If you're a fan of old stone buildings and history, this is a great place to tour through. It's fun to walk through the narrow stairwells and think about what things were like centuries ago. The signage about the rooms is brief - I'd like to see more detail, but I enjoyed the visit, regardless...

This was single handily the coolest museum we went to during our time in Norway. It was neat to be able to walk through the rooms and read the information regarding what took place how it was constructed, and how it fit into the regional and national history. There is plenty of authentic furniture and tapestries to illustrate what the spaces could have looked like I would highly recommend a visit.

This tower is a must see if you're in Bergen and you like history. There are a lot of stairs and rooms to view and it can be a bit like a maze which is fun. Some of the passageways and stairs can be smaller so watch your step and your head. Once you get to the top of the tower the views of Bergen are great! Final note the tower is NOT part of the Bergen card and you have to pay in full for the tickets but it's worth it.

The Rosenkrantz Tower One of Norway's most important kings, Magnus Lagabøte, lived here in the 13th century. In the 16th century it became the sheriff's castle. To visit the Rosenkrantz Tower is to get close to history. The stone walls in the bedroom of King Magnus Lagabøte still exist. Here is the chapel with the original altar where the king spent a lot of time, and on the first floor the king's soldiers stayed. Via winding, narrow corridors and steep stairs, we move from the basement with the 16th-century dungeon, to the cannon loft just below the roof. The cannons that stood here were used for a single day in the war, during the battle of Vågen, on 2 August 1665. At the top we can get out onto the watchman's corridor on the roof, here the watchmen had a view of the whole city, and this is still perhaps the best view in the city ! The Middle Ages The inner core of the tower is Magnus Lagabøte's tower or castle from the 13th century. This is one of the monuments from the time when Norway was a power factor in Northern Europe. In the tower lived the last two kings who mainly ruled Norway from Bergen, King Magnus Lagabøte and his eldest son, King Eirik Magnusson. Through state administration and legislation, we can say that the kings in the High Middle Ages shaped a Norwegian state. The Danish era The tower also represents the fall of Norway. The Danish general Jørgens Hansønn rebuilt the tower in the early 16th century. The newest part, built for Sheriff Erik Rosenkrantz from the 1560s, represents Denmark's power. It was now Danish officials who made up the power apparatus in the country. The county lords represented the Danish king's power locally. The tower is thus a symbol of the union era, where Denmark was the strong party at the expense of Norway. 1944 In 1944, the Rosenkrantz Tower was heavily damaged when a cargo ship loaded with explosives exploded just outside. The upper floors collapsed. The reconstruction was completed in the 1960s. The investigations that were carried out led to an increase in knowledge about the tower. The restoration means that the building's various building stages and history can be clearly read in the walls. Today, Rosenkrantztårnet is primarily used as a museum, but in some cases concerts and performances have been arranged here. Learn, search and find! Search and find - get a booklet with questions for children. Feel free to bring your own pencil. Download an outdoor activity trail for Bergenhus Fortress! (printable pdf format) Practical information and tips The museum is suitable for all age groups We offer guided tours in Norwegian and English during the summer season. You get your own guide brochure when you buy an entrance ticket. Languages: Norwegian, English, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian Recommended time spent in Rosenkrantztårnet is 45-50 minutes The museum is not adapted for wheelchair users. There are many narrow, steep stairs in the tower, so you should be good on your feet The museum does not offer catering, but with its location in the city centre, there are many places to eat nearby At the reception you can get a fortress puzzle where you answer questions about the fortress, the answers can be found in the outdoor area. If you want to go for a walk in the fortress, you can get a fortress trail at the reception, with a map and information about the buildings and the area Grilling and any other use of fire is prohibited in the fortress area Rosenkrantztårnet Her bodde en av Norges viktigste konger, Magnus Lagabøte på 1200-tallet. På 1500-tallet ble det lensherrenes slott. Å besøke Rosenkrantztårnet er å komme nære historien. Steinveggene i soverommet til kong Magnus Lagabøte finnes fortsatt. Her er kapellet med det originale alteret der kongen brukte mye tid, og i første etasje oppholdt kongens soldater seg. Via kronglete, smale ganger og bratte trapper beveger vi oss fra kjelleren med 1500-tallets fangehull, til kanonloftet like under taket. Kanonene som sto her ble brukt en eneste dag i krig,

Fascinating tower constructed over the course of centuries in different architectural styles. The building you now see was heavily inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Definitely get a tour guide to lead you through the history.

