Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
A slender spur of rock projecting into the void above Lake Ringedalsvatnet, Trolltunga is one of Norway's most-photographed features, and – along with…
Must-see attractions in Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
Bergen
This beautiful estate was built in 1873 as the summer residence of Norway’s first musical superstar, violinist Ole Bull. Languishing on its own private…
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Bergen
Bergen's oldest quarter runs along the eastern shore of Vågen Harbour (bryggen translates as 'wharf') in long, parallel and often precariously leaning…
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Stavanger
Admittedly, the prospect of an 'oil museum' doesn't sound like the most promising option for an afternoon out, but this state-of-the-art place exploring…
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Bergen
A catch-all umbrella for Bergen's art museums, KODE showcases one of the largest art-and-design collections in Scandinavia. Each of the four buildings has…
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Stavanger
Don't miss this surprising museum housed in an old cannery: it's one of Stavanger's most entertaining. Before oil, there were sardines, and Stavanger was…
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Stavanger
Gamle (Old) Stavanger, above the western shore of the harbour, is a delight. The Old Town's cobblestone walkways pass between rows of late-18th-century…
Bergen
Composer Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina Hagerup spent summers at this charming Swiss-style wooden villa from 1885 until Grieg's death in 1907. Surrounded…
Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
At the summit after a steep 20km drive, and where Hardangervidda begins, is the stunning, 182m-high Vøringfoss Waterfall. There are actually numerous…
Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
Norway's only baronial mansion dates back to 1665 and sits on a gentle rise above the town. The period interiors include a collection of tapestries, an…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
Perched 600m above Eidfjord are two farms that were, until 1974, completely inaccessible by road. Until then, residents had no choice but to lug all their…
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Norwegian Museum for Hydroelectric Power & Industry
Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
A tour around a hydroelectric power station might not sound that promising, but this is one industrial landmark that's worth a detour. The Tysso 1 power…
Bergen
Bergen's cathedral features stonemasonry in the entrance hall carved by the same artisans who adorned Westminster Abbey's chapter house in London.
Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
This 13th-century stave church's wooden cross, according to local legend, sweats every midsummer's eve; the sweat is said to have healing powers. The…
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Bergen
KODE 3 is all about Edvard Munch: overall, the collection here is arguably even better than Oslo's Munch Museum. The rooms are fabulously intimate:…
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Bergen
Modern-art aficionados will want to make a beeline to KODE 4, which is home to a large permanent collection of European Modernist works including the odd…
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Bergen
This interesting museum provides a window into the world of Hanseatic traders. Housed in a rough-timber building dating from 1704, it starkly reveals the…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
Around 18km west of Haugesund, the tiny island of Utsira barely covers 6 sq km and is home to just 235 people, but its size belies its reputation in the…
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Bergen
Reopened in 2017 after two years of renovation works, this impressive museum makes a good place to start your explorations of KODE's collection. Two new…
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Bergen
Housed in a series of wonky wharfside warehouses dating from the 18th century, this museum delves into the industry that sustained Bergen (along with the…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
From 1865 to 1972, the village of Visnes, 4km west of Avaldsnes, was home to the largest and most sophisticated copper mine in Norway. Over its lifetime,…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
This ancient stone church was built under the reign of King Håkon Håkonsson. Work began in 1250, although it's thought that a much earlier wooden chapel…
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Stavanger
This beautiful church is an impressive but understated medieval stone cathedral dating from approximately 1125; it was extensively renovated following a…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
The Kunsthuset Kabuso runs a fascinating program that features big-name contemporary artists (Damien Hirst, Matthew Barney and James Turrell have all…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
Voss' stone church occupies the site of an ancient pagan temple. A Gothic-style stone church was built here in the mid-13th century and although the…
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Bergen
Viking fans will feel right at home at this impressive ceremonial hall, built by King Håkon Håkonsson in 1247–61 and completed for his son's wedding and…
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Stavanger
This museum traces 11,000 years of human history, including the Viking Age. Exhibits include skeletons, tools, a rune stone and a description of the…
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Stavanger
This worthwhile museum spread over two warehouses dating from around 1800 covers 200 years of Stavanger's maritime history. There's a large collection of…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
The 350 Viking burial mounds found here make this the largest Iron Age site in western Norway, dating from AD 400 to 1000. The tourist office can point…
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Stavanger
Dragging kids round a museum can be a tough proposition, but this is one place that's designed specifically with them in mind. It traces the changing…
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Bergen
At the end of the Nordnes Peninsula, this aquarium makes a worthwhile trip, especially for families. There are around 60 individual aquaria here, housing…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
US light artist James Turrell is known for his fascination with light, and has created a series of 'skyspaces' around the world, which are geometrical…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
Under the direction of the Kunsthuset Kabuso, this permanent collection of the work of Ingebrigt Vik (1867–1927), one of Norway's best-loved sculptors, is…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
Signposted off the road running to Baroniet Rosendal, this intriguing little open-air gallery has rock monoliths from the Folgefonna region that have been…
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Bergen
Named after the Norwegian Resistance group who occupied it between 1940 and 1945, this excellent reconstruction of a clandestine Resistance headquarters,…
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Bergen
Comprising two collections at separate sites, the Cultural History Collection takes in Viking weaponry, medieval altars, folk art, period furnishings,…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
A high summer pilgrimage to this farm, a short distance east of Øystese, rewards with strawberries ripe in June and a bounty of raspberries, cherries,…
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Stavanger
Stavanger's main museum was founded in the 19th century, and it's a typically wide-ranging affair, encompassing everything from Stavanger's history to…
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Stavanger
This museum, 2.5km south of the town centre, displays Norwegian art from the 18th century to the present, including the haunting Gamle Furutrær and other…
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Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords
This excellent open-air museum is a repository for the cultural heritage of the Hardanger region. Wander through its collection of historic homes, boats,…
