The church in front of you is called Mariakirken: St Mary’s Church. It’s one of the biggest Romanesque churches in the country, and one of the oldest still standing today. Built around 1180, it’s best known for its two towers, a rare feature in medieval Norwegian architecture. From 1408 to 1766, the church was known as the German Church, as it became the place of worship for the Hanseatic merchants who had settled in Bergen. After a major fire in 1248, the church was rebuilt, and the choir was enlarged in the Gothic style, a new architectural influence beginning to reach Bergen at the time. Inside, you’ll find a stunning Baroque pulpit, made in the Netherlands and crafted from exotic materials, including tortoiseshell. That may seem surprising in the far north of Norway, but it was a gift from Hanseatic merchants in 1676, and international trade was their speciality! If you take a closer look at the pulpit’s ceiling, you’ll see a golden globe symbolising the Earth, resting on a celestial vault decorated with zodiac signs. The pulpit is also adorned with representations of the Christian virtues, each one personified by a female figure. You’ll also notice a chalk drawing of Christ on the wall, and a hanging model of a votive ship. The tradition of hanging ship models from church ceilings is common in coastal communities, especially in Denmark and Norway. While some were offered as ex-votos, tokens of thanks for safe journeys, others carry a broader symbolic meaning. The ship often symbolises the journey of life across the ocean, and you might have noticed that the nave of a church resembles the hull of a ship, while the vaulted ceiling often looks like an upside-down boat. In fact, the word nave comes from the Latin navis, meaning ship or vessel. It’s a powerful and ancient metaphor, reminding worshippers that they are passengers aboard Christ’s ship, sailing together towards the safe harbour of God’s kingdom.