Map: Bergen Hotels & Restaurants
CHARACTERISTIC PLACES NEAR OLE BULLS PLASS
ATOP MOUNT FLØYEN, AT THE TOP OF THE FUNICULAR
BUDGET BETS NEAR THE FISH MARKET
Bergen is permanently salted with robust cobbles and a rich sea-trading heritage. Norway’s capital in the 13th century, Bergen’s wealth and importance came thanks to its membership in the heavyweight medieval trading club of merchant cities called the Hanseatic League. Bergen still wears her rich maritime heritage proudly—nowhere more scenically than the colorful wooden warehouses that make up the picture-perfect Bryggen district along the harbor.
Protected from the open sea by a lone sheltering island, Bergen is a place of refuge from heavy winds for the giant working boats that serve the North Sea oil rigs. (Much of Norway’s current affluence is funded by the oil it drills just offshore.) Bergen is also one of the most popular cruise-ship ports in northern Europe, hosting about 300 ships a year and up to five ships a day in peak season. Each morning is rush hour, as cruisers hike past the fortress and into town.
Bergen gets an average of 80 inches of rain annually (compared to 30 inches in Oslo). A good year has 60 days of sunshine. The natives aren’t apologetic about their famously lousy weather. In fact, they seem to wear it as a badge of pride. “Well, that’s Bergen,” they’ll say matter-of-factly as they wring out their raincoats. When I complained about an all-day downpour, one resident cheerfully informed me, “There’s no such thing as bad weather—just inappropriate clothing”...a local mantra that rhymes in Norwegian.
With about 240,000 people, Bergen has big-city parking problems and high prices, but visitors sticking to the old center find it charming. Enjoy Bergen’s salty market, then stroll the easy-on-foot old quarter, with cute lanes of delicate old wooden houses. (See “Bergen Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)From downtown Bergen, a funicular zips you up a little mountain for a bird’s-eye view of this sailors’ town. A short foray into the countryside takes you to a variety of nearby experiences: a dramatic cable-car ride to a mountaintop perch (Ulriken643); a scenic stave church (Fantoft); and the home of Norway’s most beloved composer, Edvard Grieg, at Troldhaugen.
Bergen can be enjoyed even on the tail end of a day’s scenic train ride from Oslo before returning on the overnight train. But that teasing taste will make you wish you had more time. On a three-week tour of Scandinavia, Bergen is worth a whole day.
While Bergen’s sights are visually underwhelming and pricey, nearly all come with thoughtful tours in English. If you dedicate the time to take advantage of these tours, otherwise barren attractions (such as Håkon’s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower, the Bryggen quarter, the Leprosy Museum, and Gamle Bergen) become surprisingly interesting.
For a busy day, you could do this (enjoying tours at all but the last): 9:00—Stroll through the Fish Market; 10:00—Visit Håkon’s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower (joining a guided tour); 12:00—Take the Bryggen Walking Tour (June-Aug only); 14:00—Check out the Leprosy Museum and cathedral; 16:00—Enjoy some free time in town (consider returning to the Bryggens Museum using your tour ticket), or catch the bus out to Gamle Bergen; 18:00—Ride up the Fløibanen funicular. If you visit off-season, some sights have shorter hours (Håkon’s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower) or are closed altogether (Leprosy Museum).
Although Bergen has plenty of attractions and charms of its own, it’s most famous as the “Gateway to the Fjords.” If you plan to use Bergen as a springboard for fjord country, you have three options: Pick up a rental car here (fjord wonder is a three-hour drive away); take the express boat down the Sognefjord (about four hours to Balestrand and Flåm/Aurland); or do the “Norway in a Nutshell” as a scenic loop from Bergen. The “Nutshell” option also works well as a detour midway between Bergen and Oslo (hop the train from either city to Voss or Myrdal, then take a bus or spur train into the best of the Sognefjord; scenic ferry rides depart from there). While there are a million ways to enjoy the fjords, first-timers should start with this region (covered thoroughly in the Norway in a Nutshell and More on the Sognefjord chapters).
Also note that Bergen, a geographic dead-end, is actually an efficient place to begin or end your Scandinavian tour. Consider flying into Bergen and out of another city, such as Helsinki (or vice versa).
Bergen clusters around its harbor—nearly everything listed in this chapter is within a few minutes’ walk. The busy Torget (the square with the Fish Market) is at the head of the harbor. As you face the sea from here, Bergen’s TI is at the left end of the Fish Market. The town’s historic Hanseatic Quarter, Bryggen (BREW-gun), lines the harbor on the right. Express boats to the Sognefjord (Balestrand and Flåm) dock at the harbor on the left.
Charming cobbled streets surround the harbor and climb the encircling hills. Bergen’s popular Fløibanen funicular climbs high above the city to the top of Mount Fløyen for the best view of the town. Surveying the surrounding islands and inlets, it’s clear why this city is known as the “Gateway to the Fjords.”
The centrally located TI is upstairs in the long, skinny, modern, Torghallen market building, next to the Fish Market (June-Aug daily 8:30-22:00; May and Sept daily 9:00-20:00; Oct-April Mon-Sat 9:00-16:00, closed Sun; handy budget eateries downstairs and in Fish Market; tel. 55 55 20 00, www.visitbergen.com).
The TI covers Bergen and western Norway, provides information and tickets for tours, has a fjord information desk, books rooms, and maintains a very handy events board listing today’s and tomorrow’s slate of tours, concerts, and other events. Pick up this year’s edition of the free Bergen Guide (also likely at your hotel), which has a fine map and lists all sights, hours, and special events. This booklet can answer most of your questions. If you need assistance and there’s a line, take a number. They also have free Wi-Fi (password posted on wall).
Bergen Card: You have to work hard to make this greedy little card pay off (200 kr/24 hours, 260 kr/48 hours, sold at TI and Montana Family & Youth Hostel). It gives you free use of the city’s tram and buses, half off the Mount Fløyen funicular, free admission to most museums (but not the Hanseatic Museum; aquarium included only in winter), and discounts on some events and sights such as Edvard Grieg’s Home.
By Train or Bus: Bergen’s train and bus stations are on Strømgaten, facing a park-rimmed lake. The small, manageable train station has an office open long hours for booking all your travel in Norway—you can get your Nutshell reservations here (Mon-Fri 6:35-19:00, Sat 7:30-16:00, Sun 7:30-16:00). There are luggage lockers (50 kr/day, daily 6:00-23:30), pay toilets, a newsstand, sandwich shop, and coffee shop. (To get to the bus station, follow the covered walkway behind the Narvesen newsstand via the Storcenter shopping mall.) Taxis wait to the right (with the tracks at your back); a tram stop is to your left, just around the corner. From the train station, it’s a 10-minute walk to the TI: Cross the street (Strømgaten) in front of the station and take Marken, a cobbled street that eventually turns into a modern retail street. Continue walking in the same direction until you reach the water.
By Plane: Bergen’s cute little Flesland Airport is 12 miles south of the city center (airport code: BGO, tel. 67 03 15 55, www.avinor.no/bergen). The airport bus runs between the airport and downtown Bergen, stopping at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Bryggen, the harborfront area near the TI (if you ask), the Radisson Blu Hotel Norge (in the modern part of town at Ole Bulls Plass), and the bus station (about 95 kr, pay driver, 4/hour at peak times, less in slow times, 30-minute ride). Two different companies run this bus, but the cost and frequency is about the same—just take the first one that shows up. Taxis take up to four people and cost about 400 kr for the 20-minute ride (depending on the time of day).
By Car: Driving is a headache in Bergen; avoid it if you can. Approaching town on E-16 (from Voss and the Sognefjord area), follow signs for Sentrum, which spits you out near the big, modern bus station and parking garage. Parking is difficult and costly—ask your hotelier for tips. Note that all drivers entering Bergen must pay a 25-kr toll, but there are no toll-collection gates (since the system is automated). Assuming they bill you, it’ll just show up on your credit card (which they access through your rental-car company). For details, ask your rental company or see www.autopass.no.
