Magical experiences among white snowy mountains and grey and cold Norwegian fjords…
By Alessandra Ivaldi / 26.12.2022
Bergen is the second biggest city in Norway, located in the southwest coast of the country among breathtaking landscapes, high snowy mountains and spectacular fjords. It represents a perfect place for tourism in any period of the year, but at Christmas it is home to a really special attraction: the world’s largest Pepperkakebyen! Or in other words… The most impressive gingerbread town you will ever see.
Gingerbread cookies are an essential tradition in Norway . They are not only simple treats. Children love them because their cookie dough can be cut and baked in shapes suitable to be assembled together and to build small houses or villages, thus creating unique Christmas decorations.
This tradition became the very symbol of Christmas in the city of Bergen , since every year its inhabitants actively engage in the construction of a giant gingerbread town (called, in the local language, Pepperkakebyen).
The visit to this incredible attraction is not free, but it is surely worth paying the price of the ticket… The town consists of houses, shops, offices, monuments, fairground rides, small trains, miniature pine trees… And everything is made of cookies! The small town is illuminated by lovely colored lights and covered in a blanket of shiny snow. The small locomotives and the fairground rides move like in a real town.
This year Pepperkakebyen consists of more than 2000 structures and it took more than one month of work to assemble everything. But more precisely who are the builders of this marvel? Just walk through the streets of Bergen and you will surely meet many of them. They are the children of local schools, Bergen associations and companies and even simple families that decide to bake and “assemble” wonderful gingerbread buildings and donate them to the miniature town every year at Christmas. The money obtained from the visits to the miniature town are then used for charitable purposes, usually in order to support the activity of associations helping children in social and economical disadvantage.
The only inconvenience is that after the visit you will surely have an uncontrollable desire for gingerbread cookies… Do not worry, the solution is close by. In fact, you will find delicious treats in any shop in Bergen and of course you can enjoy them at the wonderful Christmas market that illuminates the center of the city in December. A pure joy to watch, that will leave unique memories to the lucky ones who will have the opportunity to visit the city during the winter holidays…
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