Knapenstampen

Über diesen Ort Knapenstampen

Knapenstampen is Bergen's primary gay bar and the social anchor of the city's LGBTQ+ community — the venue that has been providing a reliable, welcoming space for gay men and women in Norway's second city for longer than any other dedicated establishment in the area. The bar takes its unusual name (it means 'pin cushion' in Norwegian) and operates with the specifically Norwegian character of a community bar that is unpretentious, direct, and genuinely welcoming without performing the welcome. The location on Vaskerelven — a street that runs through the centre of Bergen's nightlife area, a short walk from the Bryggen and the fish market — places it at the heart of the city's social life as well as its gay scene. The crowd is predominantly local — Bergen gay men and women, many of them regulars who have been coming for years — with a visiting contingent during Bergen Pride week and the summer tourist season when the city's international visitor numbers rise significantly. Knapenstampen runs DJ nights at weekends and occasional community events, but its primary character is that of a bar rather than a club: a place to have a drink, meet people, and be part of Bergen's gay community without the pressure of a nightclub environment.