St Mary’s Church, also known as Mariakirken, is a medieval stone church in Bergen, Norway, and the oldest surviving building in the city. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport and parking, accessibility, and practical visitor tips.
This guide was updated in July 2026. One detail many general guides miss: St Mary’s Church is closed to sightseeing visitors on Saturdays and Sundays, when it opens only for services.
Quick facts
| Opening hours | Varies by season, Monday to Friday only; closed weekends outside services (see below) |
| Ticket prices | Adults NOK 100; children under 16 free |
| Address | Dreggen 15, 5003 Bergen |
| Nearest transport/parking | About a 10-minute walk from the Bergen Tourist Information Centre; no on-site parking |
| Typical time needed | 30–45 minutes |
St Mary’s Church opening hours
St Mary’s Church keeps different hours depending on the season, and closes completely to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays except for services. From 18 May to 31 August 2026, the church opens Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 16:00.
From 1 September to 31 December 2026, hours shorten considerably: Monday 12:00 to 16:00, Tuesday 12:00 to 14:00, Wednesday closed, and Thursday to Friday 12:00 to 14:00. The church also closes for funerals, most often on Friday mornings, so it’s worth checking ahead if timing matters.
St Mary’s Church ticket prices
Adult tickets, for visitors aged 13 and over, cost NOK 100. Senior and student tickets, along with group tickets for 10 or more people, cost NOK 80 each, and children under 16 enter free.
Bergen Card holders receive free entry, according to the church’s own listing on the Visit Bergen website. The card also covers many other Bergen attractions, including Bryggens Museum, the Fløibanen funicular, and KODE art museums, plus free travel on light rail and buses.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official Visit Bergen page for St Mary’s Church and last updated in July 2026.
How to get to St Mary’s Church
St Mary’s Church stands in the Bryggen area of central Bergen, close to Bryggens Museum and the Hanseatic Museum. From the Bergen Tourist Information Centre at the Fish Market, it’s roughly a 10-minute walk along the harbourfront.
From Bergen Airport, the Bybanen light rail runs to Byparken in the city centre in about 40 minutes, followed by a short walk to Bryggen. A section of Bybanen line 1, between Byparken and Slettebakken, is closed for maintenance from 29 June to 26 July 2026, with replacement buses running in its place.
Parking at St Mary’s Church
There is no dedicated visitor parking at St Mary’s Church. The nearest public parking is in multi-storey car parks in central Bergen, and Bergen Card holders receive a discount at some of these.
Given the narrow streets around Bryggen, most visitors find walking, cycling, or public transport more practical than driving.
How long to spend at St Mary’s Church
Most visitors spend 30 to 45 minutes at St Mary’s Church, enough time to see the altar reredos, pulpit, and medieval portals. Visitors attending a Sunday service should allow the full hour of the service itself.
Because the church has limited opening hours and no visitor facilities such as toilets, most people treat it as a focused stop rather than a lengthy visit.
Accessibility at St Mary’s Church
St Mary’s Church is wheelchair accessible, though it has no toilet facilities for visitors. Photography is not permitted inside, and voice amplifiers may not be used, which is worth noting for anyone planning a group visit.
Postcards are sold on site for visitors who want a memento, since photography of the interior isn’t an option.
Inside St Mary’s Church: what to see
The architecture follows a basilica plan, with a tall central nave and two lower side aisles under separate roofs, a design more often found in medieval cathedrals than in an ordinary parish church.
The twin west towers, original to the medieval building, form a west front unlike that of any other Norwegian church, though both were repaired after a fire in 1248.
The portals number four in total. The oldest, in the north aisle, follows a style traceable to Roman times, while the ornately carved grand portal reflects 13th-century Gothic design.
The altar reredos, the church’s oldest treasure, is a late-15th-century North German triptych, probably from Lübeck, depicting Mary and the infant Jesus alongside saints and apostles.
The pulpit, presented to the church in 1676 by Hanseatic merchants from Bryggen, is decorated with tortoiseshell and lacquer work unusual for Norway, and the church’s organ, built in 2014–15 by the German firm Weimbs Orgelbau, was inaugurated at the church’s reopening in June 2015.
Practical visitor tips
| Topic | Tip |
|---|---|
| Timing | Visit on a weekday, since the church is closed to sightseeing on Saturdays and Sundays. |
| Crowds | The church is small, so allow flexibility if a service or private event limits access on the day. |
| Layout | Start at the west end to view the twin towers and portals before moving to the altar and pulpit. |
| Entry process | Buy tickets on arrival; groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate. |
| On-site logistics | Leave cameras packed away, since photography isn’t allowed inside the church. |
Frequently asked questions about St Mary’s Church
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is St Mary’s Church open every day? | No, it’s closed to sightseeing visitors on Saturdays and Sundays outside of services. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for St Mary’s Church? | No, tickets are bought on arrival; check opening hours first, since these vary by season. |
| Can you take photographs inside St Mary’s Church? | No, photography is not allowed inside the church. |
| Is St Mary’s Church wheelchair accessible? | Yes, the church is accessible, though it has no visitor toilet facilities. |
| Can you attend a service at St Mary’s Church? | Yes, there’s an English-language service on Sundays at 11:00 and a Norwegian service at 18:00. |
Things to do near St Mary’s Church
Bryggens Museum, an archaeological museum built over Bergen’s oldest foundations, stands about two minutes’ walk away.
The Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene, a preserved Hanseatic-era merchant’s house, is about one minute’s walk away.
Troll Museum, a museum of Norwegian folklore with interactive exhibits, is about one minute’s walk away.
The Bergenhus Fortress, one of Norway’s oldest fortifications, is about five minutes’ walk away.
The Fløibanen funicular, the cable car to the top of Mount Fløyen, is about five minutes’ walk away.
What to visit tomorrow
The Fantoft Stave Church, a reconstructed 12th-century stave church, is about 20 minutes away by bus or light rail.
Lysekloster, the ruins of a medieval Cistercian monastery, is about 30 minutes away.
Voss Church, a 13th-century stone church known locally as Vangskyrkja, is about one hour 15 minutes away by car or train.
Kinsarvik Church, a medieval stone church on the Hardangerfjord, is about two hours away.
Ullensvang Church, a historic stone church in the Hardanger region, is about two hours away.
More Norway travel
Other Norway travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- What to expect from Mostraumen fjord cruises from Bergen.
- Lessons learned from a Norwegian fjords cruise itinerary.
- Experience whitewater rafting in Voss, Norway.
- How to visit Tvindefossen waterfall near Voss.
- Oslo museum guides: The Salmon, the Kon-Tiki Museum, the Nobel Peace Center, the Norsk Folkemuseum, the National Museum of Norway and the Munch Museum.
