Some museums are primarily entertaining while others stir deeper emotions. Most, if not all museums are intended to inform and educate. This post focuses on two exhibits we visited in Bergen, the first being of the former variety (entertaining) and the second of the latter (emotional).

Both informed and educated. Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to convey fully their messages. Perhaps this post will encourage you to dig deeper on your own through available Internet resources.

From the very beginning, the Bergen Troll Museum was FUN!

We expected that, but we did not expect to turn into Trolls!

We also did not expect the myths and legends surrounding Trolls to be so rich in depth and history. The Troll stories intertwine religion, heroism, valor, and the supernatural. Each of these few selected images was accompanied in the museum by a detailed account. Use your imagination and you probably won’t be far off.

In every generation, there are a few noteworthy individuals who dedicate their entire life to a passion. Some are lucky enough to achieve recognition during their lifetime others are lost to the dark curtain of time. Ragna Breivik (1891-1965} falls somewhere in the middle. Her achievements in tapestry design and execution were known nationally and internationally. However, full appreciation of her extraordinary skill, even genius, is still emerging.

In all there were 10 panels, each measuring approximately 10 feet wide and 5 feet high. I could have spent the entire day taking them in.

Here are a few additional moments from our time in Bergen.

I am typing these words as we sail out of port to destinations north.

Peace Everyone. Pete

Bergen is not short on museums. We counted 29 in the hotel guidebook. I suspect a few may have been left out.

They are as diverse as one dedicated to fire fighting over the years (Bergen has survived 39 known major conflagrations between the year 1000 and the last major one which occurred in 1702), and another museum located in the former Leprosy hospital.

I really wanted to see the one about leprosy, but it was closed due to illness. (It’s really closed for renovation.)

We chose three that were within an easy walking distance of our hotel. Bergen’s town center is such that almost everything is within easy walking distance.

The first of these we visited on Sunday, just a few minutes walk from our hotel.

The Hanseatic Museum and Schotstuene consists of a group of restored buildings that date to 1703, a year after the last great fire to ravage Bryggen. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In an effort to combine resources and defend against pirates, 12th century German merchants formed a trading guild, The Hanseatic League. Bergen was one of its principal cities.

The league flourished to include over 200 major cities and dominated trade in the Baltic, Scandinavia and Northern Europe for hundreds of years. Merchant ships traveled in convoy with an exchange of goods that covered the whole of Europe, northern Africa, and even extended along the Silk Road to the east and North America to the west.

Bryggen (Bergen) controlled access to the entire 60,000 mile coastline of Norway.

The League reached its zenith in the 16th and early 17th centuries. Its influence continued even into the 19th century.

Hanseatic vessels grew in size.

By the mid 1500s League ships were among the largest in the world, some measuring over 250 feet in length and able to transport over 500 tons of cargo.

Today (Monday) we visited the Bergen Archeological Museum. I am including some images of artifacts that date to and before the Hanseatic period.

Our visit to two other museums/exhibitions will be featured in the next post.

Peace Everyone. Pete

It’s about food. September 6, 2025.

This is the second of the two posts about our wanderings today. This afternoon we joined thousands of Norwegians and foreign tourists for a remarkable culinary exposition.

The following from the festival promotion: 

“Join us in the heart of Fjord Norway for a culinary journey… Wander through Bergen‘s vibrant city center, and discover an array of local food artisans showcasing their culinary creations…”

…And so we did. Peace everyone. Pete.

September 6, 2025

I believe that Norway’s entire population of 5 1/2 million was in Bergen today… At least it seemed that way.

In spite of the crowds we were able to fully enjoy two amazing activities/events. To do them both justice I’m going to separate them in two posts. They will be short on narration and long on pictures.

First the Floibanen:

After breakfast we took a five minute walk to the famous Floibanen funicular railway. 

First opened in 1918 this steep 25 degree railway ascends from sea level at Bergen Harbor to Floyen at an elevation of 1000 feet. 

The current ultramodern electrical conveyance consists of two sets of train cars. They are connected by a cable.

Each set of cars can hold up to 120 passengers. When one set of cars is at the top of the hill the other set is at the bottom. They pass each other at mid journey, the weight of one counteracting the weight of the other. They require comparatively minimal engine drive support. 

The journey to the top of Mount Floyen takes about five minutes. A round-trip ticket costed us each $20 (200 kroner). Christine rode the railway back to the bottom, but I hiked down the mountain, a journey of approximately 3 km which took me just short of an hour. 

The views from the top were fantastic.

There is a restaurant that first opened in 1925.

There are also shops, a café, toilets, a playground, and goats!

My hike back to the city center was magical! A forest of massive evergreens, carpeted by moss and ferns.

If you look carefully you will see families of Trolls peaking out from behind the trees… but only if you believe in them.

Part 2 follows. 

Peace Everyone. Pete