Every bryggen video worth watching in Bergen — in one place

Bryggen is the row of gabled wooden warehouses lining Bergen’s old harbour, and the dates tell the story. King Olav Kira founded the city in 1070; the German Hanseatic League opened its counter on the waterfront by 1350; the Great Fire of 1702 burned 80% of the wooden houses in a single night, and the merchants rebuilt on the same medieval foundations using the same techniques [via These 5 places in]. That is why the facades you photograph look 14th-century even though the boards are largely 18th. In 1979 Bryggen became Norway’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, and 62 of the original buildings survive today [via These 5 places in]. The trading economy was specific: stockfish from the Lofoten Islands moved through these warehouses to the rest of northern Europe, and by the 1500s Bergen was effectively a Germanic community of 2,000 merchants supported by 5,000 Norwegians [via Bergen, Norway: Salty]. Most cruise-day visitors take a photo of the colourful frontages and walk on, missing the smau — the narrow back alleys and timber courtyards where the Hanseatic-era trading district actually opens up [via Bergen Norway: Things].

The Rick Steves piece is the one to start with because it does the economic history properly: cod, German merchants, the all-male bunk rooms upstairs with cramped cupboard beds. Pair it with the “10 Best Things to Do in Bergen” video, which marks Bryggen as stop one and tells you to arrive early morning or late evening to avoid the biggest crowds. The “Bergen Norway: Things To Do” walk-through is the corrective on which alleys to actually enter rather than walking past.