Haakon's Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower

Haakon's Hall was built by King Haakon Haakonsen between 1247-1261. The old building attracts attention not only for its appearance but also for its rich history.

At the time when Haakon's Hall was built, Bergen was one of the largest and most important cities in the country. Haakon's Hall was its heart, the place where major state events were held including the announcement of the first code of laws of Norway.

Unfortunately, Haakon's Hall was not always such an important place. After Norway united with other Scandinavian countries, the castle's importance gradually declined. It even housed a granary for a while.

The former glory began to return to this place only in the 19th century. Then it was decided to restore Haakon's Hall and make it a place for ceremonies. And so it was until World War II. The bombing severely damaged the beautiful building. The wall paintings made in a romantic style were completely lost. Fortunately, the hall was restored and is now used for official ceremonies.

Next to Haakon's Hall, there is another interesting place that is a part of the Bergenhus fortress complex – the Rosenkrantz Tower. It was built a bit later than the hall, in 1560. Its main function was not only to protect the city but also to demonstrate its power, that it could have resisted the Hanseatic League formed at that time. The tower was rebuilt and enlarged many times. During World War II, a large explosion destroyed an impressive part of the tower. It took more than 20 years to restore it. Today you can see what the builders got in the end – a little ridiculous and rough building which is considered to be one of the most important architectural monuments of the Renaissance in Norway.