A stroll around Gamlehaugen
After breakfast we set out for a walk and ended up at Gamlehaugen. For Stig this was a special visit: he once worked here and even helped build parts of the residence for King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway. Bedrooms, bathrooms, and more bathrooms — he remembered every corner.
Gamlehaugen is not just any house. It is Norway’s royal residence in Bergen, and also a national monument to Prime Minister Christian Michelsen, the man who secured Norway’s independence in 1905. The current mansion was built in 1899 by architect Jens Zetlitz Monrad Kielland, in a Scottish baronial style that looks part fairy tale, part fortress. Michelsen lived here from 1901 until his death in 1925, and since then it has been preserved as both a royal property and a piece of national history.
It was officially an open day, but without pre-booked tickets we couldn’t go inside. Instead, we circled the estate and admired the grounds. The park is open to the public year-round, landscaped in English style with broad lawns, tree-lined paths, and little surprises tucked into corners. Even from the outside, Gamlehaugen has presence: one lonely tower rising over the hillside, reminding us of dovecotes and summer houses, only on a much grander scale.
The name itself sparked discussion: Gamlehaugen — the “Old Hill.” Not especially older than other houses in Bergen, but old enough to carry weight. Christian Michelsen’s story lingers here: the politician, shipowner, and lawyer who helped Norway pick its own king, bringing in Prince Carl of Denmark – soon to be King Haakon VII. He and his wife Benny made the house their home, and when he died, the state took over the estate as both symbol and heritage.
On our way home we passed Odfjell Rederi, which opened another family story. Uncle Kalle once tipped Thomas to invest his confirmation money in Odfjell shares. The eager young investor, however, sold when the stock went down — only to learn later that profits tend to come after the shares go up. A life lesson in Bergen economics, learned the hard way.
Gamlehaugen may look like a castle from afar, but for us it became part family memory, part history lesson, and part comedy. And isn’t that exactly what makes travelling with family so entertaining?
