Description
What is Vågsbunnen?
Welcome to this self-guided walk through Vågsbunnen, the name of the district that today comprises where Bergen’s city centre was from the 14th to early 20th century. This district has an original street plan and many original buildings from 1702 onwards. On our walk, we’ll learn about how the people in Bergen developed Vågsbunnen into a city centre to get away from the Hanseatic merchants at Bryggen.
The area Vågsbunnen used to be a shallow cove that ended in a marsh area. Over time, the wetland area was replenished by natural sludge and illegal garbage dumping, not least by the craftsmen who settled here. Vågsbunnen is one of Bergen’s earliest districts: while merchants settled along Bryggen, the craftsmen settled in this area. Archaeological research shows that the earliest settlement in Vågsbunnen was close to the two churches, which were both by the waterfront. Vågsbunnen became a popular district for shoemakers. Large amounts of leather and tannery waste have been found in the soil.
Vågsbunnen became known as a district for craftsmen: Kong Oscars Gate used to be called Tailors Street, and we still have Shoe Street (Skostredet) today. Eventually, merchants from England and Scotland settled on the shoreline of the bay and established small trading businesses there. From 1490, the trading district was taken over by Dutch merchants in an attempt to compete with the Hanseatic League.
Bergen has suffered from many fires (lots of buildings in wood and little regulation will do that), and after a fire in the 1550s, the area turned more into a residential area for craftsmen and the bourgeoise. The governors were tired of the Hanseatic League, so Bergen’s commercial and political centre was moved away from Bryggen to Vågsbunnen. The bay was further filled in using stone from ruined churches, and new commercial buildings were built. The two main ‘allmenningen’ – or wide streets – are from this time.
The fire of 1702 was the last major fire to destroy Vågsbunnen. Besides the stone cellars and churches, nothing remains from before 1702. After this fire, the area was further developed into an upper-class district. But this didn’t last long; in the 19th century, the bourgeoisie began to move to wider, greener districts like Kalfaret and Nygård. Meanwhile, the houses in Vågsbunnen were divided into apartments and inn, and the district became a little rough and overcrowded. Masonry was (finally) introduced, and new brick tenements went up.
Meanwhile, Bergen was becoming industrialised. The Lungegård Lake was split in two and heavily filled in to make way for the construction of industrial plants, the train station, and the library. After the last major fire in 1916, the Little Lungegård Lake was further filled in to make a lovely park: Byparken.
Today Vågsbunnen is still a popular area for bars, cafes, vintage shops and tattoo parlours. It’s a safe district to walk around, but it can feel a little rough in some areas. Still, no other place in Bergen has such a diverse history. Let’s begin our walk!
Practical info:
- Distance: 2km (1.2 miles)
- Time: 45 mins to 1 hour
- Cobblestone path and paved road. No stairs or hills
Highlights:
- Follow the original shoreline and learn how the bay was filled in to develop the city centre
- Learn about the history of education in Bergen by passing by the oldest schools
- Discover the different merchant communities that settled in Bergen
- Learn about Bergen’s leprosy history
- See some of the best local cafes, eateries and shops. Hidden from the tourist area!
What You Get:
- 1x A5 sized guide
- 1x A4 sized guide
- 1x map of Vågsbunnen
- Unlimited downloads
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