Beautiful views and a well preserved detailed exhibit. A must visit when in Bergen.

Not included/discounted with the Bergen card, but still worth the price of admission. Very neat, old building with good displays and informative plaques to guide you (in Norsk and English). We spent most of our morning here as there are multiple floors and rooms to explore. Lots of history to read and learn. Great to do in combination with Håkonshallen (which is included with the Bergen Card, and is a relatively shorter tour), if both are open. As others have noted, be prepared to navigate narrow stone stairs. Note the spiral staircase is set as the "down" stairs, with the other stairs as the "up" stairs to help with congestion.

Home of The King. Historical site with Beautifull view.

It's located near port area. This beautiful historical monuments was built in 13th century by one of the most powerful Norwegian king. Over the years it was expanded and it became Governor's house. We came here during our walking tour. Due to shortage of time, we did not go inside. We were told that view from top is excellent.

I do not recommend this museum. I took guests here from Germany and I was ashamed that there is nothing here but walls. How can you call it a museum? It's an embarrassment, but it's common in Norway. is a primitive nation.

We arrived 45 minutes before closing time. We asked of it would be enough time to see everything. The recommended time was 40-45 minutes they told us. 15 minutes before closing time they started flickering the lights to get us out. 10 minutes before closing someone of the staff starts to walk behind you to rush you to the exit. At the end we told the staff we thought 40-45 minutes was too short for the recommended time in our opinion. We didn’t get to read and see everything, not even close. When we told them, they didn’t care, didn’t respond, were rude and were laughing as we left. Super unfriendly. Content of exhibition interesting. We thought the entrance price (140NOK per person) was overpriced

We enjoyed our walk around the tower. It was interesting and informative. Even my kids (16 and 12) enjoyed the experience. We had the Bergen card. But the sign outside states 'No discount with the Bergen card'. That's fair enough but when we bought tickets to visit the tower we also bought tickets to visit the Hall of Kings nearby. However, entry to the hall is free with the Bergen card but we didn't mention it because of the sign outside! And they did not ask. So we paid to see the hall when we could have got in for free. It was quite annoying. Our mistake I suppose but they didn't help us out and did not offer a refund when we asked them about it. But the tower is with a visit.

Very beautiful building from the outside. It was closed for entry when we were there.

Really enjoyed visiting and thought the exhibits were well done. Gorgeous views from the top of the tower. Worth the 120 NOK entry fee (but if you have a Bergen card, it’s free) and very close to King Håkon’s Hall, the Bryggen Museum and St. Mary’s (all also included on the Bergen card). We were able to visit all four of these sites plus walk around part of the fortress grounds in about 4.5 hours, and I tend to read everything when visiting museums, so if you’re less inclined to read every word, it may take you even less time.

Visited on a rainy day so a crowd was non-existent. We were initially under the impression it was free - true but only if you have the Bergen card - otherwise 120 NK - reasonable considering the experience. If you have mobility issues, avoid the fortress - some low ceilings and lots of spiral staircase climbs on narrow treads. View from the roof is pretty cool. Larger rooms have displays (armor) and stories (battle and witch burnings). It was a spur of the moment decision we didn’t regret.

Fun to walk through the tower and the children's activity room has great things to do. Great panoramic views from the top! Well worth it.

A beautiful archaeological site that tells the ancient history of this place

Interesting back story, great views from the top of the tower. Friendly and helpful staff. Not much actually in the tower.

This was an OK place to visit. But if you're short on time I think you can safely skip this one

The area is really unique and just plain cool. The tower is currently undergoing renovations and repairs and is shrouded in scaffolding because of water leaks that plague this very old tower. Hope they get it fixed up for my next visit.

A very nice place to learn something about the history of the buildings, people and the city. Definitely worth visiting! The maps are available in different languages so everyone can enjoy the museum.

There is a lot to see inside, from dungeon to top, also some weapons and clothing is on display. Be careful with the stairs, they are narrow and for short people, you might hit your head. It's very nice and you should visit.

Not really worth the cost of entry. Better to walk around the outside for free.

Quite expensive (120NOK p.p.) for the exhibition, mainly empty floors that are suppose to tell the history of the building... only the upper two floors contain a bit of historic information and decorations.

Beautiful Garden and walk around the ramparts. The tower itself was closed on my visit.