Troldhaugen was the home of composer Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina from 1885 until his death in 1907. The name means "troll hill", and the house sits on a wooded hillside overlooking Nordåsvatnet lake, about 8 kilometres south of Bergen centre.
The villa is preserved as it was. In the living room stands Grieg's own Steinway grand piano, a gift for the couple's silver wedding anniversary in 1892. Down by the lake is the tiny composing hut where Grieg did his actual work, a small wooden cabin with a view over the water. He had it built in 1891 because he needed silence and found it easier to concentrate away from the house.
Grieg chose his own burial spot during a fishing trip with a friend, pointing at a cliff face by the lake and saying he wanted to rest there forever. He and Nina are buried in the rock, sealed behind a stone slab.
Next to the villa is Troldsalen, a concert hall seating 200 people, purpose-built for chamber music. In summer there are daily lunch concerts. If your visit coincides with one, it is worth the timing. Hearing Grieg's music performed a few metres from where he wrote it is something.
Troldhaugen is part of KODE, Bergen's combined art museums and composer homes.
The villa is preserved as it was. In the living room stands Grieg's own Steinway grand piano, a gift for the couple's silver wedding anniversary in 1892. Down by the lake is the tiny composing hut where Grieg did his actual work, a small wooden cabin with a view over the water. He had it built in 1891 because he needed silence and found it easier to concentrate away from the house.
Grieg chose his own burial spot during a fishing trip with a friend, pointing at a cliff face by the lake and saying he wanted to rest there forever. He and Nina are buried in the rock, sealed behind a stone slab.
Next to the villa is Troldsalen, a concert hall seating 200 people, purpose-built for chamber music. In summer there are daily lunch concerts. If your visit coincides with one, it is worth the timing. Hearing Grieg's music performed a few metres from where he wrote it is something.
Troldhaugen is part of KODE, Bergen's combined art museums and composer homes.