Håkonshallen - Bymuseet i Bergen — Attraction in Bergen

Håkonshallen

The main building in Norway's first castle complex, built between 1247 and 1261 by King Håkon Håkonsson as a royal residence and banquet hall.

Håkonshallen has stood at the entrance to Vågen for more than 760 years. The stately hall has housed both royalty, Danish generals, soldiers, prisoners and presumably rats and mice. It has had various names over the years: Steinhallen, Breidastova, Langhuset, Magasinhuset and Provianthuset.

See short guide to your visit to Håkonshallen

From the 13th century

Håkon Håkonsson had the large and stately stone hall built between 1247 and 1261. In 1247 there was a major event at the royal court in Bergen, namely the coronation of King Håkon. Cardinal William of Sabina came to town to crown the king in the summer. According to the saga, this was the worst rainy summer in living memory and Håkon has no large enough halls available in the royal court. It all ends with the coronation party being held in a large boathouse.

This was not worthy of a king, so Håkon built two good stone halls in the royal courtyard. The first time we hear of it being in use was in September 1261, for the wedding and coronation of Magnus Lagabøte and Danish princess Ingeborg. Then it says in the saga that the kings lived in the stone hall. The second stone hall is often referred to as the Christmas Hall and is today in ruins on the west side of Håkonshallen.

Two other royal weddings also took place in the stone hall, Magnus Lagabøte's son, Eirik Magnusson married first in 1281 to Scottish Margrete Aleksandersdatter and again in 1293 to Scottish Isabella Bruce. When Eirik died in 1299, the main seat moved from Bergen to Oslo. Without a son to take over the crown, it was his younger brother Håkon Magnusson who became Norway's king. He was already a duke in Oslo and is building Akershus fortress.

From the 16th century

At this time, the royal estate was in disrepair. The Danish king sent his general Jørgen Hanssøn to Bergen to restore the somewhat dilapidated royal estate. The previously stately stone hall needed major repairs to the roof, among other things. It eventually became an expensive affair and the Danish king asked for repairs to be carried out as cheaply as possible. As a result, the hall was without a roof for approx. 40 years in the 17th century and then get different roof shapes. Soldiers were embarrassed inside the hall when it was without a roof and eventually the former party hall was converted into a warehouse with an attic. At that time there were, among other things, 1,000 barrels of grain stored in the hall.

From the 19th century

What the hall was originally built for and by whom had been completely forgotten in recent centuries. It's J.C. Dahl and Lyder Sagen who have subsequently been given the honor of rediscovering the hall's significance. A historian in the 17th century, Edvard Edvardsen was on board with the idea, but that was it.

In 1840, the middle room in the hall's basement was furnished as a church for the prisoners who were in Bergenhus Fortress' penal institution, known as Slaveriet. Two large windows were then knocked out in the west wall to give light to the church room. Slavery was in use until 1887.

The hall was fully restored and decorated the first time in 1916 and the second time in 1961. Håkonshallen gets its name from Henrik Wergeland in an attempt to create attention and collect money for the work. The last restoration was done after the explosion accident in 1944 and the hall was fully restored for the second time and reopened in September 1961.

Today

Today, Håkonshallen is a national cultural monument, which is both a museum and an arena for royal dinners, official events and concerts Håkonshallen

Hovedbygningen i Norges første slottsanlegg, bygget mellom 1247 og 1261 av kong Håkon Håkonsson som...

Håkonshallen – Bymuseet i Bergen is an absolute must-visit for anyone interested in Norwegian history and medieval architecture. The hall itself is impressive, with its grand stone walls, high ceilings, and beautifully restored interiors that reflect its royal past. Walking through, you can truly feel the historical significance of this place, which once hosted royal banquets and important events.

The exhibitions are well-curated, informative, and give great insight into Bergen’s medieval era. The staff were welcoming and knowledgeable, always ready to answer questions. The location inside Bergenhus Fortress adds to the charm, making it a perfect stop for history enthusiasts. Highly...

Interesting building; however, two things made this a sub par use of time. First, there is little in the way of explanatory placards; even the pamphlet provide little information - so we didn't really know what we were looking at, when it was built, why various aspects of the architecture might have been significant. Second, much of the hall has been renovated, reconstructed and modernized - making it all the more confusing, as a visitor, to understand the historical significance. I would only go if in the area + don't care about money spent on...