With our next few nights all sorted out, we headed out to the first of our many planned stops for the day. On the way, we stopped at the tourist office and bought a ferry ticket to Rosendal. From there, we walked to the Rosenkrantz tower. It was originally built in the 1200s, and is up on a hill above the fjord.
Its location on the fjord unfortunately resulted in the tower taking a lot of damage when the WWII German tanker blew up. So a good bit of the tower has been renovated. And actually, a lot of it had been renovated long before WWII. Few buildings from the 1200s would continue to be livable into the 20th century without some renovation! It was very claustrophobic walking along the halls and especially on the stairs. I can't even imagine how anyone in armor would ever have been able to get anywhere, even considering people were rather smaller 500 years ago. I'm hardly a line backer and my shoulders almost touched each wall.
Being a fortress, a lot of the stuff still in the tower is related to war. Most of the furniture is gone, and all of the old tapestries are either dust or in other museums.
The level just below the top level had an exhibit about law and government in Bergen's early years. There was a great collection of different cannons (many of which were called things other than "cannon" and considering what I nerd I am for all things pre-Reformation, I should know what they are!)
The very top level has what little is left of the huge cathedral that used to stand on the grounds next to the tower. It never fails to blow my mind to lay my hand on a piece of stone hewn by a mason 800 years ago! For those without my phobias, there is a great walkway around the outside of the top level. I made it out to the first corner and then realized I should probably just go back before I ended up on the other side of the building where I would inevitably lose all reason and have to spend the night up there rather than walk back. It's really a shame I have such an issue with heights. There is a wonderful view of the fjord and of the city from the top of the tower. Even now, I can imagine myself walking all the way around, appreciating the view. But when I'm actually standing there, it's something else altogether.
The tower is set up well as a tourist attraction. You follow little red arrows to the top of the building and then on your way back down you get to see a whole new set of rooms. And it's a one way trip, so you don't have to try to pass in the crazy narrow halls.
Many of the rooms are still stunning, even hundreds of years later. One of my favorite things about old buildings in any country is the appreciation of little details, and simple decoration. Of course, not all the decoration is simple!
When we finished with the tower, we headed over to Haakon's hall, which is right next door, within the fortress. Haakon's hall is exactly what the name implies - a great big feast hall.
Downstairs from the formal hall is a sort of garden level seating area, with room for perhaps 300 people to sit at tables. We stopped and had a snack of apples and cheese in one of the many window wells. What a wonderful place to sit - in the recess of a six foot thick wall, looking out onto a fjord.
Outside the tower and the hall you can walk around the grounds and see the vague outlines of where the cathedral used to stand.
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