Between 1850 and 1900 Bergen had three hospitals for leprosy patients and the largest concentration of patients in Europe. The city’s oldest leprosy hospital, St. George’s Hospital, is now not only a monument to thousands of personal tragedies, it is also an important arena for the dissemination of Norwegian work and research on leprosy.

In many parts of the world leprosy is commonly known as Hansen’s disease, after the Norwegian physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen who discovered the leprosy bacillus in Bergen in 1873. St. George’s Hospital was probably raised on the grounds of Nonneseter convent in the 1400s. The patients may have received plants for food and medical use from the convent.

The herb garden we meet today is from the 1990s. It is open to the public in the museum opening hours. 25% group discount for 10 people or more.

• Destination

  Bergen

• Country

  Norway

• Type of experience

  Culture

• Best time to visit

  • Winter
  • Spring
  • Autumn
  • Summer

• Nearby stations

  • Bergen Station
  • Bergen Port
  • Bergen Airport