Bergen-Stave Church and Concert

[Clay Clayton]

I feel so stupid.  I had a great conversation with a fellow traveler who had visited the Stave Church and attended the same concert that Viking included in their visit to Greig’s Home independently.  As we don’t have any interest in visiting his house and do have other places we want to visit in Bergen, this was a perfect solution for us.  Unfortunately, I’ve lost the link to that post and our conversation. 
 

If anyone has done these independent of Viking I’d appreciate any guidance or advice. 
 

TIA!

[TayanaLorna]

We planned to do the Fantoft Stave Church on our own via the light railway but ended missing a flight connection in Iceland and arriving a day late.  Right near the Festplassen is the Byparken light rail stop.  We had planned to take the rail to the Paradis stop and walk to the church from there.  Never did the research on how to get to Grieg House for concert.  We ended up taking the Viking excursion to the church, ruins of a monastery and the island home of Ole Bull.  Loved it.  We were very stressed from our delay and it was nice to just get taken care are of.

 

[Peregrina651]

21 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

We planned to do the Fantoft Stave Church on our own via the light railway but ended missing a flight connection in Iceland and arriving a day late.  Right near the Festplassen is the Byparken light rail stop.  We had planned to take the rail to the Paradis stop and walk to the church from there. 

 

If I remember from my research for our 2016 Midnight Sun trip, the same light-rail line gets you to the Grieg House (just a few stop further). Google maps will show it all -- and even map directions for you.

[janetcbl]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

If I remember from my research for our 2016 Midnight Sun trip, the same light-rail line gets you to the Grieg House (just a few stop further). Google maps will show it all -- and even map directions for you.

Check out skyss.no for timetables and maps. You would want Line 1, Byparken-Bergen Lufthavn and your stops would be Fantoft and Paradis. (Easy to get to the airport by this route as well.)

[Clay Clayton]

4 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

We planned to do the Fantoft Stave Church on our own via the light railway but ended missing a flight connection in Iceland and arriving a day late.  Right near the Festplassen is the Byparken light rail stop.  We had planned to take the rail to the Paradis stop and walk to the church from there.  Never did the research on how to get to Grieg House for concert.  We ended up taking the Viking excursion to the church, ruins of a monastery and the island home of Ole Bull.  Loved it.  We were very stressed from our delay and it was nice to just get taken care are of.

 

 

4 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

If I remember from my research for our 2016 Midnight Sun trip, the same light-rail line gets you to the Grieg House (just a few stop further). Google maps will show it all -- and even map directions for you.

 

3 hours ago, janetcbl said:

Check out skyss.no for timetables and maps. You would want Line 1, Byparken-Bergen Lufthavn and your stops would be Fantoft and Paradis. (Easy to get to the airport by this route as well.)

Thank you all!

 

For anyone in the future who is looking for similar information, I also found this which is significantly less expensive than Viking’s excursion to Greig’s House and concert :https://en.visitbergen.com/whats-on/lunchtime-concert-at-troldhaugen-with-bus-tour-and-entrance-to-all-kode-museums-included-p6666743

 

It doesn’t include the Stave Church like theirs but methinks it should be able to be arranged easily.  
 

We are planning on taking all your advice and doing the Silver workshop and Greig’s.  It appears it’s a 25 min walk from the last tram stop.  Do any of you know how strenuous a walk this is?  Hilly or relatively flat?
 

thanks again!

Edited April 12, 2023 by Clay Clayton

[Snowcat1]

For some reason this excursion is not available for our May 29th cruise. 
Thanks for the information, we will try to do it on our own.

[janetcbl]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

 

 

Thank you all!

 

For anyone in the future who is looking for similar information, I also found this which is significantly less expensive than Viking’s excursion to Greig’s House and concert :https://en.visitbergen.com/whats-on/lunchtime-concert-at-troldhaugen-with-bus-tour-and-entrance-to-all-kode-museums-included-p6666743

 

It doesn’t include the Stave Church like theirs but methinks it should be able to be arranged easily.  
 

