Bjørgvin: when Bergen was the seat of Norway’s kings
Its old name and royal past offer a different way to look at Bergenhus and Bryggen.
Before it was called Bergen, the city was known as Bjørgvin. The municipality explains the name as the meadow or pasture between the mountains: an image that still makes sense when you look at the surrounding landscape.
Bergen grew as a port and political centre in the Middle Ages. Until 1299, it was the kings’ main seat and is considered Norway’s capital during that period. Bergenhus helps you imagine this royal Bergen, while Bryggen recalls the trading power that transformed the city.
Bergen is sometimes called Norway’s first capital, including by the official tourism guide. The most reliable takeaway is its concrete role as the seat of royal power before Oslo took on that function.