By Cruise Ship: Bergen is easy for cruise passengers, regardless of which of the city’s two ports your ship uses.
The Skolten cruise port is just past the fortress on the main harborfront road. Arriving here, simply walk into town (stroll with the harbor on your right, figure about 10 minutes to Bryggen, plus five more minutes to the Fish Market and TI). After about five minutes, you’ll pass the fortress—the starting point for my self-guided walk. A taxi into downtown costs about 70-80 kr, and hop-on, hop-off buses pick up passengers at the port (though in this compact town, I’d just walk).
The Jekteviken/Dokken cruise port is in an industrial zone to the south, a bit farther out (about a 20-minute walk). To discourage passengers from walking through all the containers, the port operates a convenient and free shuttle bus that zips you into town. It drops you off along Rasmus Meyers Allé right in front of the Kode Art Museums, facing the cute manmade lake called Lille Lungegårdsvann. From here, it’s an easy 10-minute walk to the TI and Fish Market: Walk with the lake on your right, pass through the park (with the pavilion) and head up the pedestrian mall called Ole Bulls Plass, and turn right (at the bluish slab) up the broad square called Torgallmenningen. Note that my self-guided Bergen walk conveniently ends near the shuttle-bus stop. A taxi from the cruise port into downtown runs about 110 kr.
For more in-depth cruising information, pick up my Rick Steves Northern European Cruise Ports guidebook.
Museum Tours: Many of Bergen’s sights are hard to appreciate without a guide. Fortunately, several include a wonderful and intimate guided tour with admission. Make the most of the following sights by taking advantage of their included tours: Håkon’s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower, Bryggens Museum, Hanseatic Museum, Leprosy Museum, Gamle Bergen, and Edvard Grieg’s Home.
Crowd Control: In high season, cruise-ship passengers mob the waterfront between 10:00 and 15:00; to avoid the crush, consider visiting an outlying sight during this time, such as Gamle Bergen or Edvard Grieg’s Home.
Internet Access: The TI offers free, fast Wi-Fi (look for the password posted on the wall), but no terminals. The Bergen Public Library, next door to the train station, has free terminals in their downstairs café (30-minute limit, Mon-Thu 10:00-18:00, Fri 10:00-16:00, Sat 10:00-15:00, closed Sun, Strømgaten 6, tel. 55 56 85 60). The church-run Kafe Magdalena, just off the harbor at Kong Oscars Gate 5, has two free terminals.
Laundry: If you drop your laundry off at Hygienisk Vask & Rens, you can pick it up clean the next day (70 kr/kilo, no self-service, Sun-Fri 8:30-16:30, closed Sat, Halfdan Kjerulfsgate 8, tel. 55 31 77 41).
Updates to This Book: For updates to this book, check www.ricksteves.com/update.
Most in-town sights can easily be reached by foot; only the aquarium and Gamle Bergen (and farther-flung sights such as the Fantoft Stave Church, Edvard Grieg’s Home at Troldhaugen, and the Ulriken643 cable car) are more than a 10-minute walk from the TI.
By Bus: City buses cost 41 kr per ride (pay driver in cash), or 31 kr per ride if you buy a single-ride ticket from a machine or convenience stores such as Narvesen, 7-Eleven, Rimi, and Deli de Luca. The best buses for a Bergen joyride are #6 (north along the coast) and #11 (into the hills).
By Tram: Bergen’s recently built light-rail line (Bybanen) is a convenient way to visit Edvard Grieg’s Home or the Fantoft Stave Church. The tram begins next to Byparken (on Kaigaten, between Bergen’s little lake and Ole Bulls Plass), then heads to the train station and continues south. Buy your 31-kr ticket from the machine prior to boarding (to use a US credit card, you’ll need to know your PIN code). You can also buy single-ride tickets at Narvesen, 7-Eleven, Rimi, and Deli de Luca stores. You’ll get a gray minikort pass. Validate the pass when you board by holding it next to the card reader (watch how other passengers do it). Ride it about 20 minutes to the Paradis stop for Fantoft Stave Church (don’t get off at the “Fantoft” stop, which is farther from the church); or continue to the next stop, Hop, to hike to Troldhaugen.
By Ferry: The Beffen, a little orange ferry, chugs across the harbor every half-hour, from the dock a block south of the Bryggens Museum to the dock—directly opposite the fortress—a block from the Nykirken church (20 kr, Mon-Fri 7:30-16:00, plus Sat May-Aug 11:00-16:00, never on Sun, 3-minute ride). The Vågen ferry runs from the Fish Market every half-hour to a dock near the aquarium (50 kr one-way, daily June-Aug 10:00-17:30, off-season 10:00-16:00, 10-minute ride). These short “poor man’s cruises” have good harbor views.
By Taxi: For a taxi, call 07000 or 08000 (they’re not as expensive as you might expect).
This tour of the historic Hanseatic district is one of Bergen’s best activities. Local guides take visitors on an excellent 1.5-hour walk in English through 900 years of Bergen history via the old Hanseatic town (20 minutes in Bryggens Museum, 20-minute visit to the medieval Hanseatic Assembly Rooms, 20-minute walk through Bryggen, and 20 minutes in Hanseatic Museum). Tours leave from the Bryggens Museum (next to the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel). When you consider that the price includes entry tickets to all three sights, the tour more than pays for itself (120 kr, June-Aug daily at 11:00 and 12:00, maximum 30 in group, no tours Sept-May, tel. 55 58 80 10, bryggens.museum@bymuseet.no). While the museum visits are a bit rushed, your tour ticket allows you to re-enter the museums for the rest of the day. The 11:00 tour can sell out, especially in July; to be safe, you can call, email, or drop by ahead of time to reserve a spot.
Sue Lindelid is a British expat who has spent more than 25 years showing visitors around Bergen (800 kr/2-hour tour, 900 kr/3 or more people; 1,000 kr/3-hour tour, 1,200 kr/3 or more people; mobile 90 78 59 52, suelin@hotmail.no).
The TI sells tickets for various bus tours, including a 2.5-hour Grieg Lunch Concert tour that goes to Edvard Grieg’s Home at Troldhaugen—a handy way to reach that distant sight (250 kr, discount with Bergen Card, includes 30-minute concert but not lunch, June-mid-Sept daily at 11:30, departs from TI). Buses are comfy, with big views and a fine recorded commentary. There are also several full-day tour options from Bergen, including bus/boat tours to nearby Hardanger and Sogne fjords. The TI is packed with brochures describing all the excursions.
City Sightseeing links most of Bergen’s major sights and also stops at the Skolten cruise port, but doesn’t go to the Fantoft Stave Church, Troldhaugen, or Ulriken643 cable car. If your sightseeing plans don’t extend beyond the walkable core of Bergen, skip the bus and save some kroner (150 kr/24 hours, late May-Aug 9:00-16:30, 2/hour, also stops right in front of Fish Market, mobile 97 78 18 88, www.citysightseeing-bergen.net).
The White Lady leaves once daily at 11:00 (summer only) from the Fish Market for a 1.5-hour cruise. The ride is both scenic and informative, with a relaxing sun deck and good—if scant—recorded narration (150 kr, June-Aug). A daily four-hour afternoon fjord trip is also available (500 kr, June-Aug, tel. 55 25 90 00, www.whitelady.no).
The tacky little “Bergen Express” train departs from in front of the Hanseatic Museum for a 55-minute loop around town (150 kr, 2/hour in peak season, otherwise hourly; runs daily May 10:00-16:00, June-Aug 10:00-19:00, Sept 10:00-15:00; headphone English commentary).
(See “Bergen” map, here.)
For a quick self-guided orientation stroll through Bergen, follow this walk from the city’s fortress, through its old wooden Hanseatic Quarter and Fish Market, to the modern center of town. This walk is also a handy sightseeing spine, passing most of Bergen’s best museums; ideally, you’ll get sidetracked and take advantage of their excellent tours (included with admission) along the way. I’ve pointed out the museums you’ll pass en route—all of them are described in greater detail later, under “Sights in Bergen.”
