KODE Art Museums in Bergen bring together one of the Nordic region’s most exciting collections of art, design, and music heritage. Set around the small lake Lille Lungegårdsvann in the city center, KODE’s four museum buildings showcase everything from Norwegian Golden Age painting to contemporary installations and craft. KODE also includes three historic composer homes around Bergen, where you can walk the grounds and hear music where it was written.
If you are wondering what KODE is and whether it is worth your time in Bergen, the short answer is yes. KODE is a cluster of four city-center art museums plus three composer homes, with strong collections anchored by Norwegian masters like Edvard Munch, J. C. Dahl, Nikolai Astrup, and Harriet Backer. Exhibitions rotate through the year, there are frequent concerts, and the locations are easy to combine on foot with other Bergen highlights.
Let’s dive deeper into how KODE works, what to see, and how to plan a smooth visit.
What Is KODE, Exactly?
KODE is the umbrella name for Bergen’s art museums and composer homes. The four museum buildings line the park around Lille Lungegårdsvann, a short walk from Torgallmenningen and the Festplassen square. Inside you will find permanent collections of Norwegian and international art, design and craft, and ambitious temporary exhibitions that keep the programming fresh. A single ticket typically grants same-day access to multiple KODE buildings, which makes it easy to mix classic painting with contemporary art in one outing.
Beyond the city center, KODE cares for three historic composer properties: the Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen, Harald Sæverud’s Siljustøl, and Ole Bull’s villa on Lysøen. These are essential visits for music lovers and rewarding detours for anyone interested in Norwegian culture and landscape.
The Four Museums Around the Lake
You will see four numbered buildings signed KODE 1 through KODE 4. Together, they form a loop that you can walk in less than five minutes between doors. The focus in each building can shift when exhibitions change, but this overview will help you orient yourself:
KODE 1, Permanenten
Housed in an elegant historic building, KODE 1 is known for design and craft, including silver, furniture, and applied arts displayed with a clear eye for Norwegian aesthetics. It is the place to understand how everyday objects and craftsmanship shaped homes here. When special exhibitions land in KODE 1, they often play with the building’s grand interiors, so peek into side rooms and galleries.
KODE 2
KODE 2 tends to host large temporary exhibitions and cross-disciplinary shows. It is also where many visitors start, since it often has ticketing and a café nearby. If you like photography, design shows, or contemporary interventions that speak to Bergen today, this is a reliable stop.
KODE 3, The Rasmus Meyer Collection
This is the crown jewel for many visitors. The collection charts Norwegian painting from the 19th and early 20th centuries, with powerful rooms dedicated to Edvard Munch and fellow pioneers of Norwegian art. If you only have time for one building, many travelers choose KODE 3 for the depth and coherence of its Norwegian works.
KODE 4
Expect contemporary art and changing exhibitions, often with international artists and new commissions. KODE 4 also leans into learning spaces and family-friendly programming. If you are traveling with kids, ask at the desk about hands-on activities or an ArtLab session when available.
Highlights You Should Not Miss
While shows rotate, a few themes and works are steady favorites:
- Edvard Munch rooms in KODE 3, where you can trace variations on motifs and get close to the brushwork that altered European art.
- Johan Christian Dahl and the landscape tradition, linking Norway’s dramatic light to national identity.
- Nikolai Astrup’s glowing village scenes, which capture western Norway’s gardens, bonfires, and weather with rare intimacy.
- Design and craft galleries in KODE 1, especially for travelers curious about Norwegian interiors, silverwork, and the way form follows function in everyday life.
- Contemporary installations in KODE 4, which often use sound, video, and sculpture to challenge how we move through space.
Tip for art lovers: plan your route to start with the historical collections before you see the contemporary shows. The dialogue between old and new is much richer when you have the early works fresh in mind.
The Composer Homes: Where Music Meets Landscape
KODE’s composer homes are not just museums. They are small journeys into the landscapes that shaped Norwegian music. Hours are seasonal, and concerts are popular, so plan ahead.
Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen
At Troldhaugen, south of the city center, you can tour the villa Grieg shared with his wife Nina, walk down to the tiny lakeside composer’s hut, and visit the modern concert hall. Summer lunchtime recitals are a tradition and a beautiful way to hear Grieg’s piano works where they were written. The grounds have gentle paths and views over Nordås, and the storytelling here is especially strong for first-time Grieg listeners.
