NORGES TURMARSJFORBUND

      REGION HORDALAND

Description of your route:

Walk outside, using the main entrance. Turn left, across the zebra crossing and then immediately right

 across another light crossing. Then turn left into Strømgaten. Continue straight ahead until you reach

 the next light crossing. Continue straight over the road and turn right into Lars Hillesgate, along the

 backside of The Greig Concert Hall (GREIGHALLEN).

      GREIGHALLEN – The Concert Hall was opened in 1978. It was designed by the Danish architect Knut Munk, and was built in the shape of a grand piano. The facade of the Hall is made up of tinted pains of glass framed by red/brown patinated steel, topped by a fan shaped concrete roof. The foyer contains an abundance of lights hanging freely from the ceiling creating a mass of light points. As well as concerts the Hall is used for opera, ballet and theatre performances. It is also used for congresses, exhibitions and receptions.

Continue along the pavement. Cross over Christiesgate and continue straight ahead along

 Foreningsgaten. Continue straight on along Vaskerelven, which then continues into Engen. Here you will observe the Theatre (DEN NATIONALE SCENE) on your right hand side.

      DEN NATIONALE SCENE – Was built between 1906-09. The building was damaged in 1940 during a bombing raid and the whole stage/seating area was rebuilt. In 1993 it became a listed building. The first theatre in Bergen was opened in the variety hall in the 1850’s Ole Bull being the initiator. Henrik Ibsen was both director and artistic advisor between 1851-1857, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson was the theatre director between 1857-9. It was a private theatre until 1972, it then became a public company owned by the State, province and local authority. From 1993 it became a purely State owned venture.

Cross the Teatergaten and walk straight on into Jonsvollgaten, then cross Baneveien. Walk straight on

and follow the pavement on the left hand side of Vestre Muralmenning. Turn right at the first set of

traffic lights in to Nøstegaten. Walk along this street until you get to nr. 101, you then proceed to the

 right up Strangebakken. Get to the top of this hill. Then you turn to the right into Strangehagen.

 Continue until you get to a bottle bank and paper collection area, you then turn to the left into

 Haugeveien. You pass “Gallows hill” (Galgebakken) and Fredrikbergs castle/fortifications on the left

hand side.

      FREDRIKBERG FESTNING – was initially constructed as a fort in 1666/67. This was earlier one of the cities places of execution. During larger city fires firebombs were deployed from here as part of the cities fire-fighting effort. In 1818-21 C.F.G. Bohr had his observatory here, he mapped Bergen geographically, as well as starting the registering of barometric pressure, temperature, rainfall and weather conditions. Fredriksberg was abandoned as a fortification in 1872, but is preserved as a historical monument.

Turn left into NORDNESPARKEN (Nordnes park).

      NORDNESPARKEN – This was the idea of Edvard G. Johannessen and the site was developed between 1888-98. A bronze bust of Johannessen, by Ambrosia Tønnesen, was unveiled in 1918. The park consists of play areas, sledging slopes and the cities most popular attraction (at that time) a seawater bathing pool (1910) plus a 25meter swimming pool. The large deciduous trees were planted there during the initial construction of the park. At the outer most point of the headland there is a Totem pole, this was a gift during the celebration of Bergens’ 900 year jubilee in 1970, from Seattle USA (its twin town).

You now walk behind Nordnes school, keeping the school on your right side you will pass a viewing

 point (the view over to Laksevåg) with benches on your left hand side. Take the path down hill, and

 you will pass the seawater bathing pool on your left and the AKVARIET (aquarium) will be on your

 right.

      AKVARIET – The aquarium opened in 1960, the intention behind this was to show the public a representative sample of Norwegian marine fauna, today it is also used for teaching and research. Outside there are pools for seals and penguins. In the entrance there is a small seawater aquarium, in the main building there are 42 tanks, mostly containing seawater but some contain freshwater and freshwater fish. About 3 million litres of water circulate through the saltwater tanks every day, it is pumped up from a depth of around 130 meters from the fjord. The temperature is kept constant at around 6-7 degrees C.

