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In front of you is the "Fløibanen", a railway cable car that takes you 320 meters up to the top of Fløyen. This is one of Norway's most famous tourist attractions, and a panoramic view of the city awaits at the top. There you can spot everything from houses, cars and people in Bergen's streets, to the mountains and the gap in the sea in the distance. The cable car was officially opened in 1918. At a speed of just over 14 km/h, it takes you up the 848 meter long track in 5 - 6 minutes. The route is run by two carriages with the characteristic names Rødhette and Blåmann, each of which can take around 100 passengers. The Fløibanen and Fløyen are Bergen's biggest tourist attraction and one of Norway's most visited destinations, but the trip itself is an experience. Throughout the year, over two million people take the trip on the spectacular course.
Where you stand now, there has been noisy life and trade for almost a thousand years. Bryggen in Bergen is one of Norway's largest tourist destinations. No less than 61 of the beautiful historic buildings you see around you are protected and are on UNESCO's world heritage list. The buildings were erected from 1070 onwards, and soon became a hub for trade with mostly Germany as well as other countries. As early as 1360, they established the German office at Bryggen pier, or "Tyskebryggen", as it was called, with responsibility for the Hanseatic trading activities in Norway. The Hansa company was also the Nordics' first trading company. The area has therefore also been referred to as Hansabryggen, and it was only in 1945 that it was officially called Bryggen. The commercial farms at Bryggen functioned as warehouses for goods for export and import. Grain from Central Europe was imported and dried fish from Northern Norway was exported. During the spring and autumn conventions, the stalls were full of dried fish to be exported. Dried fish was an important commodity for the Catholic countries, which made use of the dried fish during Lent. Fires have ravaged Bergen and Bryggen since the buildings were built. The building structure has nevertheless been retained during reconstruction for the enjoyment of all who wish to wander the narrow streets and corridors between the houses.
In 1665 brutal English warships attacked a large fleet of Dutch ships that sought refuge in Bergen's neutral harbour. When the self-confident English attacked, the fortress at Bergenhus put up a strong counter-guard and sent them back to England. The battle was short and became known as "The Battle of Vågen". You are now standing outside Bergenshus fortress, which is one of the oldest and best preserved in Norway. The fortress has a long history as a royal seat, episcopal seat and center of military power. The development started early in the 16th century and was at its greatest around the year 1700. During the Second World War, Bergenhus was used as headquarters in the west by the German occupying power. The concrete bunker in the middle of the fortress area was built by Soviet prisoners of war. The explosion accident at Vågen on 20 April 1944 caused extensive damage to the oldest buildings at Bergenhus. Today, around 200 military commanders and civilian employees have their daily work at the fortress, but large parts are open to the public. The fortress area is otherwise used for representation, opera and theater performances, large concerts and other cultural events.
King Haakon VII was Norway's first king in 600 years after the liberation from Denmark in 1814 and the dissolution of the union from Sweden in 1905. He was born on 3 August 1872 outside Copenhagen. His name was originally Prince Carl, and he was the second eldest son of the King Frederik and Queen Louise of Denmark In 1905, the Danish prince Carl was offered the Norwegian crown and took the name Haakon VII after a referendum. He was married to Queen Maud, daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of Great Britain. When they arrived in Oslo in 1905, they were met with cheering crowds and ringing church bells from all over the city. The couple was officially crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim on 22 June 1906 after a longer coronation journey through Norway. King Haakon VII was a popular king in both good and bad times. During the occupation of Norway during the Second World War, he accompanied the government to England where, together with the allies, he contributed greatly to the liberation of Europe. The king adopted the slogan "All for Norway" which he followed until his last breath on 21 September 1957.