• Begin where Bergen did, at its historic fortress. From the harborfront road, 50 yards before the stone tower with the water on your left, veer up the ramp behind the low stone wall on the right, through a gate, and into the fortress complex. Stand before the stony skyscraper.
Bergenhus FortressIn the 13th century, Bergen became the Kingdom of Norway’s first real capital. (Until then, kings would circulate, staying on royal farms.) This fortress—built in the 1240s, and worth ▲—was a garrison, with a tower for the king’s residence (Rosenkrantz Tower) and a large hall for his banquets (Håkon’s Hall).
Rosenkrantz Tower, the keep of the 13th-century castle, was expanded in the 16th century by the Danish-Norwegian king, who wanted to exercise a little control over the German merchants who dominated his town. He was tired of the Germans making all the money without paying taxes. This tower—with its cannon trained not on external threats but toward Bryggen—while expensive, paid for itself many times over as Germans got the message and paid their taxes.
• Step through the gate (20 yards to the right of the tower) marked 1728 and into the courtyard of the Bergenhus Fortress. In front of you stands Håkon’s Hall with its stepped gable. Tours for both the hall and the tower leave from the building to the right of Håkon’s Hall (for details, see here).
Pop into the museum lobby to enjoy a free exhibit about the massive 1944 explosion of the German ammunition ship in the harbor. For the best view of Håkon’s Hall, walk through the gate and around the building to the left. Stand on the rampart between the hall and the harbor.
Håkon’s Hall is the largest secular medieval building in Norway. When the pope sent a cardinal to perform Håkon’s coronation there was no suitable building in Norway for such a VIP. King Håkon fixed that by having this impressive banqueting hall built in the mid-1200s. When Norway’s capital moved to Oslo in 1299, the hall was abandoned and eventually used for grain storage. For a century it had no roof. In the Romantic 19th century, it was appreciated and restored. It’s essentially a giant, grand reception hall used today as it was eight centuries ago, for banquets.
• Continue walking along the rampart (climbing some steps and going about 100 yards past Håkon’s Hall) to the far end of Bergenhus Fortress where you find a statue of a king and a fine harbor view.
Bergenhus Rampart Perch and Statue of King Håkon VIIThe cannon on the ramparts here illustrates how the fort protected this strategic harbor. The port is busy with both cruise ships and support ships for the nearby North Sea oil rigs. Long before this modern commerce, this is where the cod fishermen of the north met the traders of Europe. Travelers in the 12th century described how there were so many trading vessels here “you could cross the harbor without getting your feet wet.” Beyond the ships is an island protecting Bergen from the open sea.
Look left and right at the dangerous edge with no railing. If someone were to fall and get hurt here and then try to sue, the Norwegian judge’s verdict would be: stupidity—case dismissed. Around you are Bergen’s “seven mountains.” One day each summer locals race to climb each of these in rapid succession, accomplishing the feat in less than 12 hours.
The statue is of the beloved King Håkon VII (1872-1957), grandfather of today’s king. While exiled in London during World War II, King Håkon kept up Norwegian spirits through radio broadcasts. The first king of modern Norway (after the country won its independence from Sweden in 1905), he was a Danish prince married to Queen Victoria’s granddaughter—a savvy monarch who knew how to play the royalty game.
A few steps behind the statue (just right of tree-lined lane) is the site of Bergen’s first cathedral, built in 1070. A hedge grows where its walls once stood. The statue of Mary marks the place of the altar, its pedestal etched with a list of 13th-century kings of Norway crowned and buried here.
These castle grounds (notice the natural amphitheater on the left) host cultural events and music festivals; Bruce Springsteen, the Stones, and Rihanna have all packed this outdoor venue in recent years.
Continuing around Håkon’s Hall, follow the linden tree-lined lane. On the left, a massive concrete structure disguised by ivy looms as if evil. It was a German bunker built during the Nazi occupation—easier now to ignore than dismantle.
Twenty yards ahead on the right is a rare set of free public toilets. Notice they come with blue lights to discourage heroin junkies from using these WCs as a place to shoot up. The blue lights make it hard to see veins.
• You’ve now returned to the tower and circled the castle grounds. Before leaving, consider taking one of the guided tours of the hall and tower that leave at the top of each hour (described in “Sights in Bergen,” later). Head back down the ramp, out to the main road, and continue with the harbor on your right. (After a block, history buffs could follow Bergenhus signs, up the street to the left, to the free and fascinating Fortress Museum—with its collection of Norwegian military history and Nazi occupation exhibits.) Proceed one more block along the harbor until you reach the open, park-like space on your left. Walk 100 yards (just past the handy Rema 1000 supermarket) to the top of this park where you’ll see...
St. Mary’s Church (Mariakirken)Dating from the 12th century, this is Bergen’s oldest building in continuous use. It’s closed for a couple of years while a 100-million-kroner renovation is under way. This stately church of the Hanseatic merchants has a dour stone interior, enlivened by a colorful, highly decorated pulpit.
In the park below the church, find the statue of Snorri Sturluson. In the 1200s, this Icelandic scribe and scholar wrote down the Viking sagas. Thanks to him, we have a better understanding of this Nordic era. A few steps to the right, look through the window of the big modern building at an archaeological site showing the oldest remains of Bergen—stubs of the 12th-century trading town’s streets tumbling to the harbor before land reclamation pushed the harbor farther out.
• The window is just a sneak peek at the excellent 
Bryggens Museum, which provides helpful historical context for the Hanseatic Quarter we’re about to visit (see listing later, under “Sights in Bergen.”) The museum’s outstanding Bryggen Walking Tour is your best bet for seeing this area (June-Aug daily at 11:00 and 12:00, see “Tours in Bergen,” earlier). Continue down to the busy harborfront. On the left is the most photographed sight in town, the Bryggen quarter. To get your bearings, first read the “Bryggen’s History” sidebar; if it’s nice out, cross the street to the wharf and look back for a fine overview of this area. (Or, in the rain, huddle under an awning.)
Bergen’s Hanseatic Quarter (Bryggen)Bergen’s fragile wooden old town is its iconic front door. The long “tenements” (rows of warehouses) hide atmospheric lanes that creak and groan with history.
Remember that while we think of Bergen as “Norwegian,” Bryggen was German—the territory of Deutsch-speaking merchants and traders. (The most popular surname in Bergen is the German name Hanson—“son of Hans.”) From the front of Bryggen, look back at the Rosenkrantz Tower. The little red holes at its top mark where cannons once pointed at the German quarter, installed by Norwegian royalty who wanted a slice of all that taxable trade revenue. Their threat was countered by German grain—without which the Norwegians would’ve starved.
Notice that the first six houses are perfectly straight; they were built in the 1980s to block the view of a modern hotel behind. The more ramshackle stretch of 11 houses beyond date from the early 1700s. Each front hides a long line of five to ten businesses.
• To wander into the heart of this woody medieval quarter, head down Bredsgården, the lane a couple of doors before the shop sign featuring the anatomically correct unicorn. We’ll make a loop to the right: down this lane nearly all the way, under a passage into a square (with a well, a vibrant outdoor restaurant, and a big wooden cod), and then back to the harbor down a parallel lane. Read the information below, then explore, stopping at the big wooden cod.
Bit by bit, Bryggen is being restored using medieval techniques and materials. As you explore, you may stumble upon a rebuilding project in action.
Strolling through Bryggen, you feel swallowed up by history. Long rows of planky buildings (medieval-style double tenements) lean haphazardly across narrow alleys. The last Hanseatic merchant moved out centuries ago, but this is still a place of (touristy) commerce. You’ll find artists’ galleries, T-shirt boutiques, leather workshops, atmospheric restaurants, fishing tackle shops, sweaters, sweaters, sweaters...and trolls.
