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Villa of Norwegian violin virtuoso Ole Bull on Lysoen Island, 25 km south of Bergen.

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Ole Bull Museum

Top choice in Bergen


This beautiful estate was built in 1873 as the summer residence of Norway’s first musical superstar, violinist Ole Bull. Languishing on its own private island, it's a fairy-tale concoction of turrets, onion domes, columns and marble inspired by Moorish architecture. Of particular note is the soaring pine music hall: it's hard not to imagine Bull practising his concertos in here.

Outside, the grounds are criss-crossed with 13km of lovely walks, and there's a small cafe.

The best way to arrive is aboard the passenger ferry (adult/child 60/30kr, eight minutes, hourly 11am to 3pm) which runs from Buena Quay to the island.