Picture above: the historical Mariakirken

Bryggen.  The wooden facades of Bryggen are iconic for Bergen and are living evidence of the successful trade history of the town going back in time till the 12th century.  They are the symbol of the town but they are much more than the mere facades that are depicted on thousands of postcards.  Between the houses there are several narrow alley (gården) that lead you to the heart of the quarter where once upon a time this was a bustling center of commerce.  The labyrinth of wooden warehouses, constructed in several storeys, the one already more crooked than the other are now taken over for a new type of commercial activities such as clothing shops, souvenir shops and brasseries.  A must-see! [more info]

Haakon's hall.  The construction of this hall must be situated in the middle of the 13th century when it was commissioned by king Håkon Håkonsson as part of the royal residence in Bergen.  The building really stands out and this not only because of its size but also because of its architecture.  This gothic place is very a-typical for Norway where buildings were traditionally erected in wood instead of in stone.  If you think that Haakon's hall is impressive today, imagine how it must have looked like at the time when it was built.  Its architecture reminds more of a castle from the Scottish Highlands or Ireland than a Scandinavian one.  As such this is not that strange since the vikings had been very active on the British Isles, not only as conquerors but also as colonists and traders.  The old ties were maintained later on through trade.  Next to the hall, foundations have been discovered of a similar construction.  Nowadays, the hall is part of the Bergenhus fortress that was built at the entrance of the port in order to protect the town.
More info: www.bymuseet.no

Bergenhus fortress.  This fortress was constructed at the furthest point of the harbor entrance in order to protect the town from an attack coming from the seaside.  The oldest building in the fortress is the 13th century Haakon's hall.  There also used to be a church on the premises but it was torn down in the 16th century.  The location of the fortress used to be a very important place in the history of Norway because it was the place where the royal palace was situated at the time that Bergen was the capital of the country.  The castle was extended with bastions ans barracks in the course of the 17th century to the fortress that it still more or less is today.  In the course of time the fort saw limited action; only once in 1665 it was involved in a military incident between a Dutch trade fleet and English warships.  Other buildings on the premises of the fortress: the Rosenkrantztower, gatehouse, stables, a museum and several other military buildings.  Nowadays a park has been layed out here that is also used for events and concerts.

Rosenkrantz tower.  This tower is a 16th century addition to the castle of Bergen.  It served both as residential tower and as keep.  The tower was named after the then governor of the fort, Erik Rosenkrantz, who commissioned it.  At the time of its construction, two older buildings were enclosed in the tower.
More info: www.bymuseet.no

Mariakirken.  The Mariakirken or Saint Mary's church is the oldest remaining building of Bergen.  For the start of the construction of the church we have to go back to the 12th century.  At the moment that Bergen became a flourishing trade town, the church was used intensively by the German traders who had settled in the town.
More info: www.bergendomkirke.no

Wooden houses.  Besides the famous wooden houses of Bryggen, there are quite a bit more wooden houses.  It's really worth to make a sightseeing tour through the streets of the town to discover them.  Despite the fact that in the course of the years quite some wooden houses were torn down, there are still big clusters of them in different quarters of the town such as in Nordnes, Nørstet and behind Bryggen.  Some of them you can find next to small alleys meandering up the hill, others are close to the water.

Other monuments.  Bergen has much more interesting monuments that are worth discovering and visiting zuch as the Korskirken (17th century) and the Domkirken (cathedral, 12th century).  Also around Bergen there are interesting monuments such as the rebuilt wooden stavkirken of Fantoft and Old Bergen.  For those who are interested, there are walking tours in the center or bus tours (down town and surrounding).  More information can be found in the tourist office (in the covered fish market).