Vågsbunnen District

The Vågsbunnen district, in Bergen

The Vågsbunnen district is one of the four old historic districts of Bergen, at the bottom of the bay of the Vågen. The Bergen audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this medieval sector with picturesque alleys, one of the cradles of the town, rich in its heritage and its atmosphere.

One of the cradles of the old town

You are here in the heart of the Vågsbunnen district, one of the four historic districts that constitute the cradle of Bergen. Its name evokes the bottom of the bay: Vågsbunnen means indeed the bottom of the Vågen, this natural bay around which the town was born and developed. This sector is one of the oldest of Bergen, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages, when the town was organised around its port. With its narrow streets, its passages, its old houses and its squares, the district has kept a picturesque and authentic atmosphere, witness of the history of the town. There you find notably several remarkable buildings, including churches and old buildings, as well as shops, cafés and restaurants that make of it a lively and pleasant sector. Less known than the famous Bryggen, just on the other side of the bay, Vågsbunnen offers a more discreet but just as history-laden face of the old town. Walking there, you discover the Bergen of the origins, intimate and full of charm. A historic district and a cradle of the town, the Vågsbunnen district is a fine stop of the discovery of Bergen.

What to see

Here you wander in one of the four historic districts that constitute the cradle of Bergen, whose name means the bottom of the bay of the Vågen; dating back to the Middle Ages, this old sector has kept its narrow streets, its passages, its old houses, its churches and its squares, in a picturesque and authentic atmosphere, more discreet than Bryggen but just as history-laden. The Vågsbunnen district is a cradle of Bergen. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Vågsbunnen district lies at the bottom of the bay of the Vågen, in the heart of Bergen, reachable on foot. It is a public district, freely accessible, that shelters shops, cafés and restaurants with variable hours. You discover it by strolling along its historic alleys.

What does the name Vågsbunnen mean in Bergen?

It means the bottom of the Vågen, this natural bay around which Bergen was born and developed; this district is one of the four historic districts that constitute the cradle of the town, dating back to the Middle Ages, and has kept its narrow streets, its old houses and its churches in a picturesque atmosphere, more discreet than Bryggen.

Where is the Vågsbunnen district in Bergen?

At the bottom of the bay of the Vågen, in the heart of Bergen, in Norway.