St Mary's Church, Bergen

St Mary's is the oldest surviving building in Bergen, a Romanesque stone church begun in the twelfth century and closely tied to the German merchants of the neighbouring wharf. Its twin western towers and thick walls have endured fires and reconstructions that destroyed much of the surrounding timber city. Inside, a richly carved and gilded Baroque pulpit stands out against the austere medieval masonry. For generations the church served the Hanseatic community, and it remains an active parish as well as a key monument of the district's history.