Look up at the winch and pulley systems on the buildings. These connected ground-floor workrooms with top-floor storerooms. Notice that the overhanging storerooms upstairs were supported by timbers with an elbow created by a tree trunk and its root—considered the strongest way to make a right angle in construction back then. Turning right at the top of the lane, you enter a lively cobbled square. On the far side is that big wooden fish.
The wooden cod (next to a well) is a reminder that the economic foundation of Bergen—the biggest city in Scandinavia until 1650 and the biggest city in Norway until 1830—was this fish. The stone building behind the carved cod was one of the fireproof cookhouses serving a line of buildings that stretched to the harbor. Today it’s the Hetland Gallery, filled with the entertaining work of a popular local artist famous for fun caricatures of the city. Facing the same square is the Bryggen visitors center, worth peeking into.
• Enjoy the center and the shops. Then return downhill to the harborfront, turn left, and continue the walk.
Half of Bryggen (the brick-and-stone stretch to your left between the old wooden facades and the head of the bay) was torn down around 1900. Today the stately buildings that replaced it—far less atmospheric than Bryggen’s original wooden core—are filled with tacky trinket shops and touristy splurge restaurants. They do make a nice architectural cancan of pointy gables, each with its date of construction indicated near the top.
Head to the lone wooden red house at the end of the row, which houses the Hanseatic Museum. The man who owned this building recognized the value of the city’s heritage and kept its 18th-century interior intact. Once considered a nutcase, today he’s celebrated as a visionary, as his decision has left visitors with a fine example of an old merchant house that they can tour. This highly recommended museum is your best chance to get a peek inside one of those old wooden tenements.
Pretty as Bryggen is today, it has a rough-and-tumble history. A horrific plague decimated the population and economy of Norway in 1350, killing about half of its people. A decade later, German merchants arrived and established a Hanseatic trading post, bringing order to that rustic society. For the next four centuries, the port of Bergen was essentially German territory.
Bergen’s old German trading center was called “the German wharf” until World War II (and is now just called “the wharf,” or “Bryggen”). From 1370 to 1754, German merchants controlled Bergen’s trade. In 1550, it was a Germanic city of 1,000 workaholic merchants—surrounded and supported by some 5,000 Norwegians.
The German merchants were very strict and lived in a harsh, all-male world (except for Norwegian prostitutes). This wasn’t a military occupation, but a mutually beneficial economic partnership. The Norwegian cod fishermen of the far north shipped their dried cod to Bergen, where the Hanseatic merchants marketed it to Europe. Norwegian cod provided much of Europe with food (a source of easy-to-preserve protein) and cod oil (which lit the lamps until about 1850).
While the city dates from 1070, little survives from before the last big fire in 1702. In its earlier heyday, Bergen was one of the largest wooden cities in Europe. Congested wooden buildings, combined with lots of small fires (to provide heat and light in this cold and dark corner of Europe), spelled disaster for Bergen. Over the centuries, the city suffered countless fires, including 10 devastating ones. Back then, it wasn’t a question of if there would be a fire, but when there would be a fire—with major blazes every 20 or so years. Each time the warehouses burned, the merchants would toss the refuse into the bay and rebuild. Gradually, the land crept out, and so did the buildings. (Looking at the Hanseatic Quarter from the harborfront, you can see how the buildings have settled. The foundations, composed of debris from the many fires, settle as they rot.)
After 1702, the city rebuilt using more stone and brick, and suffered fewer fires. But this one small wooden quarter was built after the fire, in the early 1700s. To prevent future blazes, the Germans forbade all fires and candles for light or warmth except in isolated and carefully guarded communal houses behind each tenement. It was in these communal houses that apprentices studied, people dried out their soggy clothes, hot food was cooked, and the men drank and partied. When there was a big banquet, one man always stayed sober—a kind of designated fire watchman.
Flash forward to the 20th century. One of the biggest explosions of World War II occurred in Bergen’s harbor on April 20, 1944. An ammunition ship loaded with 120 tons of dynamite blew up just in front of the fortress. The blast leveled entire neighborhoods on either side of the harbor (notice the ugly 1950s construction opposite the fortress) and did serious damage to Håkon’s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower. How big was the blast? There’s a hut called “the anchor cabin” a couple of miles away in the mountains. That’s where the ship’s anchor landed. The blast is considered to be accidental, despite the fact that April 20 happened to be Hitler’s 55th birthday and the ship blew up about 100 yards away from the Nazi commander’s headquarters (in the fortress).
After World War II, Bryggen was again slated for destruction. Most of the locals wanted it gone—it reminded them of the Germans who had occupied Norway for the miserable war years. Then excavators discovered rune stones indicating that the area predated the Germans. This boosted Bryggen’s approval rating, and the quarter was saved. Today this picturesque and historic zone is the undisputed tourist highlight of Bergen.
• The Fish Market is just across the street. Before enjoying that, we’ll circle a few blocks inland and around to the right.
The red-brick building (with frilly white trim, stepped gable, and a Starbucks) is the old meat market. It was built in 1877, after the importance of hygiene was recognized and the meat was moved inside from today’s Fish Market. At the intersection just beyond, look left (uphill past the meat market) to see the Fløibanen station. Ahead, on the right, is an unusually classy McDonald’s in a 1710 building that was originally a bakery.
But let’s look at Norwegian fast food: Across the street, Söstrene Hagelin is a celebration of white and fishy cuisine—very Norwegian. A few steps uphill, the tiny red shack flying the Norwegian flags is the popular 3-Kroneren hot-dog stand (described in “Eating in Bergen,” later). Review the many sausage options.
At the McDonald’s, wander the length of the cute lane of 200-year-old buildings. Called Hollendergaten, its name comes from a time when the king organized foreign communities of traders into various neighborhoods; this was where the Dutch lived. The curving street marks the former harborfront—these buildings were originally right on the water.
Hooking left, you reach the end of Hollendergaten. Turn right back toward the harborfront. Ahead is the grand stone Børsen building (now Matbørsen, a collection of trendy restaurants), once the stock exchange. Step inside to enjoy its 1920s Art Deco-style murals celebrating Bergen’s fishing heritage.
• Now, cross the street and immerse yourself in Bergen’s beloved Fish Market.
Fish Market (Fisketorget)A fish market has thrived here since the 1500s, when fishermen rowed in with their catch and haggled with hungry residents. While it’s now become a food circus of eateries selling fishy treats to tourists—no local would come here to actually buy fish—this famous market is still worth ▲, offering lots of smelly photo fun and free morsels to taste (June-Aug daily 7:00-19:00, less lively on Sun; Sept-May Mon-Sat 7:00-16:00, closed Sun). Many stands sell premade smoked-salmon (laks) sandwiches, fish soup, and other snacks ideal for a light lunch (confirm prices before ordering). To try Norwegian jerky, pick up a bag of dried cod snacks (torsk). The red meat is minke (pronounced mink-ee) whale, caught off the coast of northern Norway. Norwegians, notorious for their whaling, defend it as a traditional livelihood for many of their people. They remind us that they only harvest the minke whale, which is not on an endangered list. In recent years, Norway has assigned itself a quota of nearly 1,300 minke whales a year, with the actual catch coming to a bit over half of that.
• Watch your wallet: If you’re going to get pickpocketed in Bergen, it’ll likely be here. When done exploring, with your back to the market, hike a block to the right (note the pointy church spire in the distance and the big blocky stone monument dead ahead) into the modern part of town and a huge, wide square. Pause at the intersection just before crossing into the square, about 20 yards before the blocky monument. Look left to see Mount Ulriken with its TV tower. A cable car called Ulriken643 takes you to its 2,110-foot summit. (Shuttle buses leave from this corner, at the top and bottom of the hour, to its station; for summit details, see here.) Now, walk up to that big square monument and meet some Vikings.
