Torgallmenningen
Torgallmenningen is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Bergen audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~30 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Bergen Bergen guide
About Torgallmenningen
Bergen's broad main square and esplanade, widened into monumental form after the great 1916 fire, running from the fish market to Dyre Vaa's twelve-figure Seafarers' Monument.
Torgallmenningen is Bergen's main square, a broad pedestrianised esplanade running from Torget in the northeast to Kong Olav Vs plass and Ole Bulls plass in the southwest. The open space originated as a branngate (fire-break), first planned after the city fire of 1582 and named after the great fire of 1702, part of a deliberate system of wide public lanes meant to stop fire spreading through Bergen's dense timber town. It is widely, if informally, called the city's largest and busiest square.
The Bergen fire of 15-16 January 1916 destroyed much of the central district, burning around 380 buildings and leaving some 2,700 people homeless. In the rebuilding, the area was levelled by scraping about three metres off the Torgreset ridge, giving the square its present monumental form. At its southwestern end stands the Seafarers' Monument by Dyre Vaa, unveiled on 7 June 1950: about seven metres high, its twelve bronze figures represent four eras of Norwegian seafaring.
Did you know? Torgallmenningen predates the 1916 fire; it began as a firebreak planned after the 1582 blaze. The fire prompted the rebuild that scraped about three metres off the ridge for today's monumental square.
How long should you spend at Torgallmenningen?
Plan about ~30 min at Torgallmenningen. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Torgallmenningen worth visiting?
Torgallmenningen is one of the 21 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Bergen, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Bergen
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Torgallmenningen and read more:
Day 2 of the Bergen in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Torgallmenningen
Preview the Bergen tour free in the Gingerguide app.