The story of Bryggen

The row of wooden buildings along the eastern side of the Vågen harbour is Bryggen, "the dock", also known as the German dock. According to the sagas, the city of Bergen was founded right within this area. Around 1350 a Kontor of the Hanseatic League was set up here, and Bryggen became the centre of Hanseatic trade in Norway.

The warehouses stored goods, particularly stockfish from northern Norway and cereal from Europe. Because most houses in Bergen were traditionally made of wood, fire has been a constant threat. After a fire in 1702 the buildings were rebuilt, and today around a quarter date from after that year, while some stone cellars go back to the 15th century.

In 1754 the office here ended its operations. Another fire in 1955 led to a thirteen-year excavation that uncovered everyday runic inscriptions, now known as the Bryggen inscriptions. Since 1979, Bryggen has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list.