We are planning on taking all your advice and doing the Silver workshop and Greig’s.  It appears it’s a 25 min walk from the last tram stop.  Do any of you know how strenuous a walk this is?  Hilly or relatively flat?
 

thanks again!

Flat, as I remember. The concert hall and museum and grave sites are worth a visit, just be careful on the paved stones. During my years as a guide, numerous people slipped on the stones (they were warned!).

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, janetcbl said:

Flat, as I remember. The concert hall and museum and grave sites are worth a visit, just be careful on the paved stones. During my years as a guide, numerous people slipped on the stones (they were warned!).

Thanks!  Are these stones along the entire wall or just at the grave sites?

[janetcbl]

49 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Thanks!  Are these stones along the entire wall or just at the grave sites?

They mark the path to the concert hall and to the gravesite if I remember correctly. You had to walk on them. Don’t know if they are still there as it has been a few years since I was at those sites. I just wore sneakers and was careful and it was fine. 

[janetcbl]

11 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Thanks!  Are these stones along the entire wall or just at the grave sites?

Clay: Pull up bt.no (Bergen newspaper) and search for “Webcams”. Great intro to the many sights in Bergen.

[loriva]

23 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

I feel so stupid.  I had a great conversation with a fellow traveler who had visited the Stave Church and attended the same concert that Viking included in their visit to Greig’s Home independently.  As we don’t have any interest in visiting his house and do have other places we want to visit in Bergen, this was a perfect solution for us.  Unfortunately, I’ve lost the link to that post and our conversation. 
 

If anyone has done these independent of Viking I’d appreciate any guidance or advice. 
 

TIA!

 

Also check out Atlas Obscura for some interesting information on the Fantoft Stave Church, if you do decide to try to go.  Spoiler alertL  It's much newer than you might think.  

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, loriva said:

 

Also check out Atlas Obscura for some interesting information on the Fantoft Stave Church, if you do decide to try to go.  Spoiler alertL  It's much newer than you might think.  

 

While it is cool that it is mentioned on the AO website (but not in the second edition of the book sitting by my desk☹️), it is not a big secret. Google "Fantoft" and it comes up in the suggested searches. The first line of the Wikipedia article and the church website both tell that it has been reconstructed.

 

Just the idea that they were able to reconstruct the building is amazing enough for me to add it to my "I have got to see this!" list.

 

BTW, the church website also says that it is open to the public May 15 to Sep 15.

[janetcbl]

5 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

While it is cool that it is mentioned on the AO website (but not in the second edition of the book sitting by my desk☹️), it is not a big secret. Google "Fantoft" and it comes up in the suggested searches. The first line of the Wikipedia article and the church website both tell that it has been reconstructed.

 

Just the idea that they were able to reconstruct the building is amazing enough for me to add it to my "I have got to see this!" list.

 

BTW, the church website also says that it is open to the public May 15 to Sep 15.

I have seen both the original and the reconstructed church and couldn’t tell the difference. The rebuilt church even smelled like the original! 

[CCWineLover]

9 hours ago, janetcbl said:

Clay: Pull up bt.no (Bergen newspaper) and search for “Webcams”. Great intro to the many sights in Bergen.

Janet - thanks for this insight!  We were just in Bergen last summer post cruise.

We can vouch for our wonderful the Stave Church was, as well as the Grieg concert.  I do remember stones walking up towards the house as well.

[CCWineLover]

6 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

While it is cool that it is mentioned on the AO website (but not in the second edition of the book sitting by my desk☹️), it is not a big secret. Google "Fantoft" and it comes up in the suggested searches. The first line of the Wikipedia article and the church website both tell that it has been reconstructed.

 

Just the idea that they were able to reconstruct the building is amazing enough for me to add it to my "I have got to see this!" list.

 

BTW, the church website also says that it is open to the public May 15 to Sep 15.

Totally agree with you @Peregrina651  !

