Vestland is Norway's fjord county, home to Bergen, the Sognefjord, the Hardangerfjord, the Nærøyfjord, Europe's largest mainland glacier and a coastline of islands and surf beaches.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Vestland.
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1
Viking Age (c.800-1050)
The Bergen peninsula was a farm settlement; Viking boat finds and trade links existed along the Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord.
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2
Founding of Bergen (1070)
King Olav Kyrre founded Bergen about 1070; the city became Norway's capital in the 13th century under Håkon Håkonsson.
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3
Stave Church Era (1100-1300)
Dozens of timber stave churches were built across Sogn, Valdres and Hordaland.
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4
Hanseatic Period (1360-1754)
German merchants of the Hanseatic League controlled the stockfish trade through the Bryggen wharf for almost four centuries.
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5
Great Fires (1702 and 1916)
Large fires destroyed much of Bergen; Bryggen was rebuilt after 1702 on the medieval plan.
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6
Romantic Nationalism (1800s)
Composer Edvard Grieg, violinist Ole Bull and painter J.C. Dahl shaped the national arts movement from Bergen and the fjords.
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7
World War II (1940-1945)
Bergen was occupied by German forces; the harbour explosion of 20 April 1944 damaged Bergenhus and Håkonshallen.
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8
Modern Vestland (2020-)
Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane merged on 1 January 2020 to form Vestland county with Bergen as its administrative centre.
Historical sites
Places where Vestland's past comes alive.
Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf
UNESCO-listed remains of the medieval Hanseatic League trading post. The wooden warehouses date from the rebuilding after the 1702 fire on the 14th-century plan.
Where: Bergen centre
Admission: Free to walk; museums charge separately
Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene
Bryggens Museum
Håkonshallen
Royal banquet hall completed about 1261 under King Håkon Håkonsson, restored after WWII damage in 1944 and still used for state events.
Where: Bergenhus, Bergen
Admission: About NOK 120 (~$13) (combined with Rosenkrantz Tower)
Rosenkrantz Tower
Fortified keep built 1560s on the earlier King Håkon tower, with dungeons, a spiral staircase and views over the harbour.
Where: Bergenhus, Bergen
Admission: Combined ticket about NOK 120 (~$13)
St Mary's Church (Mariakirken)
Bergen's oldest intact building, a Romanesque twin-towered church from about 1130-1180 and used by German merchants during Hanseatic times.
Where: Bryggen, Bergen
Admission: About NOK 60 (~$6) in summer; free for services
Bergen Cathedral (Domkirke)
Cathedral on the site of a 12th-century church, rebuilt after several fires and restored in Gothic style, with a 19th-century spire.
Where: Bergen centre
Admission: Free
Fantoft Stave Church
Replica of the 12th-century Fortun stave church, rebuilt after arson destroyed it in 1992.
Where: Paradis, Bergen
Admission: About NOK 80 (~$8)
Borgund Stave Church
Best-preserved Norwegian stave church, built about 1180 with a four-tiered roof and dragon heads.
Where: Borgund, Lærdal
Admission: About NOK 120 (~$13)
Urnes Stave Church
Norway's oldest standing stave church (c.1130) and UNESCO site, with reused 11th-century carvings of animals entwined in the Urnes style.
Where: Ornes, Luster
Admission: About NOK 130 (~$14)
Hopperstad Stave Church
Stave church from about 1130 at Vikøyri on the Sognefjord, restored in 1880s and 1950s, quieter than Borgund.
Where: Vikøyri, Vik
Admission: About NOK 100 (~$10)
Kaupanger Stave Church
Stave church from about 1190 at Kaupanger on the Sognefjord, with a later painted interior, close to the Sogn Folk Museum.
Where: Kaupanger, Sogndal
Admission: About NOK 90 (~$9)
Selje Monastery and St Sunniva's Island
Ruins of a 10th-century Benedictine monastery on a small island at Selje; legend says St Sunniva and her companions landed here.
Where: Selje, Stad
Admission: Boat to island about NOK 100 (~$10); mainland ruins free
Rosendal Barony
Manor founded 1665 by Ludvig Rosenkrantz, the only barony in Norway; Renaissance-influenced mansion with period interiors.
Where: Rosendal, Kvinnherad
Admission: About NOK 150 (~$16)
Troldhaugen
Home of composer Edvard Grieg from 1885 to 1907, now a museum with his composing hut and grave.
Where: Hop, Bergen
Admission: About NOK 190 (~$20)
Museums
Curated collections that tell Vestland's story.