What a delightful city is Bergen! This Hanseatic City has a fascinating history as the business center of northern Europe for over two centuries.
Our hotel was situated on the waterfront and we took every advantage of its great location. We enjoyed the colorful tugboats and fishing boats lining the harbor in a late morning celebration of the ships. Boats of every size and description sailed into the harbor, honking and communicating back and forth in staccato signals. We wandered through the fish market on the dock, savoring vivid sights of luscious fruit, piles of brilliantly colored fresh fish of every description, mountains of shiny vegetables, delectable fresh-baked bagels and pastries—and everything that a colorful central
market offers.
Despite intermittent rain, we headed off for a day immersed in the culture of the Hanseatic League era. We learned that German businessmen had controlled the life of this bustling city for over two hundred years as we followed an excellent guide through the contemporary museum of medieval
life. Bryggen, one of just four German trading offices of the Hanseatic League, was established in 1360 and controlled the city as a major trading center until the early 14th century. Declining by the beginning of the 15th century, Bergen still remained an important port until 1899. Today, one can still see the huge cruise ships, a fleet of fishing and sailboats and the famed Hurtigruten ships of the Bergen Line sail out of the harbor daily.
Our guide led us from the museum through narrow alleyways lined by wooden row houses constructed 800 years ago. A few blocks along the harbor dock, we entered into a dank dark business house of a 13th Century Hanseatic merchant. Climbing up narrow staircases and along dark soot-covered hallways, we ducked through doorways into low ceiling tiny airless interior rooms. In these claustrophobic tiny rooms, we learned how the workers, managers and business owners of the 13th century lived and worked in this restrictive---for the lower classes—environment.
We were fascinated by the importance of dried cod as the coin of the realm. We gained some understanding of the incredible drudgery in the lives of the apprentices and workmen and how they tried to become free men. The place of the women in the Hanseatic League culture was especially brutal. They suffered as the lowest class in this environment dominated solely by the financial interests of German businessmen.
I’d love to return to Bergen to explore its history further. However, we were ready to move on to our new venue—the Finmarken. As per Doug’s custom, we wheeled our luggage up and down the hilly cobblestone streets across the city to the Hurtigruten headquarters and dock where the Finmarken awaited. Our boarding time was late afternoon.
[Go to Norway Part Seven]