Seafarers’ MonumentNicknamed “the cube of goat cheese” for its shape, this 1950 monument celebrates Bergen’s contact with the sea and remembers those who worked on it and died in it. Study the faces: All social classes are represented. The statues relate to the scenes depicted in the reliefs above. Each side represents a century (start with the Vikings and work clockwise): 10th century—Vikings, with a totem pole in the panel above recalling the pre-Columbian Norwegian discovery of America; 18th century—equipping Europe’s ships; 19th century—whaling; 20th century—shipping and war. For the 21st century, see the real people—a cross-section of today’s Norway—sitting at the statue’s base. Major department stores (Galleriet, Xhibition, and Telegrafen) are all nearby.
• The monument marks the start of Bergen’s main square...
TorgallmenningenAllmenningen means “for all the people.” Torg means “square.” And, while this is the city’s main gathering place, it was actually created as a firebreak. The residents of this wood-built city knew fires were inevitable. The street plan was designed with breaks, or open spaces like this square, to help contain the destruction. In 1916, it succeeded in stopping a fire, which is why it has a more modern feel today.
Walk the length of the square to the angled slab of blue stone (quarried in Brazil) at the far end. This is a monument to King Olav V, who died in 1991, and a popular meeting point: Locals like to say, “Meet you at the Blue Stone.” It marks the center of a park-like swath known as...
Ole Bulls PlassThis drag leads from the National Theater (above on right) to a little lake (below on left).
Detour a few steps up for a better look at the National Theater, built in Art Nouveau style in 1909. Founded by violinist Ole Bull in 1850, this was the first theater to host plays in the Norwegian language. After 450 years of Danish and Swedish rule, 19th-century Norway enjoyed a cultural awakening, and Bergen became an artistic power. Ole Bull collaborated with the playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen commissioned Edvard Grieg to compose the music for his play Peer Gynt. These three lions of Norwegian culture all lived and worked right here in Bergen.
Head downhill on the square to a delightful fountain featuring a statue of Ole Bull in the shadow of trees. Ole Bull was an 1800s version of Elvis. A pop idol and heartthrob in his day, Ole Bull’s bath water was bottled and sold by hotels, and women fainted when they heard him play violin. Living up to his name, he fathered over 40 children. Speaking of children, I love to hang out here watching families frolic in the pond, oblivious to the waterfall troll (see the statue with the harp below Ole Bull). According to legend, the troll bestows musical talent on anyone—like old Ole—who gives him a gift (he likes meat).
Middlemen in trade, the clever German merchants of the Hanseatic League ruled the waves of northern Europe for 500 years (c. 1250-1750). These sea-traders first banded together in a Hanse, or merchant guild, to defend themselves against pirates. As they spread out from Germany, they established trading posts in foreign lands, cut deals with local leaders for trading rights, built boats and wharves, and organized armies to protect ships and ports.
By the 15th century, these merchants had organized more than a hundred cities into the Hanseatic League, a free-trade zone that stretched from London to Russia. The League ran a profitable triangle of trade: Fish from Scandinavia was exchanged for grain from the eastern Baltic and luxury goods from England and Flanders. Everyone benefited, and the German merchants—the middlemen—reaped the profits.
At its peak, in the 15th century, the Hanseatic League was the dominant force—economic, military, and political—in northern Europe. This was an age when much of Europe was fragmented into petty kingdoms and dukedoms. Revenue-hungry kings and robber-baron lords levied chaotic and extortionist tolls and duties. Pirates plagued shipments. It was the Hanseatic League, rather than national governments, that brought the stability that allowed trade to flourish.
Bergen’s place in this Baltic economy was all about cod—a form of protein that could be dried, preserved, and shipped anywhere. Though cursed by a lack of natural resources, the city was blessed with a good harbor conveniently located between the rich fishing spots of northern Norway and the markets of Europe. Bergen’s port shipped dried cod and fish oil southward and imported grain, cloth, beer, wine, and ceramics.
Bryggen was one of four principal Hanseatic trading posts (Kontors), along with London, Bruges, and Novgorod. It was the last Kontor opened (c. 1360), the least profitable, and the final one to close. Bryggen had warehouses, offices, and living quarters. Ships docked here were unloaded by counterpoise cranes. At its peak, as many as a thousand merchants, journeymen, and apprentices lived and worked here.
Bryggen was a self-contained German enclave within the city. The merchants came from Germany, worked a few years here, and retired back in the home country. They spoke German, wore German clothes, and attended their own churches. By law, they were forbidden to intermarry or fraternize with the Bergeners, except on business.
The Hanseatic League peaked around 1500, then slowly declined. Rising nation-states were jealous of the Germans merchants’ power and wealth. The Reformation tore apart old alliances. Dutch and English traders broke the Hanseatic monopoly. Cities withdrew from the League and Kontors closed. In 1754, Bergen’s Kontor was taken over by the Norwegians. When it closed its doors on December 31, 1899, a sea-trading era was over, but the city of Bergen had become rich...by the grace of cod.
From here, the park spills farther downhill to a cast-iron pavilion given to the city by Germans in 1889, and on to the little manmade lake (Lille Lungegårdsvann), which is circled by an enjoyable path. This green zone is considered a park and is cared for by the local parks department.
• If you’re up for a lakeside stroll, now’s your chance. Also notice that alongside the lake (to the right as you face it from here) is a row of buildings housing the enjoyable Kode Art Museums. And to the left of the lake are some fine residential streets (including the picturesque, cobbled Marken); within a few minutes’ walk are the Leprosy Museum and the cathedral.
▲Bergenhus Fortress: Håkon’s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower
Fortress Museum (Bergenhus Festningmuseum)
▲▲Hanseatic Museum (Hanseatiske Museum)
▲Kode Art Museums of Bergen (Kunstmuseene i Bergen)
▲▲Edvard Grieg’s Home, Troldhaugen
Several museums listed here—including the Bryggens Museum, Håkon’s Hall, Rosenkrantz Tower, Leprosy Museum, and Gamle Bergen—are part of the Bergen City Museum (Bymuseet) organization. If you buy a ticket to any of them, you can pay half-price at any of the others simply by showing your ticket.
The tower and hall, sitting boldly out of place on the harbor just beyond Bryggen, are reminders of Bergen’s importance as the first permanent capital of Norway. Both sights feel vacant and don’t really speak for themselves; the included guided tours, which provide a serious introduction to Bergen’s history, are essential for grasping their significance.
Cost and Hours: Hall and tower—90 kr for both (or 60 kr each), includes a guided tour; mid-May-Aug—hall open daily 10:00-16:00, tower open daily 9:00-16:00; Sept-mid-May—hall open daily 12:00-15:00, tower open Sun only 12:00-15:00; tel. 55 31 60 67, free WC.
Visiting the Hall and Tower: The hall and the tower are described in my “Bergen Walk,” earlier. Consider them as one sight and start with Håkon’s Hall (mid-May-Aug tours leave daily from the building to the right of Håkon’s Hall at the top of the hour, last one departs at 15:00; few tours off-season). Tours include both buildings.
Håkon’s Hall, dating from the 13th century, is the largest secular medieval building in Norway. Built as a banqueting hall, that’s essentially what it is today. While it’s been rebuilt, the ceiling’s design is modeled after grand wooden roofs of that era. Beneath the hall is a whitewashed cellar.
Rosenkrantz Tower, the keep of a 13th-century castle, is today a stack of barren rooms connected by tight spiral staircases, with a good history exhibit on the top two floors and a commanding view from its rooftop. In the 16th century, the ruling Danish-Norwegian king enlarged the tower and trained its cannon on the German-merchant district, Bryggen, to remind the merchants of the importance of paying their taxes.
This humble museum (which functioned as a prison during the Nazi occupation), set back a couple of blocks from the fortress, will interest historians with its thoughtful exhibits about military history, especially Bergen’s WWII experience (look for the Norwegian Nazi flag). You’ll learn about the resistance movement in Bergen (including its underground newspapers), the role of women in the Norwegian military, and Norwegian troops who have served with UN forces in overseas conflicts.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 11:00-17:00, ask to borrow a translation of the descriptions at the entrance, just behind Thon Hotel Bergen Brygge at Koengen, tel. 55 54 63 87.
