Next to the fish market in Bergen, you’ll find an area of waterfront referred to as Bryggen, where the Hanseatic League established the German Kontor in the Middle Ages. This became the premier center for international trade and has thrived since. Visitors to hotels in Bergen, Norway can expect to find this area full of parallel rows of buildings with seaward-facing gables, a traditional style that dates back almost 900 years in history.
Today, Bryggen is a historical site, with the old wooden buildings that line the front of the harbor having been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980. Be aware of what Bryggen is, as no one in Bergen will know what you are asking for should you simply refer to it as the waterfront. In Norway, however, everyone will recognize it by name, or you can refer to the harbor it contains as Vaagen and get a response.