Visit Bergen’s popular Bryggens Museum to admire amazing discoveries made during many years of excavations and archaeological research. Find artifacts and inscriptions that can help you understand the way people used to live during medieval times. See how they entertained themselves and what they ate, produced and traded. Admire the handiwork and the creativity of the ancient inhabitants of the region.
Bryggen, meaning dock, is an area in Bergen also known as Tyskebryggen. This lively neighborhood has restaurants, shops and museums and has been a UNESCO site since 1979. Over the years the area has had several great fires. In 1955 a huge fire started in the city and devastated a big part of Bryggen. After that disaster, a huge archaeological excavation began in the area, which unearthed numerous objects belonging to an old medieval metropolis. The discovery led to the creation of the Bryggens Museum in 1976. Explore this exciting museum cofounded by the renowned Norwegian archaeologist Asbjørn Herteig. See its interesting building, designed by the Norwegian architect Øivind Maurseth, which received the prestigious Betongtavlen prize awarded by the Norwegian Association of National Architects.
Within the Bryggens Museum appreciate the message, “Love conquers all.” It’s inspired by the discovery of a leather shoe during excavations in the 1950s. The romantic phrase is embroidered in Latin, “Omnia vincit amor,” on a shoe that was probably part of an 11th-century wedding. The passage is part of a quote by Virgil, a Roman poet of the Augustan era. Visit the museum to see the original message and a copy of the delicate shoe that shows how it looked when new.
Bryggens Museum is located in the city of Bergen, on the western coast of Norway. While you are at the museum stop at the Gullskoen Museumkafe, the café on the first floor. You’ll find delicious cakes, soups, sandwiches and more. The museum is also the starting point for the guided walk Bryggen Guiding, which will take you on a thought-provoking historic tour around the city.