 Follow the path to the left at the Y junction. In the park on the right you can see the Totem pole and

 the bronze statue. Follow the path until you see a large white house. You will find SK2 here on a pole.

 On the right of the house is Nordnesgata (Nordnes street), walk in this direction and carry straight on

 into Strandgaten. Walk to the other side of the car park at Tollbodalmenningen and down to your left

 towards a shop (Rimi). Turn to your right into Christian Sundsgate, when you get to number 36-42

cross over from the pavement on the left and continue on the right, you are still in Christian

Sundsgate. Follow the pavement, you will bear first to the left and then to the right into Østre

Muralmenning. On the right you will now see MUREN.

      MUREN – This is one of Bergens oldest secular buildings, built in 1561 – partially of stone from the ruins of Munkeliv monastery. The ground floor of the building has been used for trading since the last part of the 1600 hundreds. It has been used by many different groups throughout the years, a security guard company, state-owned wine and spirits monopoly, the churchwarden and now as a museum for the traditional Buekorps. Muren became a listed building in 1927.

You are now at Strandkaien. The fast ferry terminal is on your left hand side. Proceed to the end of

Strandkaien. Then turn left at the end into the area called TORGET .

       TORGET – In 1889 the council decided to errect tanks for the sale of live fish. In 1923 the flower market was added. In the summer this whole area is used as a marketplace. In 1921 a sea mine was mounted upon a plinth with a bronze relief of Sofus Madsen, as a monument to all seafaring folk who lost their lives during the First World War. The mine is a collection box, with all proceeds going to the families of those lost at sea. Now moved to Bryggen The circular building which you see here used to be used as a newspaper kiosk and public toilet, it was erected in 1929 (Kasper Hassel was the architect), it’s known locally as the round tower. In 1985 it was converted into a kiosk.

After you have passed through the marketplace, cross over to the pavement on the right side, bear to

the right and up Vetrlidsalmenningen towards Fløybanen. 

       FLØYBANEN – This is an electric driven cable (fenuncular) railway up to the top of Fløyfjellet (fløy-mountain), which is 325 meters above sea level. It was opened in 1918. The length of the cable/tracks is 850 meters, and the incline varies from 15 to 26 degrees. In 1954 the cars were renewed, and in 2002 it had an overhaul and got new tracks and cars.

Continue along the pavement towards “Fløybanen” and walk past it, bear to the right and then to the

left into Lille Øvregate. Cross to the pavement on to the left hand side, walk straight along here

crossing over “Øvre Korskirkealmenning”, continuing into “Lille Øvregate”. The Cathedral

(DOMKIRKEN) is on your left hand side.

      DOMKIRKEN – this is built upon the site of the remains of two previous churches. The first time it was mentioned was as “Olavs’ church in Vågsbunnen”. This was burnt to the ground in 1248 and again in 1270. Magnus Lagabøte financed the last building, which was finished in 1301. This burnt again around 1463/64. It was still in ruins when it was decided that this would be the site for the cathedral in 1537. It was finally rebuilt in its present form between 1623 and 1640.

Turn to the left into Kong Oscarsgate (King Oscars road). Cross over a pavement and turn immediately

 to the right and cross over Kong Oscarsgate. Continue straight ahead to Nygaten (New road), turn into

 the next road on the left – “Marken”. Continue straight ahead to the end. You will now see

JERNBANESTASJONEN (the railway station) straight ahead and your tour is over.

      JERNBANESTASJONEN – was built in 1913 in gneiss from Vaksdal and slate from Voss. It was rebuilt in 1942, 1951, 1959. The public area of the station was modernized in 1991/92. The vestibule has 10 relief’s along the walls under the ceiling, created in mortar by Mons Hartvedt. They contain motives of the landscape along the stretch of railway across the mountains towards Oslo called “Bergensbanen”, with the silhouettes of the fortresses at Akershus and Bergenhus.

We hope that you had an enjoyable tour. Remember to clip/stamp all your cards. All the best from the T.I.F ramblers “Viking”.

Reference used: The Encyclopaedia of Bergen  – published in 1999.

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Sist endret: 23 september 2010