Rosenkrantz Tower is the tall stone tower at the harbour end of Bergenhus Fortress in Bergen, a few minutes' walk from Bryggen. From outside it looks like a single Renaissance building of the 1560s, but it wraps around a 13th-century royal keep: inside you can still stand in the chapel and bedroom of King Magnus the Lawmender, then climb a narrow staircase to the cannon attic and the roof.
Rosenkrantz Tower at a glance
- Where: Bergenhus Fortress, at the northern end of the Vågen harbour, about three minutes' walk from Bryggen.
- Built: the oldest parts in the 13th century for King Magnus Lagabøte, repaired in 1514–1523, and the present tower largely from the 1560s.
- By: rebuilt for Erik Rosenkrantz, the Danish governor of Bergenhus, who decided on a new tower in 1562.
- What it is today: a museum run by Bymuseet i Bergen (the Bergen City Museum) since 2005, with medieval royal rooms, 16th-century dungeons, exhibitions and a roof terrace.
- Time needed: about 45–60 minutes inside, plus time for the rest of the fortress.
From royal keep to governor's tower
The first tower here was a medieval keep, the 'castle by the sea', with a moat and drawbridge on the royal estate of King Håkon Håkonsson. His son Magnus Lagabøte (the Lawmender) used it as his residence and in 1273 had a chapel with cross vaults built inside. Magnus's eldest son, Eirik Magnusson, who died in 1299, was the last king to live in Bergen. After a fire in 1513 the Danish commander Jørgen Hanssøn repaired the tower, and in the 1550s Christoffer Valkendorf fortified it against the German Hanseatic merchants at Bryggen, which is why it was once called Valkendorf's Tower.
In 1562 Erik Rosenkrantz decided to build an entirely new tower around the old one, with an imposing façade towards Bryggen decorated with his family's coat of arms. It is counted among the most important Renaissance monuments in Norway. Later the tower became an armoury, and in 1748 the old chapel was turned into a gunpowder store. On 20 April 1944 a ship loaded with explosives blew up in the harbour just outside and the upper floors collapsed. Investigations after the war uncovered traces of Magnus's original chapel, and the reconstruction was completed in 1966.
What to look for
- The façade facing Bryggen, built to impress the Hanseatic merchants across the harbour, with the Rosenkrantz coat of arms.
- King Magnus's bedroom, where the stone walls of the 13th-century keep are still the real thing.
- The chapel with its original altar, where the king is said to have spent much of his time.
- The ground-floor room where the king's guards lived, and the 16th-century dungeons and guardrooms below; the dungeon was probably still in use in the early 19th century.
- The masonry: the post-war restoration exposed the different building phases in the walls, so look for the changes as you move from the medieval keep into the Renaissance tower.
- The narrow, winding staircase up to the cannon attic, and the roof above it, which the museum calls perhaps the best view in the city.
The only time the guns fired
The cannons in the tower's top attic were fired in war only once, on 2 August 1665, during the Battle of Vågen. In the Second Anglo-Dutch War an English squadron sailed into Bergen to attack a rich Dutch merchant fleet, including ships of the Dutch East India Company, that had taken shelter in the harbour. The guns of Bergenhus joined the Dutch in firing on the English, and the attack failed. The tower has an exhibition on the battle, and another on Anne Pedersdatter, a Bergen woman burned as a witch in 1590.
Tips for your visit
- The staircase to the top is narrow and winding, and the tower has no wheelchair access. Take your time on the way up and down.
- Save the roof for a clear day: you look straight down on Vågen and Bryggen, with the mountains around Bergen behind.
- Pair it with Haakon's Hall next door; together they show the two sides of Bergenhus, the medieval royal seat and the later Danish stronghold. The tower also hosts concerts and events, so check the museum's programme.
Nearby
- Haakon's Hall (Håkonshallen): the great stone banqueting hall that King Håkon Håkonsson completed around 1261, a few steps away inside the fortress.
- Bryggen: the row of wooden Hanseatic wharf buildings along the harbour, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about three minutes' walk.
- The Fish Market (Fisketorget): at the inner end of Vågen, where Bergen has traded fish on the waterfront for centuries; a good stop for lunch.
- Fløibanen: the funicular a short walk behind the harbour that climbs Mount Fløyen, for the view over the whole city and the fjord.
See Bergen with World City Trail
Our Bergen scavenger hunt turns the city centre into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 1.5 hours, with about 37 minutes of walking. Along the way you visit places such as the National Stage (Den Nationale Scene), the Sailor's Monument and Bergen Cathedral.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Bergen.
Play the Bergen scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Bergen →
Play the outdoor escape game in Bergen →
Facts checked in October 2026.