Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage)
On Gingerguide's self-guided Bergen audio tour, Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage) is a stop worth about ~45 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type theater
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Bergen Bergen guide
About Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage)
Bergen's grand 1909 Art Nouveau theatre, home to a company founded in 1850 by Ole Bull, where a young Henrik Ibsen learned his craft on stage.
Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage) is one of the oldest permanent theatres in Norway. Its lineage runs back to Det norske Theater, founded in Bergen in 1850 on the initiative of the violinist Ole Bull to develop Norwegian-language drama, and it is regarded as the first purely Norwegian stage theatre. Henrik Ibsen was engaged there from 1851 as a writer and stage instructor, and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson became director at the end of 1857. That first company went bankrupt in 1863, and a theatre named Den Nationale Scene opened in the same building in 1876.
The present theatre at Engen, designed by architect Einar Oscar Schou, opened on 19 February 1909 with Holberg's Erasmus Montanus in the presence of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud. It is considered one of Norway's foremost examples of Art Nouveau monumental architecture and was heritage-listed in 1993. The theatre has three stages and mounts around twenty productions a year. The Engen building has undergone a major modernization, with performances held at other venues during the works.
Did you know? Henrik Ibsen worked at the Bergen theatre from 1851, taking part in well over a hundred productions as writer and stage instructor before returning to Christiania around 1857; sources vary on his exact title.
How much time do you need at Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage)?
Around ~45 min works well for Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage) — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage)?
Yes — Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage) made the cut as one of 21 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Bergen. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Bergen
Day 1 of the Bergen in 2 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Den Nationale Scene (The National Stage)
Preview the Bergen tour free in the Gingerguide app.