This church was a must see for us and we did it after finishing our Midnight Sun cruise last summer.  It was a spectacularly beautiful sunny late July day.  The church was indeed amazing, especially knowing that it was totally reconstructed!   Inside is even more amazing.

Just a note:  check ahead of time - our guide said that sometimes it is closed (reserved) for events even during that May 15-Sep 15 timeframe.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, janetcbl said:

I have seen both the original and the reconstructed church and couldn’t tell the difference. The rebuilt church even smelled like the original! 

 

 

The church website said that they used 400 year old trees for the reconstruction. I wonder if that has something to do with it.

 

[Clay Clayton]

Can any of you who have been to the stave church and to Greig’s House remember if the roads to each had sidewalks or looked safe enough to walk along?   I’ve looked at GoogleMaps and in some places the roadways appear to be pretty major so not sure we want to walk from the closest tram stations.  

[CDR2001]

Last summer we walked from the tram to Stave church. I think we got off at Paridis stop. There were sidewalks along the way, and we encountered very few cars, and only one person. She was helpful as we weren’t sure we were going the right way. From the tram, go up the stairs that you see, then turn right and follow that road. It curves to the left, then you will see the sign marking the church area. It’s still a steep climb into the woods to the church, but very beautiful. Get directions from a local for sure, my memory might not be exact! 

[Clay Clayton]

1 minute ago, CDR2001 said:

Last summer we walked from the tram to Stave church. I think we got off at Paridis stop. There were sidewalks along the way, and we encountered very few cars, and only one person. She was helpful as we weren’t sure we were going the right way. From the tram, go up the stairs that you see, then turn right and follow that road. It curves to the left, then you will see the sign marking the church area. It’s still a steep climb into the woods to the church, but very beautiful. Get directions from a local for sure, my memory might not be exact! 

Thank you!

[Newdaytrippers]

@Clay Clayton  This might be helpful to you.  I found it in a Google search.  I was doing similar research into the Bergen at War sites and eventually concluded that the underground bunker up a steep hill would be too demanding for us to access.  This appears much more manageable.
 

https://thehiddennorth.com/how-to-get-to-fantoft-stave-church/

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, Newdaytrippers said:

@Clay Clayton  This might be helpful to you.  I found it in a Google search.  I was doing similar research into the Bergen at War sites and eventually concluded that the underground bunker up a steep hill would be too demanding for us to access.  This appears much more manageable.
 

https://thehiddennorth.com/how-to-get-to-fantoft-stave-church/

 

Thanks as well!  This is great.  We did the Viking tour last summer and were SO impressed with the Church and with the Grieg house.   We'll be back in Bergen again with Viking in 2024 and want to do it again - but this time on our own.  Hoping Clay tells us all how it went and any tips/techniques and pics!

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

Hoping Clay tells us all how it went and any tips/techniques and pics!

 

Ditto!

 

But then again, it's @Clay Clayton and he shares. Maybe if we are lucky he will do a "live" thread (hint, hint😉).

 

 

 

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

 

Thanks as well!  This is great.  We did the Viking tour last summer and were SO impressed with the Church and with the Grieg house.   We'll be back in Bergen again with Viking in 2024 and want to do it again - but this time on our own.  Hoping Clay tells us all how it went and any tips/techniques and pics!

We might surprise you as we are planning to do this on our own July 6 also. 😎

[Clay Clayton]

5 hours ago, Newdaytrippers said:

@Clay Clayton  This might be helpful to you.  I found it in a Google search.  I was doing similar research into the Bergen at War sites and eventually concluded that the underground bunker up a steep hill would be too demanding for us to access.  This appears much more manageable.
 

https://thehiddennorth.com/how-to-get-to-fantoft-stave-church/

Thank you SO much!!!’

[Clay Clayton]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Ditto!

 

But then again, it's @Clay Clayton and he shares. Maybe if we are lucky he will do a "live" thread (hint, hint😉).

 

 

 

I suspect I will but got to get through the one starting on Saturday first!