Curious Traveler

- This former capital of Norway has its own UNESCO World Heritage Site, a medieval hall and tower, and some of the cutest painted wooden houses you have ever seen.

It is time to get (speaking in foreign language) about Bergen.

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- [Narrator 2] Over 300 tours across all seven continents, over 40 years of serving travelers, you can experience effortless, fun vacations, and authentic experiences with GET.

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We look forward to seeing you on board.

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(dramatic music) - [Narrator 4] When you travel with us, you are not the typical tourist.

- This Scandinavian city was founded by a king named Olaf.

Then it thrived thanks to some savvy merchants, some tasty little fishies, and some beautifully colorful houses.

Today, we are sailing through the capital of the fjords Velkommen to Bergen.

Beautiful Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and is located on Norway's southwestern coast, a spot which we will soon learn was just right for receiving fishies from the north and for trading to the south.

(bouncy upbeat music) And Bergen has many monikers, the Capital of the Fjords, the Heart of the Fjords, and the City Between Seven Mountains.

And then there's its original name, Bjorgvin, which means the green meadow among the mountains.

And just one visit will explain where all that green comes from.

Rain, lots and lots of rain.

Oh yeah, it rains a lot here in Bergen.

So best to get a cute raincoat and just embrace it.

Now we don't know if it was raining the day that King Olaf Chera decided to establish the city of Bergen back in 1070 AD, but we do know that his castle was built somewhere here along the edge of the harbor, which was pretty savvy because, come on, just look at this view.

So here's what I'm curious about in Bergen.

Who lived in a beautiful Victorian home named for a troll with a darling little man cave down by the lake?

What is the oldest building in Bergen, and what are some of its secrets?

Where can you stroll through 19th century Bergen?

Why was this castle and royal ballroom built, and who got to sit right here?

When was Bergen one of the most important trading ports in Northern Europe?

And what do some medieval Germans have to do with it?

It is time to get curious about Bergen.

We begin our journey into curious Bergen from the water.

So we boarded this fine looking vessel with Captain Tom, one of those true Norwegians who knows that a little bit of rain, okay, a lot of rain, doesn't ruin a perfectly good day out at sea.

(singing in foreign language) So we sail just across the port from the all important fish market.

Bergen has had a fish market here at the harbor since the 13th century.

Fishermen used to row their boats here with their daily catch to sell and then row back home.

Farmers saw what a good idea it was and set up their produce stands as well.

And the market grew and grew.

But then the really big traders and merchants moved in, which brings us across the port to Bergen's pride and joy, its UNESCO World heritage Site, and our first stop, a German mini city here in Norway.

Red shops, yellow shops, white shops, these colorful buildings along the port today house little boutiques and cafes.

But its history is much, much more important than just a cute spot to buy a postcard or a magnet.

This historic and UNESCO status area is called Bryggen, which simply means port.

And while Bryggen sounds a lot like Bergen, actually the two names are unrelated.

Bryggen dates back to the 14th century when German merchants set up their own little city within a city here.

But why were these medieval Germans allowed to do this?

Well, it was all part of the Hanseatic League, one of the most successful trading alliances in history.

From Hamburg to Bruges to Tallinn to Bergen, thanks to this alliance, these coastal cities prospered, especially Bergen, which became one of the largest trading ports in Northern Europe.

And what exactly Bergen was trading will come as no surprise.

To tell us more is Linn Falkenberg, a Bergen local and expert in all things Bryggen.

I love learning, when we bop all around Europe, places that are huge today.

It all started with something as simple as fish.

So how did fish build Bergen?

How did those fishies build Bergen?

That's a way of saying it.

- So the cod from the north of Norway was dried up there.

So it's actually dried cod.

It was dried up there, shrunk the size of it.

So it was very cost effective or effective to store it here.

So they came with ships from the north of Norway, coming down here, stored it here, and the German merchants were selling the dried cod from Bergen to the rest of the world.

- [Christine] Yep, the dried cod, called stock fish, looks like this, dried on huge racks like these in northern Norway.

This drying technique dates back centuries.

In fact, it is said that the Vikings would never have been able to survive on those long journeys without these stock fish.

They may not be pretty, but they sure were profitable.

I remember reading something like this dried fish was as valuable as gold.

- It's easy to transport and also it's highly nutritious.

- [Christine] So from little fishies, to big, big, iconic wooden houses, I mean, seriously, just look at how long these buildings are, there's an entire mini city back here with a sophisticated grid system, with the alleys between the buildings serving as little streets.

- [Linn] One of my favorite things, you can actually still smell a little bit of the dried salted fish.

And also when you go inside here, all the noise from the traffic disappears.

- Just stops.

- Yeah.

