On this walk, we’ll start on the spot where Bergen was founded in 1070 and make our way through the original royal palace. Today this area is the Bergen Fortress, but 800 years ago it was where Norway was governed while Bergen was the capital. After leaving the fortress, we’ll venture onto Bryggen, which means wharf in English, the original settlement of Bergen. Bergen was founded in 1070 as Scandinavia’s first commercial city, and it is here on this stretch of 1km (0.6 mi) that the centre of trade in Scandinavia was until the 16th century. Originally settled by Norwegian merchants, the area is perhaps most famous for being one of the main places the Hanseatic League, a German merchant organisation, traded. We’ll navigate our way through these narrow alleys and learn about the old trade structure here. Emma is a licensed tour guide living in Bergen, Norway. Originally from Australia, Emma fell in love with both the city (and a Norwegian!) and moved to Bergen in 2015. She has been a guide ever since. In addition to providing walking tours of Bergen, Emma also does guide tours throughout Norway and Finland. Emma runs her own business called I Love Bergen, which gives customized walking tours of Bergen. Her tours focus on unique aspects of history, culture, architecture, and stories of everyday life.