhile place to visit and check out some of the shops. Make sure you walk behind the 8 large shops in the front because there are 64 buildings that comprise of Bryggen which are in back of these shops.
As you continue around the harbor you will see a Hanseatic Museum that was created for you to learn more about Bryggen. At the end of the harbor are several fish markets that have turned into restaurants where you can enjoy the fresh catch of the day. There are many ferries in the harbor that go anywhere from short hauls to some of the nearby island to other ferries that take passengers 5 hours down the fjords to Flam. There are many tourist boats also that will take you around to see the sights along the coastline. Also docked in the harbor were a few world class sailboats and a very strange looking boat called the Hydrolicer which delices fish in fish farms (something new to us). On the far side of the harbor, you can get some great pictures of the beautiful store fronts of Bryggen. The Radison has built 5 more buildings that resemble the original Bryggen store fronts and use them as part of the hotel which is behind these buildings.
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