Despite the fatigue of the long journey, I noticed one thing about Bergen, Norway.
Mystery echoed through the city — from classic Hanseatic houses that still bore signs of a fire to fish markets alive with the twitter and scurry of locals.
Every foreigner who had just alighted from the bus, along with my family, were compelled to set their exhaustion aside and go about exploring the town.
Cultural capital
Located on the southwestern coast of Norway, Bergen is the second-largest city of the country and has a very hilly landscape.
There are a number of attractions scattered throughout Bergen, one of the reasons it was given the status of the European capital of culture in 2000.
Most civilisations thrive alongside water bodies. Bergen's fish market, however, brings this concept to an entirely different level.
Packed with Norway's specialities — woollen sweaters, gloves, tiny toy trolls and ice-cream — the market serves as a reminder of the fact that Bergen is a Scandinavian hub.
The Hanseatic League was an ancient trade alliance that ran through northern Europe.
Bergen's strategic location won it a large role in the alliance and many European traders went on to settle in the city.
Before long, it blossomed into a trading hub.
But as wars were waged, the alliance began to fade in Bergen.
However, interconnected houses that once belonged to traders still exist.
They have been renovated and repainted but both their locations and their structures have been well preserved.
House of Edvard Grieg
As one scans Bergen, these houses leave one envisioning the city when the league had existed. There are still traces of the culture of those times visible in these parts.
Edvard Grieg, a music icon and the composer of Piano Concerto, hailed from Bergen.
A descendant of one of the Hanseatic traders, Grieg lived from 1843 to 1907 and his musical legacy was influenced by Norwegian folk songs. He composed music for several plays.
He is buried near his home, which is still full of items from Grieg's life — such as his piano, portraits of his wife and even some of his favourite tapestries.
Saman Nargund is a student of Grade XI in Dubai American Academy
