Kvarven
Kvarven is a forested and steep point, forming a "corner" where the city fjord turns into the Puddefjord and the entry into Bergen's bay, as one approaches from the south. Today, it is a beautiful look-out point and recreational area, only minutes from downtown Bergen.
The name Kvarven is from an old Norse word referring to where ships turn and go out of sight. Kvarven's locality has made it useful for the military and a fort was built here in 1899. During WWII, the Germans built bunkers on the existing fort foundations and installed cannons here. A page in English about the battle of Bergen shows this; Torleif and I ate by the remaining cannon on our bird-watching trip (see article). Parts of Kvarven today are still military, but this part of the fort is now a historical park. The rest is a nature reserve and hiking area, and is a good starting point for a hike up to the top of one of Bergen's seven mountains, Lyderhorn.
On April 8 2004, a friend and I went to Kvarven before dawn to listen to the birds waking up. The picture above is taken as dawn breaks over the mountains above Sandviken, a municipality of Bergen.
The pictures below show the 180 degree view from Kvarven at daybreak. The first view is of the Askøy bridge and the islands to the west and the southern end of Askøy, and the eastern point of Askøy.
This next view is a bit more of Askøy, up the fjord to the north/north-west, stopping before the mountain range above Sandviken to the east.
Why Kvarven?
Kvarven is now an outdoor historical museum and recreational area that used to be a fort. It tried to defend Bergen on April 9, 1940, and the next couple of days, but to no avail. On one level, Kvarven is a beautiful place, perfect for Sunday hikes or daily jogs, or bird-watching. On another level, it is definitely a memorial, reminding us of the war and its long shadow of pain and loss – and survival.