This modern museum explains the 1950s archaeological dig to uncover the earliest bits of Bergen (1050-1500). Brief English explanations are posted. From September through May, when there is no tour, consider buying the good museum guidebook (25 kr).
Cost and Hours: 70 kr; in summer, entry included with Bryggen Walking Tour described earlier; mid-May-Aug daily 10:00-16:00; Sept-mid-May Mon-Fri 11:00-15:00, Sat 12:00-15:00, Sun 12:00-16:00; inexpensive cafeteria; in big, modern building just beyond the end of Bryggen and the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, tel. 55 58 80 10, www.bymuseet.no.
Visiting the Museum: The manageable, well-presented permanent exhibit occupies the ground floor. First up are the foundations from original wooden tenements dating back to the 12th century (displayed right where they were excavated) and a giant chunk of the hull of a 100-foot-long, 13th-century ship that was found here. Next, an exhibit (roughly shaped like the long, wooden double-tenements outside) shows off artifacts and explains lifestyles from medieval Bryggen. Behind that is a display of items you might have bought at the medieval market. You’ll finish with exhibits about the church in Bergen, the town’s role as a royal capital, and its status as a cultural capital. Upstairs are two floors of temporary exhibits.
This little museum offers the best possible look inside the wooden houses that are Bergen’s trademark. Its creaky old rooms—with hundred-year-old cod hanging from the ceiling—offer a time-tunnel experience back to Bryggen’s glory days. It’s located in an atmospheric old merchant house furnished with dried fish, antique ropes, an old oxtail (used for wringing spilled cod-liver oil back into the bucket), sagging steps, and cupboard beds from the early 1700s—one with a medieval pinup girl. You’ll explore two upstairs levels, fully furnished and with funhouse floors. The place still feels eerily lived-in; neatly sorted desks with tidy ledgers seem to be waiting for the next workday to begin.
Cost and Hours: 70 kr; entry included with Bryggen Walking Tour; daily May-Sept 9:00-17:00; Oct-April Tue-Sat 11:00-14:00, Sun 11:00-16:00, closed Mon; Finnegården 7a, tel. 55 54 46 96 or 55 54 46 90, www.museumvest.no.
Tours: There are scant English explanations, but it’s much better if you take the good, included 45-minute guided tour (3/day in English—call to confirm, mid-May-mid-Sept only, times displayed just inside door). Even if you tour the museum with the Bryggen Walking Tour, you’re welcome to revisit (using the same ticket) and take this longer tour.
This small museum highlights Norway’s resistance movement. You’ll peek into the hidden world of a 10-person cell of courageous students, whose group—called Theta—housed other fighters and communicated with London during the Nazi occupation in World War II. It’s housed in Theta’s former headquarters—a small upstairs room in a wooden Bryggen building.
Cost and Hours: 30 kr, June-Aug Tue, Sat, and Sun 14:00-16:00, closed Mon, Wed-Fri, and Sept-May, Enhjørningsgården.
Bergen’s popular funicular climbs 1,000 feet in seven minutes to the top of Mount Fløyen for the best view of the town, surrounding islands, and fjords all the way to the west coast. The top is a popular picnic or pizza-to-go dinner spot, perfect for enjoying the sunset (Peppes Pizza is tucked behind the Hanseatic Museum, a block away from the base of the lift). The Fløien Folkerestaurant, at the top of the funicular, offers affordable self-service food all day in season. Behind the station, you’ll find a playground and a fun giant troll photo op. The top is also the starting point for many peaceful hikes.
You’ll buy your funicular ticket at the base of the Fløibanen (notice the photos in the entry hall of the construction of the funicular and its 1918 grand opening).
If you’ll want to hike down from the top, ask for the Fløyen Hiking Map when you buy your ticket; you’ll save 50 percent by purchasing only a one-way ticket up. From the top, walk behind the station and follow the signs to the city center. The top half of the 30-minute hike is a gravelly lane through a forest with fine views. The bottom is a paved lane through charming old wooden homes. It’s a steep descent. To save your knees, you could ride the lift most of the way down and get off at the Promsgate stop to wander through the delightful cobbled and shiplap lanes (note that only the :00 and :30 departures stop at Promsgate).
Cost and Hours: 85 kr round-trip, 43 kr one-way, Mon-Fri 7:30-23:00, Sat-Sun 8:00-23:00, departures 4/hour—on the quarter-hour most of the day, runs continuously if busy, tel. 55 33 68 00, www.floibanen.no.
Bergen’s main church, dedicated to St. Olav (the patron saint of Norway), dates from 1301. Drop in to enjoy its stoic, plain interior with stuccoed stone walls and a giant wooden pulpit. Sit in a hard, straight-backed pew and just try to doze off. Like so many old Norwegian structures, its roof makes you feel like you’re huddled under an overturned Viking ship. The church is oddly lopsided, with just one side aisle. Before leaving, look up to see the gorgeous wood-carved organ over the main entrance. In the entryway, you’ll see portraits of each bishop dating all the way back to the Reformation.
Cost and Hours: Free; mid-June-mid-Aug Mon-Fri 10:00-16:00, Sun 9:30-13:00, closed Sat; shorter hours off-season.
Leprosy is also known as “Hansen’s Disease” because in the 1870s a Bergen man named Armauer Hansen did groundbreaking work in understanding the ailment. This unique museum is in St. Jørgens Hospital, a leprosarium that dates back to about 1700. Up until the 19th century, as much as 3 percent of Norway’s population had leprosy. This hospital—once called “a graveyard for the living” (its last patient died in 1946)—has a meager exhibit in a thought-provoking dorm for the dying. It’s most worthwhile if you read the translation of the exhibit (borrow a copy at the entry) or take the free tour (at the top of each hour). As you leave, if you’re interested, ask if you can see the medicinal herb garden out back.
Cost and Hours: 70 kr, mid-May-Aug daily 11:00-15:00, closed Sept-mid-May, between train station and Bryggen at Kong Oscars Gate 59, tel. 55 96 11 55, www.bymuseet.no.
If you need to get out of the rain (and you enjoyed the National Gallery in Oslo), check out this collection, filling four neighboring buildings facing the lake along Rasmus Meyers Allé. The Lysverket building has an eclectic cross-section of both international and Norwegian artists. The Rasmus Meyer branch specializes in Norwegian artists and has an especially good Munch exhibit. The Stenersen building has installations of contemporary art, while the Permanenten building has decorative arts. Small description sheets in English are in each room.
Cost and Hours: 100 kr, daily 11:00-17:00, closed Mon mid-Sept-mid-May, Rasmus Meyers Allé 3, tel. 55 56 80 00, www.kunstmuseene.no.
Visiting the Museums: Many visitors focus on the Lysverket (“Lighthouse”; from outside, enter through Door 4), featuring an easily digestible collection. Here are some of its highlights: The ground floor includes an extensive display of works by Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928), who depicts Norway’s fjords with bright colors and Expressionistic flair. One flight up is a great collection of J. C. Dahl and his students, who captured the majesty of Norway’s natural wonders (look for Adelsteen Normann’s impressive, photorealistic view of Romsdalfjord). “Norwegian Art 1840-1900” includes works by Christian Krohg, as well as some portraits by Harriet Backer. Also on this floor are icons and various European Old Masters.
Up on the third floor, things get modern. The Tower Hall (Tårnsalen) features Norwegian modernism and a large exhibit of Bergen’s avant-garde art (1966-1985), kicked off by “Group 66.” The International Modernism section has four stars: Pablo Picasso (sketches, etchings, collages, and a few Cubist paintings), Paul Klee (the Swiss childlike painter), and the dynamic Norwegian duo of Edvard Munch and Ludvig Karisten. Rounding it out are a smattering of Surrealist, Abstract Expressionist, and Op Art pieces.
