Verftet: From Sardines to Culture and Cuisine

We have now arrived at Verftet, a neighborhood with deep maritime roots. Here stood Georgernes Verft, later known as Dekkedokken, where ships were built and maintained for centuries. In the 20th century, the area shifted to a new industry – United Sardine Factories (USF), one of Norway’s largest producers of canned sardines. For decades, fish were smoked, canned, and exported from this location. When the sardine industry declined, the building was left empty – until the 1980s, when it was transformed into USF Verftet, one of Norway’s largest cultural centers. The past lives on in the names of the venues here: Sardinen USF for intimate concerts, Røkeriet USF for larger events, and Kippers Bar & Café, named after smoked herring. Today, Verftet is a vibrant hub of creativity, home to housing, studios, and galleries. The old industrial site has become a lively meeting place for art, music, and urban life – a reminder that the city is always changing. Who knows what Verftet will become a hundred years from now?