Siljustøl, Home of Harald Sæverud
Siljustøl is a forested estate west of the city, with a striking house designed to feel part lodge, part modernist studio. The grounds make a quiet walk, and the interiors show how Sæverud worked and lived. Check for chamber concerts or guided openings, which reveal more of the composer’s quirky, independent spirit.
Lysøen, Villa of Ole Bull
On an island south of Bergen, Ole Bull’s ornate villa sits among forest trails and rocky shoreline. In summer, you can pair a visit with a boat ride and make a half-day of it. The house is a fairytale of woodwork and music history, and the island paths are lovely for a picnic if the weather is kind.
Tickets, Hours, and When to Go
Hours vary by season and building. The city-center museums usually operate daily in peak months, with more limited schedules outside summer. The composer homes follow spring-to-autumn rhythms, with concerts concentrated in warmer months. Check official listings before you go, especially if you want a specific concert or guided tour.
Tickets are sold per building or as combinations that cover multiple museums on the same day. Families will appreciate that children often enter for free or at a low rate, and students or seniors typically receive discounts. If you plan to visit more than one KODE building, the combined ticket is usually the better value.
Crowd tip: cruise days can be busy from late morning. For quieter galleries, arrive right at opening or plan an hour before closing.
How to Get There and Navigate
The four KODE buildings encircle Lille Lungegårdsvann, a level 5 to 10 minute walk from most central hotels and the railway station. Use Festplassen as your anchor, then follow signs along the park’s edge.
For the composer homes, public transport plus a short walk works well:
- Troldhaugen: Light Rail to Hop, then a signposted walk or local bus connection.
- Siljustøl: Local bus toward Flesland area, then a walk to the estate entrance.
- Lysøen: Seasonal boat service connects the mainland to the island. Check exact departure points and times in advance, as they change by season.
If you are driving, parking is limited at peak times, especially at Troldhaugen. Allow buffer time and consider public transport to avoid stress.
A Half-Day or Full-Day Itinerary
Short on time, 2 to 3 hours
Start with KODE 3 for the Norwegian masters, then cross to KODE 1 for design and craft. Grab a coffee between them and loop the park for photos.
A fuller art day, 4 to 6 hours
Begin at KODE 3, continue to KODE 2 for the current headline exhibition, break for lunch, and finish at KODE 4 for contemporary work. If the weather is clear, sit by the lake and let the art settle in.
Music-focused day trip
Head to Troldhaugen for the lunchtime recital, take the house and hut tours, then add Siljustøl in the afternoon if it is open. In summer, build a separate half-day for Lysøen so you have time for the island paths.
Visiting With Kids
KODE is family friendly. Strollers are welcome in most galleries, and there are often hands-on activities or dedicated spaces for younger visitors. Keep museum sessions to 60 to 90 minutes for small children, and punctuate art time with the easy loop around the lake. In good weather, the composer home grounds are perfect for energy breaks and scavenger-hunt style walks.
Accessibility
The city-center museums have level entries or ramps and lifts inside. Benches are placed throughout the galleries, and staff are helpful if you need a portable stool. The composer homes vary more, since they are historic properties on uneven terrain. If mobility is a concern, contact KODE ahead of time to clarify access and plan the best route.
Practical Tips From Locals
- Layer for Bergen weather. Even in summer, a light rain jacket and comfortable shoes will make your day better.
- Use the café breaks strategically. A short reset between buildings keeps art fatigue away.
- Read a wall label fully once per floor. It sets context for everything else you are seeing, so you can browse more freely afterward.
- Pair KODE with Bergen’s other cultural stops. The Grieg Hall, the Fish Market area, and the old streets up toward Skansen and Fløyen make easy add-ons without extra transport.
Nearby Eats and Easy Pairings
Before or after a KODE loop, you are steps from casual bakeries, coffee bars, and sit-down restaurants. The pedestrian streets off Torgallmenningen cover everything from quick sandwiches to seafood dinners. If the sun appears, the park benches around Lille Lungegårdsvann become the city’s living room, and it is perfectly normal to picnic with a cinnamon roll and coffee.
For a classic Bergen day, do morning art at KODE, then take the Fløibanen funicular in the afternoon for views over the harbor. If rain arrives, swap the mountain for an extra museum building and lean into the galleries. KODE is at its most rewarding when you let the weather help choose your pace.
With four distinctive museums clustered together and three characterful composer homes set in landscapes that inspired the music, KODE gives you a rare, compact introduction to Norwegian art and sound. Whether you come for Munch, for Grieg, or simply to wander and be surprised, you will leave with a clearer sense of the culture that shapes this part of the world.