HåKON´S HALL

Holmen to Bergenhus

GUIDED TOURS
Join us on this guided tour: A journey through glory days, decay and reconstruction of Håkon´s Hall.

Holmen first became the centre of the church, with Christ Church just north of Håkon’s Hall, which became the city’s cathedral. A bishop’s palace and a monastery were also established in the area. The royal estate moved from Alrekstad to Holmen under the reign of Øystein Magnusson, and it originally comprised wooden buildings. It was Håkon Håkonsson who fortified the royal estate and built stone buildings. His son, Magnus the Lawmender, built the citadel beside the sea in 1270, which is now better known as Rosenkrantz Tower.

In the early 16th century, work commenced on converting the area into a military fortress and it was now that the name Bergenhus started being used. The area underwent major changes from that point, as did both Håkon’s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower.

Steps were taken to restore the old buildings in the 19th century, which made up part of the king’s estate in the Middle Ages. The explosion in the harbour in 1944 meant that the buildings again had to be restored. The result of this restorations can still be enjoyed today.

Welcome to a guided tour in the King Håkon´s Hall.

Duration 45-60 minutes.