Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the trading empire that existed from the 14th to the mid-16th century. It is comprised of beautiful wooden houses, many lost/damaged in fires, but many survive and are today used as artists' studios.
The Urnes stave church in Sogn, built in the second half of the twelfth century, contains a 100 year older church doorway. A four-legged animal beset by dragons is the main motif on the jambs.
Røros town is one of the few preserved town centres in the world with wooden houses. Traditional timber buildings and log houses line the intimate streets with small shops and cosy cafes. The atmosphere of bygone days awaits in every narrow passage and around every corner.
A cluster of dozens of islands centered on Vega, just south of the Arctic Circle. The islands bear testimony to a distinctive frugal way of life based on fishing and the harvesting of the down of eider ducks in an inhospitable environment.
Joint listing: Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Sweden, Ukraine
The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations running through ten countries and over 2,820km from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea. The survey was carried out between 1816 and 1855 by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, and represented the first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian. 34 of the original 265 station points are included in the listing.
See Belarus listing for more information.
The two fjords, among the worlds longest and deepest, are considered as archetypical fjord landscapes and among the most scenically outstanding anywhere.
Lynn Salmon <>{ Last updated: April 23, 2007