Add a review about Håkons Hall and the Rosenkranz Tower

Håkons Hall (Hall of Håkon) for almost 750 years: this castle was built by King Haakon Håkonsson as its own residence with a very impressive banquet hall . The construction lasted from 1247 to 1261 . When the royal son, Magnus Håkonsson Lagagobot, celebrated the wedding with the Danish princess Ingeborga in 1261, two thousand guests were invited to the feast . "The king was running a court in the stone hall," the words of the ancient saga say . At this time Bergen was the largest and most important city This country, and Haakon Hall - the venue for the main event on a national scale; in particular, the announcement of the first complete Norwegian code of laws .

The echoes of medieval ceremonies and ritual festivities are still roaming behind the thick stone walls

When Norway joined the rest of the Scandinavian countries, the value of the castle went down . Here even the grain storage facility was built . The former glory of the hall was restored only in the second half of the 19th century . During the Second World War the castle was heavily damaged, and the romantic murals of the walls and arches were lost forever . But now behind the thick stone walls br dit echoes of medieval ceremonies and ritual celebrations . As a national monument Håkons Hall is still sometimes used for official ceremonies . He is visited, in particular, by His Majesty himself .

Hall of Hocon is closed during the conduction in Bergen International Festival, at Christmas, Easter and on special occasions, as well as on public holidays on 1 and 17 May. The café on the territory is open during the summer season: from June to August

Close to Hocons Hall in the territory of the fortress Bergenhus, the Rosenkrantz Tower is located, the fortification of a later period . It was built in 1560 by the order of Rosenkrantz, the governor of Bergenhus, own home defensive facilities . Such and were built on the site of the older ones built with the very Magnus, so some parts of the tower date back to 1270 . The tower was rebuilt and expanded over time; and its guns were mounted on the roof . Today it is a rather rough construction, which nevertheless is considered one of the most important monuments of the Norwegian Renaissance .

At the top of the tower of Rosenkranz you can climb a cramped and dark staircase that leads directly to the roof.

At that time the city just became part of the Hansa and was given a special status thanks to the office opened in it. The merchant class of Bergen was gaining weight rapidly. The meaning of the tower was, among other things, a demonstration of a force capable of resisting the power of the independent Hanseatic League. The wide facade of the tower looks directly at Bryggen, then the business and shopping center, and the gun loopholes are dangerously turned.

During the Second World War, during the explosion in the Bergen harbor, part of the tower collapsed, and its restoration took more than 20 years. Since 1966, it has become part of the Bergen Museum.

Around the Hall of Haakon and the Tower of Rosenkranz, in the territory of Bergenhus, you can take a stroll through the pretty park or climb to Sverreborg, an old defensive structure. From there you can clearly see the surrounding hills and the attractive city roof area.

Panorama from the summit of Sverreborg