- [Christine] And there are some wonderful, curious details along the facades, like this lumberjack, this little angel, and even a little unicorn.

- Many of the Germans coming here were young boys, and they didn't necessarily know how to read and write.

So they were apprentices running errands and things.

And so what they did...

So each of these rows of houses had a name.

So then we have a unicorn hanging on the wall here further down.

- Oh, I see it now.

- So that is called the unicorn house.

So then you could see you'd go for the unicorn, instead of knowing where it is, because you could see the unicorn.

- Now that wasn't to say they were selling unicorns there or anything.

- No, definitely not.

- But they know go to the unicorn house to get the fish or to get to this or to get whatever you needed.

- Yeah.

- [Christine] But with all these wooden buildings around, fire was always a threat.

And unfortunately, there have been more than a few fires over the years, including the most recent one in 1955.

But that 1955 fire actually had a silver lining.

- [Linn] When they took away the broken buildings, they started to dig, and then they could actually trace back until 1100s houses.

So they've been building houses here.

And another good thing was when they burned down, they just filled in.

- So where we're standing right now, 'cause I can see the water still a little bit ways over there- - It was here.

- This is all, for lack of a better word, history's garbage.

- Yes.

- Oh, and one last thing as you're wandering these lovely little maze-like streets and thinking deep thoughts about the impact of this mini German city within a Norwegian city.

There is one last bit of real life history to remember.

- This was a male community only.

- Ah, here we go here.

Here's the part of the history.

- So yeah, so the German merchants coming here, they were not allowed to mix.

So this was where...

It was called the Hanseatic Quarter.

- Okay.

- So they were only allowed to stay here and they we're not allowed to mix with the locals.

And it was a male community only.

- I think I know where you're going with this.

- And the street behind was the red light district at the time.

- There you go.

- Whenever there's sailors, there's always brothels.

I'm sure that's not a very nice thing to say, but that's history.

That's history.

- And also, so it did happen that they broke the rules with mixing with the local women.

If someone was caught making a girl pregnant or something, they had to pay a fine.

And that was a large barrel of beer.

- That was the fine?

- That was divided to the other ones.

- You're kidding me.

Okay, that's really funny.

I don't think that's, that's documented in the UNESCO status, but it's a really great story.

That's fantastic.

Next, just beside Bryggen is an equally important and precious historic site, Bergenhus Fortress, one of the oldest fortresses and castles in all of Norway.

Portions date back more than 750 years to the time when Bergen was the political center and royal seat of Norway.

This was the site where Norway's first complete set of laws was drafted.

And after all that work, this was also where medieval kings would take a snooze because Bergenhus was the king's personal residence too.

In fact, this was the king's largest royal residence back in the 13th century.

Thank Thor that this important piece of Norwegian history has been preserved, sometimes in some pretty unique and quirky ways, where old meets new.

This staircase inside the castle is not just any staircase.

It is a royal staircase.

In fact, it was built specifically for the royal family in modern times.

But when you see where it leads, you can see that, obviously, this was one of the original entrances to the original medieval castle.

And what's inside is quite royal indeed.

Hakons Hall is the only surviving section of the original royal castle.

This one single room tells the history of Bergen and its role in the mighty nation of Norway.

In the 13th century, it was Bergen, not Oslo, that was the largest and most powerful city in Norway.

And more importantly, this is where the king lived.

And one king named Hakon Hakonsson had this castle built, and this was the most impressive hall, today called Hakons Hall.

This is where the king would sit back there and greet very important visitors from across the lands and also host very lavish celebrations.

One celebration in 1261 was when the king's son Magnus married the Danish princess Ingeborg, and more than 2,000 guests were invited.

But guess what?

Only the VIPs from that guest list were allowed into this hall.

(festive medieval music) Can't you just picture that celebration here in the hall, guests dancing and celebrating with the royal family?

And here's what's amazing.

Hakons Hall is still used for royal and other official celebrations today.

I'll be right here waiting for my invite.

(upbeat snare drumming) Okay, apparently my invitation got lost in the mail.

So let's cross the courtyard, pause to enjoy a local band practicing for National Day, and then continue on around the port to our next curious destination.

(light charming music) Just around the corner, there is another treasured building of Bergen that is even older than Bergenhus Fortress.

And dare I say, it's even prettier.

Tucked into a darling little corner of the city, dusted with pink flowers at the right time of year, is a little church with a big history.

The beautiful Saint Mary's Church was believed to have been built between 1130 and 1170, making it the oldest existing building here in Bergen.

That's right, older than Hakons Hall or Rosenkrantz Tower or even all of Bryggen.

Just look at the shadows of old carvings and paintings near the ceilings.

St. Mary's Church is one of the most outstanding examples of Romanesque architecture in all of Norway.

