Bergen excursions / Hanseatic Museum?

[OneBag]

We begin our cruise in Bergen and will have a couple of hours the day before and on the morning of embarkation when museums are open, and we'd like to be sure to get some time at the Hanseatic Museum. Would really appreciate some advice if anyone has taken these tours:

 

The included walking tour is supposed to include a visit to the Hanseatic. If anyone took that tour, can you tell us approximately how much time was allotted for the museum? We're trying to decide if visiting it on our own before Sunday's excursion is a good idea or a bad idea.

 

We're also booked on the City Tour & Mt. Flœin excursion which also mentions a stop at the Hanseatic but it's sandwiched between other things so I suspect it's not a long stop, but if anyone took that tour, please let me know if I'm wrong.

[LadyVol1]

The Hanseatic Museum was part of the included (free) Bergen walking tour. I think we were at the museum for 45 minutes to an hour and we got an in depth guided tour through it. It is a tiny museum (and very dark -- minimal light) and our guide did a great job of explaining everything. The 45-60 minutes was plenty of time. A lot of the exhibits were not well marked so if you are really interested in this museum, go to it with a tour group since then you'll be guided through it.

 

I'm pretty sure that if it's included in the Mt. Floyen tour, you will also have plenty of time there.

 

By the way, Mt. Floyen is very easy to do on your own assuming you can walk a few blocks from the ship to it. The funicular is located one or two blocks from the Hanseatic Museum. Mt. Floyen takes credit cards in case you don't go to any of the ATMs in Bergen that you pass between the ship and Mt. Floyen.

[OneBag]

Thanks so much, LadyVol, that's so helpful, exactly what I needed to know. Also thanks for reassurance on Mt. Floyen -- I think we just might do that ourselves; the longer hours make it the best option for our arrival day (mid afternoon Friday) and then we can sleep a little later on Sunday. :)

[cassandra44]

......

 

By the way, Mt. Floyen is very easy to do on your own assuming you can walk a few blocks from the ship to it. ...

 

Ladyvol 1...Thanks...we certainly want to do that on our own.

Just wondering if you heard if some people went off to see the Fantoft Stave Church on their own ...I believe it is possible by light rail?

[LadyVol1]

I don't know anything about the church. Sorry!

[Mr Top Cat]

Just as related in the above posts and as the maiden voyage continues on to the remaining ports any feed back on the excursions listed below as well as any others as you experience them in the various ports would be appreciated. Both positive as well as negative information will help us future cruisers make informed decisions. Thanks in advance.

 

SHORE EXCURSIONS *

 

 

• Bergen Walking Tour (Included)
  
• Bergen City Tour & Mt. Fløien
  
• Fantoft Stave Church & Grieg’s House & Recital
  
• Ascent of Mt. Ulriken
  
• Modern & Old Bergen City Tour
  
• Lysøen Island & Fantoft Stave Church
  
• Bergen City Tour & Mt. Fløien Walk
  
• Fish Farming & Maritime History
  
• A Taste of Norwegian Farm Life
  

[cassandra44]

We are intending to use the light rail system - Bybanen- to get to the Stave Church. Rick Steves in his snapshot of Norway recommends the Paradis stop. He also suggests using the Bybanen to get to Edvard Grieg's house.

I see that the ship excursion for those is quite expensive....around $139 pp if I recall and it's more fun independently - especially since we are here overnight.

[Jan3]

We are intending to use the light rail system - Bybanen- to get to the Stave Church. Rick Steves in his snapshot of Norway recommends the Paradis stop. He also suggests using the Bybanen to get to Edvard Grieg's house.

I see that the ship excursion for those is quite expensive....around $139 pp if I recall and it's more fun independently - especially since we are here overnight.

 

I recently saw a newspaper article about concerts at Troldsalen on the grounds of the Griegg Museum. Bus tours depart daily from the TI in the city center at 11:00 AM. Round trip NOK250 pp (20 min each way) includes concert, museum, and guided tour through villa. There is a on-site cafeteria and a garden to explore.

Have a great time in Bergen!

[cassandra44]

Jan3 Thanks for the extra info and for the good wishes!

[id4elizabeth]

We did the Viking tour of the Stave Church and Grieg's house. We enjoyed the tour and are very glad we did it. Our guide was good and we didn't have to worry about transport between ship and between sights. I wasn't paying that much attention to mileage, but both sights were too far to walk.

