See

St. Mary's Church

Mariakirken

The oldest remaining building in Bergen, St. Mary's Church was built in the 12th century, presumably around 1150. It is the best preserved of the city's three medieval churches and one of the few basilica-shaped churches in Norway. It was built in the Romanesque style, then enlarged in Gothic style. Having belonged to the German community in Bergen for many centuries, it contains a unique pulpit, one of Norway's most beautiful altarpieces and characteristic twin towers. Possibly planned to be city's main church at the time before the dominance of the German merchants.

history

Address: Dreggsalmenningen 15
Getting there: behind Bryggen
Website: kirkesok.no (opens in a new tab)

Directions Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: Bergen, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

Close by

See
Bryggens Museum
After the fire in 1955, when a lot of Bryggen burnt down, remains of the first settlement on Bryggen were discovered. The museum is built over these up to 900-year-old wooden building foundations, giving a unique insight in Bergen's architectural history. It contains the world's largest collection of medieval runic inscriptions, mostly inscribed on wooden items, but only a small number of these are on display. It also hosts themed exhibitions. If you are not a student, and would like to also visit the Hanseatic museum, it is cheaper to buy a ticket for the guided tour (and skip it if you want).
1 Sept-14 May: Mon-Fri 11:00-15:00, Sat 12:00-15:00, Sun 12:00-16:00; 15 May-31 Aug: daily 10:00-16:00adults kr. 170, students kr. 85, children (under 17) free, guided tour (includes ticket to Hanseatic Museum) kr. 120
Eat
Bryggen Tracteursted
Bryggen Tracteursted offers a modern kitchen inspired by Hanseatic and local traditions, served in historic surroundings. A hidden treasure with its somewhat anonymous appearance. The restaurant can in principle fit up to about 200 guests, but the kitchen is very small, and expansion is not allowed by the cultural heritage authorities. This forces the restaurant to accept a relatively low number of patrons at a time – giving a peaceful atmosphere. A reservation is recommended.
See
Theta museum
During the first half of World War II, the Theta group, formed by people between the ages of 19 and 22, established radio contact with London and reported movements of the German fleet in Norway. The group headquarters and radio station was located in the heart of occupied Bergen, but remained active for two years before it was discovered and raided by the Nazis. In the 1980s, the small room was reconstructed to its original state by orders of the Directorate of Cultural Heritage. It is now probably the country's smallest museum, displaying radio equipment and the Theta group's own security system. Not accessible with a wheelchair.
Tue Sat Sun 14:00-16:00Kr 20; child kr 5
See
Bryggen
Between 1350 and 1750, this area used to be a Hansa dock, trading and processing area. The wooden houses at Bryggen today were built after the devastating city fire of 1702, but are probably very similar to the buildings that were there before. Despite neglect and fires (Norwegian cities had a habit of burning down because everything is made of wood), a considerable number of buildings have survived and are now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you enter some of the alleyways between the storefronts, you really get a feel of what Bergen must have been like in the Middle Ages. There are a few museums on the history of Bergen and of Bryggen, but the most interesting aspect is probably that almost all of the buildings are still in use. One example is the restaurant Bryggen Tracteursted, serving food and drinks in a building first opened for this purpose in 1708. Wandering about on Bryggen is possible with a wheelchair, but getting in and out of buildings can be very difficult.