Summer idyll on Lysøyen Island

The May sun is shining high in the sky, creating a summer-like framework for their visit to Lysøyen. Around 60 students are taking part in the trip, most of whom are exchange students in Bergen.

The group of visitors has just walked the short distance from the harbour, where the Ole Bull ferry calls in, and up to the garden in front of the fabled house. A group of friends are standing there, summing up their first impressions: 

"It is very beautiful here. I saw a picture of Ole Bull's villa in a brochure when I came to Norway three years ago. At last I am able to experience the island and see the spectacular house with my own eyes," says Sneae Pecurova, who is studying System Dynamics at the UiB.

Sneae Pecurova has heard about Ole Bull, mainly because of Ole Bullsplass in the centre of Bergen. However, Bull's unique style of playing the violin and his celebrity status in 19^th century musical history are not so well known.

Played on several strings

The celebrity status enjoyed by Ole Bull throughout Europe and the world in the 19th century is something that not even the average Norwegian would be aware of.

The museum guide at Lysøyen provided the group of visitors with the history of Ole Bull, telling them about Bull's childhood and how his love of playing music caused him to oppose the will of his father. Instead of studying, Bull devoted himself to playing the violin and he quickly become known in Norway for his unique style of playing. It was a bit harder for him to gain recognition in Europe, but following a breakthrough in Italy all doors opened to him. Bull loved travelling and he discovered the world with his violin on his arm, playing an impressive 274 concerts over a period of 14 months.

"I knew that he was famous in Norway for his traditional Norwegian music, but I had no idea about the extent of his celebrity status. What he achieved as a musician and composer is quite impressive," says UiB student Lisa Gracklauer from Germany.

A short trip along the path

After hearing about the history of the musician, the students are free to investigate the house. Before going outside they take some photos and study the musical instruments carefully, and then they start walking along the paths which criss-cross the island.

At the «Lookout Tower» on a hill behind the villa we meet three students from Nepal. They tell us about the impressive views from the top where you can see out across the wooded island and inland up Lyse Fjord.

"It is really beautiful here and the villa is impressive," the students agree. This is not the first time they have been on a trip with Utdanning i Bergen, and they very much appreciate the offer:

"It is very rewarding for us to be able to experience these aspects of Bergen as well," says geography student Yugraj Gautam.

House with highly unusual artefacts

Ole Bull, a musician and composer from Bergen, built most of his fantastic house over the course of just one year with the help of 30 labourers. There are chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, the balcony at the front of the house has Arabic features and the dome on the roof has been inspired by Russian architecture. Not only does this distinctive house exhibit Bull's numerous sources of inspiration, it also contains a large collection of different instruments and other treasures owned by Bull.

Lysøyen is just a short bus and boat ride from the centre of Bergen. Ole Bull purchased the island for himself and his family in 1872, and it has been in the possession of his family ever since. During the 1970s the villa was converted into a museum.

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