 

There are lots of cabs about town but they are expensive - one way from ship to downtown train station (which was a hike but walkable in about 45 minutes) was about $30 USD. Don't know about light rail.

 

A couple realities - the TI is very good and their English is excellent, but be prepared to wait. You take an automated number when you walk in like at the DMV - never a good sign. I had to go there to pick up our tickets for our Norway in a Nutshell tour and it took close to an hour. I could have hit it at a bad time - something I'm prone to do, but in your planning, don't count on just walking up to the counter.

 

The Stave Church burned down about 20 years ago according to our guide and this one is an exact replica of the one that once stood here. If you're looking for an authentic old church, a better one was at the Folks Museum in Oslo that we saw today. If you don't care whether it's old or not, the one here is very pretty and the dragons on top were great.

 

RE Grieg's house, if you do this on your own, make sure you're not there at the same time as the Viking tour(s) as they take over the whole space. On the Viking tour we didn't get to actually spend too much time inside the house - they kinda hustled us through. Only saw 3 (?) rooms on the ground floor - did not go upstairs. Not sure what you'd get to see if you did it on your own. Concert was brief but good and it was cool to hear his music played on his piano in his house. NO PHOTOS ARE ALLOWED INSIDE and there were plenty of docents around enforcing it. Not sure the cafeteria was even operational as I don't remember seeing one. Gift shop and a little Museum. Pleasant grounds around the house with excellent water views. I would call them grounds though - not gardens.

 

Agree with LadyVol - the Hanseatic Museum was very adequately covered in the included Viking tour. We did that in the morning and the Church and Grieg house in the afternoon.

[KyOh]

Cassandra44, how was you independent touring? My husband and I big Rick Steves fans and hope to use his book of northern European ports to plan a lot of independent things when we cruise Bergen to Stockholm in '16. Any feedback is really appreciated.

[cassandra44]

Cassandra44, how was you independent touring? My husband and I big Rick Steves fans and hope to use his book of northern European ports to plan a lot of independent things when we cruise Bergen to Stockholm in '16. Any feedback is really appreciated.[/quote

 

We are going to try the included excursions in most ports except for a 2 day tour of St Petersburg with SPB Tours and we are hoping to do some exploring on our own in Bergen. Apart from that we are taking the train to Oslo after disembarkation and staying 2 nights in Oslo - so we will be fully independent then! Last time I was in Oslo (in 2002) it was really expensive but we'll see.

I will try and post some comments but it will depend on the internet.....

When are you sailing?

[Dauntless]

I have requested information from my Viking rep on this subject but for some reason, he has not been supplied with info or has not passed it along. I am booked on the Viking Homeland cruise from Stockholm to Bergen in September. I am trying to find out where we will be docking in each port. Though I plan on doing included excursions in most ports, knowing where we dock will help me decide if it will be to my advantage to go back to the ship or continue off on my own with the free time being maximized. I'm also wondering if shuttles are being provided for these ports and if they are complimentary. Things can change, I know, but first hand experience is the best educator. Thanks for your help.

[Ingra Tor]

If you go to http://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/VIKING-STAR-IMO-9650418-MMSI-257903000

on the internet you can track the ship.

[KyOh]

We don't sail until '16 but I'm so interested in everything that is being written about this part of your tour. Hoping to figure out which tours to take with Viking and which to do on our own. Thanks for continuing to write about the excursions.

[id4elizabeth]

Port locations so far from Bergen:

 

Bergen - within blocks of downtown, alongside the Fortress on the north / northwest side of the harbor - easy level pleasant walk into town

 

Stavanger - right downtown - easy flat walk into main fish market and Cathedral downtown: a bit of a steep but short walk from there into the old interesting part of town

 

Oslo - across from the Akershus Fortress a little southwest of town - I would not want to walk into town from here, but that's me

 

Aalborg - hop-skip-and-jump into town - level but some cobblestones

 

Copenhagen - in main port area just north of Little Mermaid - within walking distance of Little Mermaid - probably a hike to see main downtown area

 

Warmerunde - right downtown - 2 blocks to little bridge into main town - 10 minutes easy stroll to church - not much in Warnemunde however - no shuttle anywhere from here except the included tour to Berlin

 

All ports so far - Don't remember seeing any shuttle service outside of scheduled tours in any of these ports so far.

 

Hope that helps. Gdansk tomorrow.

[Dauntless]

Inga Tor

Thanks for that info about the tracking