Puddefjorden
Encyclopedia
Puddefjorden is an inlet or fjord
in central Bergen
, Norway
. An arm of Byfjorden
, Puddefjorden is 3.5 km long and stretches from the tip of the Nordnes
peninsula to the bay of Solheimsviken
at the entrance to Store Lungegårdsvann. The fjord is 1.2 km at its widest, between Nordnes and inner Laksevåg
. The innermost part of the fjord, known as Damsgårdssundet, is far more narrow, scarcely 100 m wide at the narrowest. The fjord is located next to some of Bergen's most important industry areas, and has played a significant part in the city's development and industrialisation.
s, rendering boat passage dangerous. Furthermore, its innermost parts used to lightly freeze over during winters. As such, Vågen
has been a highly preferred entrance for water-craft traffic.
The ice, islets and the strong current caused the kings of Alrekstad (today known as Årstad) to avoid using Puddefjorden. The ice also stopped an invasion attempt by Kristoffer Throndsen
in 1536, when Puddefjorden went all the way in to what is now known as Lille Lungegårdsvann
.
Puddefjorden was originally not considered a part of Bergen, but rather a nearby area. This view held until around mid-1800. The fjord's north eastern side belonged to the city, however, and scattered habitations appeared there at the end of the 17th century, later becoming the neighbourhoods Møhlenpris and Nøstet.
The original Puddefjorden was both longer and broader than it is today, but after extensive industrialisation of the nearby areas in the 19th century, the fjord's form was altered. Formerly, the Puddefjord was wrapped around the city, ending only a few blocks away from Vågen. Following the final filling of the strait between Lille Lungegårdsvannet and Store Lungegårdsvannet in 1926, the fjord now stops by Store Lungegårdsvannet.
, opened in 1851. Since that time, three additional bridges have been built across the fjord; the New Nygård Bridge (1978), the Second New Nygård Bridge (2008), and the Puddefjord Bridge
(1956). The former three cross the entrance to Store Lungegårdsvann, while the fourth spans the fjord between Møhlenpris
and Gyldenpris.
has become polluted with PCB
and mercury
. There has never been a thorough record of the poisons released into Puddefjorden, and both smaller businesses and locals have used Store Lungegårdsvann as a disposal area. As a result, Puddefjorden is now divided into five sub-areas and the rinsing process is estimated to cost around ten million kroner
.
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
in central Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. An arm of Byfjorden
Byfjorden
Byfjorden is a fjord in the county of Hordaland, Norway. It separates the island of Askøy from the city of Bergen on the mainland. The western entrance to Byfjorden is between Drotningsvik in Laksevåg, Bergen, and Marikoven on Askøy...
, Puddefjorden is 3.5 km long and stretches from the tip of the Nordnes
Nordnes
Nordnes is a peninsula and neighbourhood in the city centre of Bergen, Norway. Bergen Aquarium is located at the tip of the peninsula. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research and Fredriksberg Fortress are also located on Nordnes....
peninsula to the bay of Solheimsviken
Solheimsviken
Solheimsviken is a bay and a neighbourhood in the city of Bergen, Norway. The bay is situated at the end of the strait of Damsgårdssundet, near Store Lungegårdsvann...
at the entrance to Store Lungegårdsvann. The fjord is 1.2 km at its widest, between Nordnes and inner Laksevåg
Laksevåg
Laksevåg is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway.-Location:Laksevåg was separated from Askøy as a municipality of its own July 1, 1918. It was merged with Bergen January 1, 1972....
. The innermost part of the fjord, known as Damsgårdssundet, is far more narrow, scarcely 100 m wide at the narrowest. The fjord is located next to some of Bergen's most important industry areas, and has played a significant part in the city's development and industrialisation.
History
Despite being situated in Bergen, Puddefjorden has not played a major role in the city's early history. The fjord experiences strong currents and has numerous small isletIslet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
s, rendering boat passage dangerous. Furthermore, its innermost parts used to lightly freeze over during winters. As such, Vågen
Vågen, Bergen
Vågen is a bay in the city centre of Bergen, Norway. It is the central harbour of the city centre, and is the center of the historical core of the city, which originated on the east shore of the bay. From there, it expanded to the southern and western shores over a few centuries.-References:...
has been a highly preferred entrance for water-craft traffic.
The ice, islets and the strong current caused the kings of Alrekstad (today known as Årstad) to avoid using Puddefjorden. The ice also stopped an invasion attempt by Kristoffer Throndsen
Kristoffer Throndsen
Kristoffer Throndsen , posthumously also with the family name Rustung, was a squire, admiral, feudal overlord in Norway and Denmark, privateer captain and pirate...
in 1536, when Puddefjorden went all the way in to what is now known as Lille Lungegårdsvann
Lille Lungegårdsvannet
Lille Lungegårdsvannet is a small lake in the city centre of Bergen, Norway. The octagon-shaped lake was formerly connected to Store Lungegårdsvannet, but the strait between the two was removed in 1926....
.
Puddefjorden was originally not considered a part of Bergen, but rather a nearby area. This view held until around mid-1800. The fjord's north eastern side belonged to the city, however, and scattered habitations appeared there at the end of the 17th century, later becoming the neighbourhoods Møhlenpris and Nøstet.
The original Puddefjorden was both longer and broader than it is today, but after extensive industrialisation of the nearby areas in the 19th century, the fjord's form was altered. Formerly, the Puddefjord was wrapped around the city, ending only a few blocks away from Vågen. Following the final filling of the strait between Lille Lungegårdsvannet and Store Lungegårdsvannet in 1926, the fjord now stops by Store Lungegårdsvannet.
Bridges
The first bridge across Puddefjorden was the first Nygård BridgeNygård Bridge
Nygård Bridge is a series of parallel bridges that cross Strømmen, the sound entering Store Lungegårdsvannet, in Bergen, Norway. Old Nygård Bridge dates from 1854 and carries the two tracks of the Bergen Light Rail as well as pedestrians and cyclists. New Nygård Bridge opened in 1978, and carries...
, opened in 1851. Since that time, three additional bridges have been built across the fjord; the New Nygård Bridge (1978), the Second New Nygård Bridge (2008), and the Puddefjord Bridge
Puddefjord Bridge
The Puddefjord Bridge is an arch bridge in Bergen, Norway. It consists of two directly adjacent, near-identical bridges, the first of which was built in 1956 and the second in 1999. The bridge carries six lanes of motor vehicles and two cycle/footpaths across the Puddefjorden in central Bergen,...
(1956). The former three cross the entrance to Store Lungegårdsvann, while the fourth spans the fjord between Møhlenpris
Møhlenpris
Møhlenpris, formerly Vestre Sydnes, is a neighbourhood in the city of Bergen, Norway, located next to the Puddefjord. The neighbourhood is named after Jørgen Thor Møhlen, who established some industry at Møhlenpris in the late 17th century...
and Gyldenpris.
Environment
Long term industry has had an environmental effect on the fjord, and its sedimentSediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
has become polluted with PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
and mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
. There has never been a thorough record of the poisons released into Puddefjorden, and both smaller businesses and locals have used Store Lungegårdsvann as a disposal area. As a result, Puddefjorden is now divided into five sub-areas and the rinsing process is estimated to cost around ten million kroner
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
.