Rosenkrantz Tower

The Rosenkrantz Tower stands within the Bergenhus Fortress at the entrance to Bergen harbour, in Vestland county, Norway. The oldest part is a medieval keep, often linked to King Magnus Lagabøte's time in the 1270s, which formed part of the royal fortress next to Håkonshallen. In the 1560s the governor of Bergenhus, Erik Rosenkrantz, had the tower rebuilt and extended as a combined residence and defensive building, giving it much of its present form of a Renaissance fortified tower. The building is made of stone and has thick walls, narrow staircases and small rooms, with a spiral staircase connecting the floors. Visitors can explore the dungeons at the base, the residential rooms and the defensive upper floors, and can climb to the roof for views over the harbour and the city. The tower is arranged as a walk-through of the stages of its history, from the medieval keep to the period as the governor's residence. Like Håkonshallen, it was heavily damaged in the 1944 ship explosion in Bergen harbour and was restored after the war. The interior has partly been reconstructed with a mix of original material and later restoration, and the rooms contain limited furnishings, so the experience concentrates on architecture and spaces. The tower is operated by Bergen City Museum, and the combined ticket with Håkonshallen is the usual way to visit. Its position at the harbour mouth reflects its original purpose of controlling access to the town.