Small but fun, this aquarium claims to be the second-most-visited sight in Bergen. It’s wonderfully laid out and explained in English. Check out the view from inside the “shark tunnel” in the tropical shark exhibit.
Cost and Hours: 250 kr, kids-150 kr, daily May-Aug 10:00-18:00, Sept-mid-Oct daily 10:00-16:00, mid-Oct-April Tue-Sun 10:00-16:00, closed Mon, feeding times at the top of most hours in summer, cheery cafeteria with light sandwiches, Nordnesbakken 4, tel. 40 10 24 20, www.akvariet.no.
Getting There: It’s at the tip of the peninsula on the south end of the harbor—about a 20-minute walk or short ride on bus #11 from the city center. Or hop on the handy little Vågen “Akvariet” ferry that sails from the Fish Market to near the aquarium (50 kr one-way, 80 kr round-trip, 2/hour, June-Aug 10:00-17:30, off-season until 16:00).
Nearby: The lovely park behind the aquarium has views of the sea and a popular swimming beach (described later, under “Activities in Bergen”). The totem pole erected here was a gift from Bergen’s sister city in the US—Seattle.
This Disney-cute gathering of 50-some 18th- through 20th-century homes and shops was founded in 1934 to save old buildings from destruction as Bergen modernized. Each of the buildings was moved from elsewhere in Bergen and reconstructed here. Together, they create a virtual town that offers a cobbled look at the old life. It’s free to wander through the town and park to enjoy the facades of the historic buildings, but to get into the 20 or so museum buildings, you’ll have to join a tour (departing on the hour 10:00-16:00).
Cost and Hours: Free entry, 80-kr tour (in English) required for access to buildings, mid-May-Aug daily 9:00-16:00, closed Sept-mid-May, tel. 55 39 43 04, www.bymuseet.no.
Getting There: Take any bus heading west from Bryggen (such as #6, direction: Lønborglien) to Gamle Bergen (stop: Nyhavnsveien). You’ll get off after the tunnel at a freeway pullout and walk 200 yards, following signs to the museum. Any bus heading back into town takes you to the center (buses come by every few minutes). With the easy bus connection, there’s no reason to taxi.
Bergen is a great town for wandering. Enjoy a little Norwegian paseo. On a balmy Norwegian summer evening, I’d stroll from the castle, along the harborfront, up the main square to Ole Bulls Plass, and around the lake.
Most shops are open Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Thu until 19:00, Sat 9:00-15:00, and closed Sunday. Many of the tourist shops at the harborfront strip along Bryggen are open daily—even during holidays—until 20:00 or 21:00.
Ting (Things) offers a fun alternative to troll shopping, with contemporary housewares and quirky gift ideas (daily 10:00-22:30, at Bryggen 13, a block past the Hanseatic Museum, tel. 55 21 54 80).
Husfliden is a shop popular for its handmade goodies and reliably Norwegian sweaters (fine variety and quality but expensive, just off Torget, the market square, at Vågsallmenninge 3, tel. 55 54 47 40).
The Galleriet Mall, a shopping center on Torgallmenningen, holds six floors of shops, cafés, and restaurants. You’ll find a pharmacy, photo shops, clothing, sporting goods, bookstores, mobile-phone shops, and a basement grocery store (Mon-Fri 9:00-21:00, Sat 9:00-18:00, closed Sun).
Bergen has two seaside public swimming areas: one at the aquarium and the other in Gamle Bergen. Each is a great local scene on a hot sunny day. Nordnes Sjøbad, near the aquarium, offers swimmers an outdoor heated pool and a protected area of the sea (65 kr, kids-30 kr, mid-May-Aug Mon-Fri 7:00-19:00, Sat 7:00-14:00, Sun 10:00-14:00, Sat-Sun until 19:00 in good weather, closed off-season, Nordnesparken 30, tel. 53 03 91 90). Sandviken Sjobad, at Gamle Bergen, is free and open all summer. It comes with changing rooms, a roped-off bit of the bay (no pool), a high dive, and lots of sunbathing space.
It’s amazingly easy and quick to zip up six minutes to the 643-meter-high (that’s 2,110 feet) summit of Ulriken, the tallest mountain near Bergen. Stepping out of the cable car, you enter a different world, with views stretching to the ocean. A chart clearly shows the many well-marked and easy hikes that fan out over the vast, rocky, grassy plateau above the tree line (circular walks of various lengths, a 40-minute hike down, and a 4-hour hike to the top of the Fløibanen funicular). For less exercise, you can simply sunbathe, crack open a picnic, or enjoy the Ulriken restaurant.
Cost and Hours: 150 kr round-trip, 90 kr one-way, 8/hour, daily 9:00-21:00, off-season 9:00-17:00, tel. 53 64 36 43, www.ulriken643.no.
Getting There: It’s about three miles southeast of Bergen. From the Fish Market, you can take a blue double-decker shuttle bus that includes the cost of the cable-car ride (250 kr, ticket valid 24 hours, May-Sept daily 9:00-17:00, 2/hour, departs from the corner of Torgallmenningen and Strandgaten, buy ticket as you board or at TI). Alternatively, the public bus stops 200 yards from the lift station.
Norway’s greatest composer spent his last 22 summers here (1885-1907), soaking up inspirational fjord beauty and composing many of his greatest works. Grieg fused simple Norwegian folk tunes with the bombast of Europe’s Romantic style. In a dreamy Victorian setting, Grieg’s “Hill of the Trolls” is pleasant for anyone and essential for diehard fans. You can visit his house on your own, but it’s more enjoyable if you take the included 20-minute tour. The house and adjacent museum are full of memories and artifacts, including the composer’s Steinway. The walls are festooned with photos of the musical and literary superstars of his generation. When the hugely popular Grieg died in 1907, 40,000 mourners attended his funeral. His little studio hut near the water makes you want to sit down and modulate.
Cost and Hours: 90 kr, includes guided tour in English, daily May-Sept 9:00-18:00, Oct-April 10:00-16:00, café, tel. 55 92 29 92, www.troldhaugen.com.
Grieg Lunch Concert: Troldhaugen offers a great guided tour/concert package that includes a shuttle bus from the Bergen TI to the doorstep of Grieg’s home on the fjord (departs 11:30), an hour-long tour of the home, a half-hour concert (Grieg’s greatest piano hits, at 13:00), and the ride back into town (you’re back in the center by 14:00). Your guide will narrate the ride out of town as well as take you around Grieg’s house (250 kr, daily June-mid-Sept). Lunch isn’t included, but there is a café on site, or you could bring a sandwich along. You can skip the return bus ride and spend more time in Troldhaugen. While the tour rarely sells out, it’s wise to drop by the TI earlier that day to reserve your spot.
Evening Concerts: Ask at the TI about piano performances in the concert hall at Grieg’s home—a gorgeous venue with the fjord stretching out behind the big black grand piano (220 kr, 150 kr with Bergen Card, concerts roughly mid-June-late Aug Sun at 18:00, free round-trip shuttle bus leaves TI at 17:00, show your concert ticket).
Getting to Troldhaugen: It’s six miles south of Bergen. The tram drops you a long 20-minute walk away from Troldhaugen. Catch the tram in the city center at its terminus near Byparken (between the lake and Ole Bulls Plass), ride it for about 25 minutes, and get off at the stop called Hop. Walk in the direction of Bergen (about 25 yards), cross at the crosswalk, and follow signs to Troldhaugen. Part of the way is on a pedestrian/bike path; you’re halfway there when the path crosses over a busy highway. If you want to make the 13:00 lunchtime concert, leave Bergen at 12:00.
To avoid the long walk from the tram stop, consider the Grieg Lunch Concert package (described earlier). If you’re driving into Bergen from the east (such as from the Sognefjord), you’ll drive right by Troldhaugen on your way into town.
This huge, preserved-in-tar stave church burned down in 1992. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1997, but it will never be the same (for more on stave churches, see here). Situated in a quiet forest next to a mysterious stone cross, this replica of a 12th-century wooden church is bigger, though no better, than others covered in this book. But it’s worth a look if you’re in the neighborhood, even after-hours, for its atmospheric setting.
