Strandgaten, Bergen

Strandgaten is a street in the city centre of Bergen, Norway, west of the bay of Vågen. It starts at Torgallmenningen and follows the eastern shore of the Nordnes peninsula to Tidemands gate, where it becomes Nordnesgaten. The easternmost quarter of Strandgaten is a regular two-way street, while it is an eastbound one-way street between Tollbodallmenningen and Holbergsallmenningen, and between Østre Murallmenningen and Torgallmenningen. Between Holbergsallmenningen and Østre Murallmenningen the street is pedestrianised. In total, Strandgaten is approximately 1.2 km long.

The street was officially named "Strandgaten" in 1857, although it had gone by that name for a very long time prior to this. During the 12th century, the area around the eastern part of Strandgaten changed from a rural area dominated by Munkeliv Abbey and St. John's Priory, to a centre for trade of goods. After one of the many great fires that throughout the centuries have ravaged Bergen destroyed the easternmost part of Strandgaten in 1561, Erik Rosenkrantz, governor of Bergenhus len, ordered the creation of a broad street (an "allmenning") which would prevent future fires from spreading. Torgallmenningen (formerly Vågsallmenningen), Vetrlidsallmenningen, Korskirkeallmenningen, and many other streets in the old part of Bergen were created for the same reason. The street, formerly known as "Rosenkrantz' allmenning", is now known as "Murallmenningen". The origin of the name is the personal residence of Rosenkrantz, which he built there shortly after the fire. This building, known as "Muren" or "Murhvelvingen", has been used for a number of different purposes throughout history, and is currently home to the Buekorps Museum.

The area between Torgallmenningen and Østre Murallmenningen was destroyed in the Bergen fire of 1916. The reconstruction plans included a new street layout, which better conformed to the ideals of the era, rather than those of 1756, when the area had last burned. The streets were straightened and widened. Strandgaten was no exception; its eastern end was moved southwards, while its western end was moved northwards. Smørsallmenningen, a street which had intersected Strandgaten, was removed.

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