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Key Attractions Fløibanen Funicular Railway The Fløiban has been carrying people 320m (1050ft) up the Fløyfjell Mountain for more than 80 years – a one-way trip takes about eight minutes. The views over the city and offshore islands from the summit are spectacular. There is a restaurant (summer only) and shops at the top, as well as mountain walkways. New, larger and faster tramcars are to be introduced during the autumn of 2002. Vetrlidsalmenningen 23A Tel: 5533 6800. Fax: 5533 6801. E-mail: info@floibanen.no Website: www.floibanen.no Transport: A few minutes’ walk from the harbourside. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0730-2400 (2300 Sep-Apr), Sat 0800-2400 (2330 Sep-Apr), Sun 0900-2400 (daily until 2300 Sep-Apr). Extra services at peak times. Please note: Fløibanen is closed 25 Sep-11 Nov 2002 for track replacement, introduction of new cars and installation of a new ticketing system. Admission: NOK50 return (concessions available). Ulriksbanen Cable Car Every seven minutes, the Ulriksbanen Cable Car transports passengers 642m (2106ft) up to the summit of Mount Ulriken, the highest of Bergen’s seven mountains. From the top, there are panoramic views of the surrounding area. A popular four-hour walk leads to the summit of Mount Fløien. Haukelandsbakken 40 Tel: 5529 3160. Fax: 5520 2065. Transport: A double-decker shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes from the Tourist Information Office in the city (daily 0915-2045 May-Sep; weekends only in good weather Oct-Apr). Otherwise, bus 2, 4 or 7 leave from the main post office or bus 50 from Bryggen. Opening hours: Daily 0900-2200 (summer); 1000-1700 (winter). Admission: NOK120 (including the shuttle bus), NOK70 cable car round trip only (concessions available). Bryggen (Wharfside) In 1980, UNESCO listed Bergen’s Hanseatic Wharf area as one of the world’s most significant examples of the history and culture of a medieval settlement. Although many of the buildings were ravaged by fire through the centuries, they have been carefully restored to their original state. Today, Bryggen is a lively mix of restaurants, cafés and artists’ workshops. At the eastern end is the Torget, Bergen’s picturesque market where fish, fruit, vegetables, flowers, handicrafts and souvenirs are sold. The market is open Monday-Friday 0700-1600 (Thursday until 1900) and Saturday 0700-1500. Slightly reduced hours operate outside the peak season. Hanseatiske Museum The Hanseatic Museum is housed in one of the oldest wooden buildings in Bryggen. It was razed to the ground in 1702 but subsequently rebuilt. Furnished in 18th-century style, it provides an insight to life at that time as lived by a wealthy Hanseatic merchant. Finnegårdsgate 1A Tel: 5531 4189. Fax: 5531 1126. E-mail: hanseat@online.no Website: www.hanseatisk.museum.no Transport: A few minutes’ walk from the Torget. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (Jun-Aug); 1100-1400 (Sep-May). Admission: NOK40 (May-Sep); NOK25 (Oct-Apr); children free. Bryggens Museum After the destruction of several Hanseatic houses in 1955, archaeologists excavated the area and unearthed the remains of the oldest settlement ever discovered in Bergen (dating from the 12th century). This museum was built around the remains and houses various artefacts, including traditional costumes. Collections include runic inscriptions, ceramics and other items illustrating commerce, shipping, cultural activities, handicrafts and everyday medieval life. Temporary exhibitions are also staged here. Dreggsallmenning 3 Tel: 5558 8010. Fax: 5558 8050. E-mail: eli.rodseth@bmu.uib.no Website: www.uib.no/bmu Transport: A few minutes’ walk from the Torget. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (May-Aug); Mon-Fri 1100-1500, Sat 1200-1500 and Sun 1200-1600 (Sep-Apr). Admission: NOK30 (concessions available). Akvariet I Bergen (Bergen Aquarium) On the tip of the peninsula, the Bergen Aquarium contains one of the finest and most extensive collections of marine fauna in Europe. Seventy tanks and three outdoor pools are complemented by an extension containing a realistic nesting cliff, open-plan tanks, an exhibition and video facilities. There are also new sections covering marine industry and polar sealife, while a major new exhibition featuring amphibians and aquatic reptiles was opened early in 2002. Nordnesbakken 4 Tel: 5555 7171. Fax: 5555 7180. E-mail: post@akvariet.com Website: www.akvariet.com Transport: Bus 11 (or a 20-minute walk) from the city centre; or a ferry every 15 minutes from Torget (May-Sep). Opening hours: Daily 0900-2000 (feeding times 1100, 1500 and 1800) (May-Sep); 1000-1800 (feeding times 1100 and 1500) (Oct-Apr). Admission: NOK80; family ticket NOK200 (concessions available). Mariakirken (St Mary’s Church) This is Bergen’s oldest building – dating from the first half of the 12th century – and one of the country’s best examples of Romanesque architecture. Concerts are regularly performed here in the summer months. Dreggen Tel: 5531 5960. E-mail: maria.menighet@bkf.no Transport: Bus 5, 6, 9, 20, 21 or 22 from the city centre. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1100-1600 (mid-May to mid-Sep); Tues-Fri 1200-1330 (Oct-Apr). Admission: NOK10; concessions available (summer only). Rosenkrantz Tower/Håkons Hall Built in the 1560s by Erik Rosenkrantz, governor of Bergenhus, Bergen Castle once served as a fortified residence. It incorporates earlier structures including a 13th-century keep and is adjacent to the equally significant Håkon’s Hall, named for King Håkon Håkonsson, who ruled Norway from Bergen in the mid-1200s. Bergenhus Tel: 5531 4380 or 6067. E-mail: eli.rodseth@bmu.uib.no Website: www.hd.uib.no/haakon.htm Transport: About 15 minutes’ walk from the Torget, along the north side of the harbour. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1600 (Mid-May-Aug). Guided tours of both buildings run hourly 1200-1500 (Thurs 1500-1800), starting in the Hall. Admission: NOK20 (concessions available). Gamle Bergen Museum (Old Bergen Museum) Situated about seven minutes’ bus ride (see Tours of the City) from the city centre, this open-air museum features a collection of around 40 houses depicting life in Bergen as it was in late 18th, 19th and early 20th century. Entrance to the museum and park is free. Elsesro, Sandviken Tel: 5539 4304. Fax: 5539 4301. E-mail: postkassen@gamlebergen.museum.no Opening hours: Daily (mid-May-early Sep), guided tours hourly 1000-1700. Tour price: NOK50 (concessions available). Damsgård Hovedgård (Damsgård Manor) This lovely 1770s manor house is in Laksevåg, three kilometres (two miles) west of Bergen city centre and is considered Europe’s best-preserved wooden building from this period. The gardens of 200 years ago have been recreated – both in terms of the plants and the overall design. Alleen 29 Tel: 5594 0870. Fax: 5594 0871. E-mail: post@vk.museum.no Website: www.vk.museum.no Transport: Bus 19, 70 or 71 from the Galleriet shopping centre. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1100-1700, with guided tours every hour from 1100-1600 (May-Aug). Admission: NOK30 (concessions available). |
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