And this historic little church is full of wonderful curiosities, including the pulpit full of mysteries.

No one knows who created it or where they created it.

If you look closely, you can see tortoise shell and lacquer work, which are materials not native to Scandinavia.

And this style is not found in any other church in Norway.

So art historians think it was created in east Asia, then traded through Holland, and then purchased by one of those German Hanseatic merchants of Bryggen, who then decided to give it to the church in the 17th century.

What a long and curious journey.

The altar is even older than the pulpit, and historians do know where it came from.

Northern Germany.

The open triptych shows Mary in the middle with a curious face at her feet.

Some scholars believe it represents Mary triumphing over the forces of evil, with the face representing the sinful human race.

Another theory says that this is a depiction of the woman described in the book of Revelation, as being clothed with the sun and having the moon at her feet.

So many mysteries, so much history in one little church.

(soft romantic music) Next, from a darling little church built for an important saint, to a darling Victorian home built for a very important musician.

Edvard Grieg was one of the most important composers to come out of Norway.

It has been said that Grieg is to Norway what Shakespeare is to England and what Washington is to America.

Born in Bergen in 1843, Grieg is credited with creating a national identity for classical music in Norway.

Many of his lyrical works were inspired by Norwegian folk music.

Of his many accomplishments, he founded the Norwegian Nationalist School of Music.

Perhaps his most recognizable piece is "Morning Mood" from the Peer Gynt-Suite.

And this was his magnificent summer home, which he happily shared with his wife, Nina, who was also a musician.

She was a soprano.

They had their home built on the perfect spot, overlooking Lake Nordas.

Now let's get to that name.

Troldhaugen means troll's hill because you know how much Norwegians love their magical trolls.

Something else Norwegians are known for is growing grass on their rooftops.

This grasstop building is a concert hall where you can experience Grieg's music right where he composed it at Troldhaugen.

Now let's take a look inside.

So come on in, watch your step and behold, this is the home that music built.

Edvard and his wife Nina lived here for 22 beautiful years, and they had it built especially for them in this spot, in the glorious Victorian style.

You can see a lot of the Victorian furnishings that they had still in the same place today.

But if you look around, you might notice something a little bit different than what you might normally see in a Victorian home.

For a family of, let's just say their stature, normally they would have really ornate wallpaper covering the walls, but instead Edvard and Nina chose to keep the walls wooden as a tribute to their Norwegian roots.

And there's lots of fun Norwegian details to find here.

If you look closely, this isn't just a regular chair.

This little dragon, serpenty guy was clearly inspired by those Viking longships.

Then as you come a little closer here, watch your head for the chandelier.

Lest, of course, you were Edvard and Nina's height.

And of course, we have an 1892 Steinway.

Look, but do not touch.

Come over this way, and you can just tell how much in love Edvard and Nina were because Edvard actually had this rose stained glass window made especially for her.

So cute.

All right, come on out here and look at this.

Can you see why they chose this spot now?

And those little benches there with the beautiful tulips.

Maybe this is the spot where Edvard and Nina would just sit and gaze out over the water.

Before we leave idyllic Troldhaugen, there is one more area to discover.

As luxurious as the main house was, Grieg needed a very quiet place to do his compositions.

So he had this charming little composer's hut built just for himself down by the water.

And apparently he really needed quiet, and I mean complete quiet, because even the rusting of the trees or even a boat going by in the water would disturb him, and he'd have to start all over.

And nobody wants that.

So this little building became very important.

But possibly there's one more small building on the property that is equally important.

This one right here.

Why was it so important?

Well, that's because it was the outhouse.

The only outhouse.

(bouncy upbeat music) Next, we visit more Victorian homes which preserve the history and legacy of Bergen's status as Europe's biggest wooden city.

This isn't just a cute Bergen neighborhood, although it really is cute.

This is actually an open air museum called Old Bergen.

More than 50 wooden houses dating from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries were all carefully restored and relocated here.

The museum was opened in 1946 to preserve Bergen's historic buildings, which were threatened with being torn down.

Today, the effect is incredible.

You really feel like you've traveled back in time and that you're strolling through 19th century Bergen, complete with authentic touches, like the closely spaced wooden buildings, cobbled streets, period shops, markets, and alleys.

And the time travel effect really immerses you once you step inside the homes to meet the old Bergen residents.

Hi, how are you?

- I'm good, thank you.

- Good.

Is the lady at the house at home?

- She is.

- Oh, excellent.

- Hello?

- Oh hello there, madam.

Where do you come from?

- America.

- All the way from America.

Did you hear that, Matilda?

All the way from America.

- Exciting.

- [Lady] Very exciting.

Well, that's a long journey.

- Very long journey, very long journey.

- You must have been a toddler when you started.

- I was, I've grown up.

