Old Bergen, Open-air museum in Bergen, Norway.
This open-air museum preserves 55 wooden buildings moved from various locations in Bergen's old quarters and reassembled in a single site. The structures range from residential homes to workshops and represent different walks of life from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The museum was founded in 1949 around the Elsesro summer house, built by shipbuilder Rasmus Rolfsen in the late 18th century. Additional historic structures from the city were moved here over time to create a broader record of Bergen's past.
Costumed interpreters move through the cobblestone lanes demonstrating how people worked and lived in different homes and shops. The way buildings are arranged along narrow streets shows how neighborhoods functioned as close-knit communities.
The site is best visited during warmer months when the outdoor setting is most enjoyable and all areas are fully accessible. Sturdy footwear is recommended since the paths are made of cobblestone and can be uneven in places.
The buildings were once part of a city that held the status of Europe's largest wooden metropolis, and their close arrangement still reveals how space was managed in that era. This state of preservation offers a rare view of urban timber construction from earlier centuries.
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