Yes, they really take their history seriously around here.

And why not?

It's so much fun.

The attention to detail inside the homes, guided by these performances is impressive.

Complete with real Bergen family photos and back stories and 19th century innovations.

- [Lady] Since I'm married to a very successful merchant, he travels a lot.

He deals with fabrics.

So he travels a lot to Europe, mainly Germany actually.

And he bought this little music box for me in Hamburg.

- Oh, it's lovely.

- Brilliant German engineering.

Yeah.

And look, we can, we can change music.

- [Christine] This is high technology here.

- [Lady] It is, madam.

You haven't seen anything like that.

- That's fantastic.

Now are these photographs of your family?

- Yes, it is.

Yes, they're quite nice.

Not that I'm...

I'm not particularly close to my family.

I actually hate some of them, but you know, I have all these, all these photographs on display just to show that I can afford to go to the photographer, yes.

- [Christine] So it's not that you love your family and you want to cherish them.

You wanted to show off that you have enough.

- [Lady] Yeah.

- [Christine] Well, excellent.

Excellent, excellent.

Now, do you have a dog?

- A dog, no.

No, not at all.

Oh, that's for spitting, yes.

When my husband comes from a long journey abroad, he sits down in his chair, chews his tobacco, and spits on the floor.

- [Christine] Is this his pipe?

- [Lady] It is, it is.

- [Christine] May I hold it?

- [Lady] Yes, be my guest.

If you want to, you're allowed to spit on the floor as well, because I have a maid, you know.

She cleans this, yes.

- So he smokes out of this and then would spit in this spittoon.

- Yeah.

- And your poor maid has to clean it.

- Yes, of course.

I don't cook and I don't clean.

(laughs) - [Christine] But the high tech music box and spittoon system are just the beginning of the luxuries here in 1886.

If you want to see something really impressive, follow us into the kitchen.

- I have running water.

Ah!

- Oh!

- You haven't seen that before, have you?

- [Christine] No, I haven't.

- [Lady] So this house was one of the very first houses that got the plumbing and then running water.

So that is very nice.

- And so your neighbors maybe have to still go with a bucket down to the- - Yeah, down to the well.

- Oh, that's so last year.

- Poor them, poor them.

- [Christine] Well, don't get too excited because running water into a sink in the kitchen did not mean full indoor plumbing throughout the house because in 1886 if one needed to visit the loo, the loo was outdoors in the rain or the snow, or both as it often happens here in Bergen.

I love this.

- This is the toilet paper.

- Is that really what that is?

- Oh, it is.

(Christine laughs) - Why wouldn't it be, darling?

- Put some scraps of paper here on the hook, and you grab a piece or two.

Oh my goodness.

- [Lady] Very practical.

- Oh my goodness.

Well, on that note, it's time to say goodbye to our old Bergen friends and to wrap up our visit to new Bergen as well.

So from a Norwegian port full of German merchants, brightly painted buildings and a unicorn or two, which built the wealth of a city, thanks to some little fishies and a big trading alliance that connected this small corner of the world with the rest of Europe and the globe, to a mighty medieval fortress and a castle for a king who ruled all of Norway from Bergen and liked to celebrate with fancy parties here, onto the oldest building in Bergen, which happens to be a church surrounded by pretty pink trees, and inside is full of wonderful and curious treasures, even if we don't know where in the curious world they came from, to more of those iconic Norwegian wooden houses, ready to transport you back in time to a time when running water and an early, early, early iPod was all the rage, to another Victorian house standing proudly on its own little hill, overlooking the water because it was the home to the Scandinavian country's most famous composer that preserved his love of music and love for his wife, even though he needed a cute little man cave to escape to every once in a while, Bergen has so much to be curious about.

Thank you for joining us on our educational journey.

And hopefully now you're even more curious about the who, what, where, why, when and how's of curious and beautiful Bergen.

As they say here in Norway, (speaking in foreign language).

(singing in foreign language) "Curious Traveler" is made possible by the following.

(regal upbeat music) - [Narrator 1] At Regent Seven Seas Cruises, we believe that personal space is essential to the luxury travel experience.

With no more than 732 guests, our ships allow you to explore the world and discover the freedom of having space at sea.

- [Narrator 2] Over 300 tours across all seven continents, over 40 years of serving travelers, you can experience effortless, fun vacations, and authentic experiences with GET.

Gettours.com.

- [Narrator 3] Windstar Cruises, intimate, private, yacht-style cruises to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Tahiti, and more.

We look forward to seeing you on board.

Windstarcruises.com.

(dramatic music) - [Narrator 4] When you travel with us, you are not the typical tourist.

- [Christine] And closed captioning provided by TAP Air Portugal.

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(gentle upbeat music) (flourishing music)