Cost and Hours: 50 kr, mid-May-mid-Sept daily 10:30-18:00, interior closed off-season, no English information, tel. 55 28 07 10, www.fantoftstavkirke.com.
Getting There: It’s three miles south of Bergen on E-39 in Paradis. Take the tram (from Byparken, between the lake and Ole Bulls Plass) or bus #83 (from Torget, by the Fish Market) to the Paradis stop (not the “Fantoft” stop). From Paradis, walk uphill to the parking lot on the left, and find the steep footpath to the church.
With the high latitude, Bergen stays light until 23:00 in the summer. On warm evenings, people are out enjoying the soft light and the mellow scene.
For a selection of cool nightspots, visit the Pingvinen Pub and Café Opera (both described in “Eating in Bergen,” later) and explore the neighboring streets.
For something a little funkier, Skostredet (“Shoe Street,” recalling the days when cobblers set up shop here) is emerging as the hip, bohemian-chic area. You’ll sort through cafés, pubs, and retro shops. There’s an American-style Rock and Roll ’59er Diner. And Folk og Røvere (“People and Robbers”) is an unpretentious bar with cheap beer (nightly until late, Skostredet 12).
For candlelit elegance, enjoy a drink at the historic Dyvekes Wine Cellar. Named for the mistress of King Christian II of Denmark (her portrait is on the signboard hanging above the door), the atmosphere of the ground-floor bar and the cellar downstairs is hard to beat (daily from 15:00, 80-90 kr for wine by glass, beer on tap, Hollendergaten 7).
For live blues, try Madam Felle Nightclub (on the Bryggen strip), which has live music many evenings (often without a cover).
And if you’re really drunk at 3:00 in the morning and need a spicy hotdog, the 3-Kroneren pølse stand is open (described in “Eating in Bergen,” later).
Busy with business travelers and popular with tourists, Bergen can be jammed any time of year. Even with this crush, proud and pricey hotels may be willing to make deals. You might save a bundle by checking the websites of the bigger hotels for their best prices. Otherwise, Bergen has some fine budget alternatives to normal hotels that can save you money.
$$$ Hotel Havnekontoret, with 116 rooms and the best location in town, fills a grand old shipping headquarters dating from the 1920s. It’s an especially fine value on weekends and in the summer, for those who eat the included dinner. While part of a chain, it has a friendly spirit. Guests are welcome to climb its historic tower (with a magnificent view) or enjoy its free sauna and exercise room downstairs. If you aren’t interested in fancy dining, the room price includes virtually all your food—a fine breakfast, self-service waffles and pancakes in the afternoon, fruit and coffee all day, and a light dinner buffet each evening. If you take advantage of them (and the free loaner bikes for guests), these edible extras are easily worth 600 kr per day per couple, making the cost of this fancy hotel little more than a hostel (Db 1,700-2,300 kr, extra bed-300 kr, book online to save, Wi-Fi, facing the harbor across the street from the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel at Slottsgaten 1, tel. 55 60 11 00, www.choicehotels.no, cc.havnekontoret@choice.no).
$$$ Hotel Park Bergen is classy, comfortable, and in a fine residential neighborhood a 15-minute uphill walk from the town center (10 minutes from the train station). It’s tinseled in Old World, lived-in charm, yet comes with all of today’s amenities. The 35 rooms are split between two buildings, with 22 in the classy old-fashioned hotel and 13 in the modern annex across the street (Sb-1,110 kr, Db-1,500 kr, extra bed-350 kr, winter weekend discounts, Wi-Fi, Harald Hårfagres Gate 35, tel. 55 54 44 00, www.hotelpark.no, booking@hotelpark.no).
$$$ Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz, with 129 rooms, is one block behind Bryggen, between the Bryggens Museum and the Fløibanen funicular station—right in the heart of Bergen’s appealing old quarter. However, the next-door nightclub is noisy on Friday and Saturday nights—be sure to request a quiet room (average rates: Sb-1,295-2,095 kr, Db-1,095-2,295 kr, elevator, guest computer, Wi-Fi, Rosenkrantzgaten 7, tel. 55 30 14 00, www.thonhotels.no/rosenkrantz, rosenkrantz@thonhotels.no).
$$ P-Hotel has 43 basic rooms just up from Ole Bulls Plass. While it’s not particularly charming and some rooms come with street noise, it’s got a prime location. Ask for a room facing the courtyard in the renovated wing (Sb-975 kr, Db-1,350 kr, prices vary—check online for best deal, credit card only—no cash, box breakfast in your room, elevator, Wi-Fi, Vestre Torggate 9, tel. 80 04 68 35, www.p-hotels.no, bergen@p-hotels.no).
$$ Thon Hotel Bergen Brygge, beyond Bryggen near Håkon’s Hall, is part of Thon’s cheaper “Budget” chain. However, the 229 spartan rooms can be just about as nice as those in its sister hotels. Because of its relatively good prices and great location, it fills up quickly—book ahead. Light sleepers, beware: Many rooms face the fortress grounds, which sometimes host summer evening concerts. Ask for a room on the quiet side, bring earplugs, or go elsewhere (Db-925-1,500 kr, you save if you book online, elevator, guest computer, Wi-Fi, Bradbenken 3, tel. 55 30 87 00, www.thonhotels.com/bergenbrygge, bergen.brygge@thonhotels.no).
$$ Basic Hotel Victoria is an old hotel turned into a college dorm that becomes a utilitarian, minimalist budget hotel each summer. There are no public spaces, the tiny reception is open only 9:00-23:00, and you won’t get your towels changed. But its 43 modern, bright, simple rooms are plenty comfortable for the price (open June-Aug only, Sb-995 kr, Db-1,095 kr, Tb-1,395 kr, Wi-Fi, Kong Oscars Gate 29, tel. 55 31 44 04, www.basichotels.no, victoria@basichotels.no).
$ Citybox is a unique, no-nonsense hotel concept: plain, white, clean, and practical. It rents 55 rooms online and provides you with a confirmation number. Check-in is automated—just punch in your number and get your ticket. The call-in reception is staffed daily 9:00-17:00, except May-Oct until 23:00 (S-600 kr, Sb-700 kr, D-950 kr, Db-1,050 kr, extra bed-150 kr, family room for up to four-1,450 kr, prices fluctuate—check online for best deals, no breakfast, elevator, just away from the bustle in a mostly residential part of town at Nygårdsgaten 31, tel. 55 31 25 00, www.citybox.no, post@citybox.no).
If you’re looking for local character and don’t mind sharing a shower, these accommodations—far more quiet, homey, and convenient than hostel beds—might just be the best values in town. Both require guests to climb outdoor stairways, which may be tough for those not packing light.
$ Guest House Skiven is a humble little place beautifully situated on a steep, traffic-free cobbled lane called “the most painted street in Bergen.” Alf and Elizabeth Heskja (who live upstairs) rent four bright, non-smoking doubles that share a shower, two WCs, and a kitchen (D-650 kr for Rick Steves readers, no breakfast, Wi-Fi, 4 blocks from train station, at Skivebakken 17, mobile 90 05 30 30, www.skiven.no, rs@skiven.no). From the train station, go down Kong Oscars Gate, uphill on D. Krohns Gate, and up the stairs at the end of the block on the left.
$ Skansen Pensjonat (not to be confused with the nearby Skansen Apartments) is situated 100 yards directly behind the entrance to the Fløibanen funicular. Jannicke Alvær rents seven tastefully decorated rooms with views over town (small non-view S-500 kr, larger S-550 kr, D-900 kr, fancy D on corner with view and balcony-1,000 kr, apartment-1,100 kr, includes breakfast, 2 showers on ground floor, 2 WCs, sinks in rooms, family room with TV; all non-smoking, Wi-Fi, Vetrlidsalmenning 29, tel. 55 31 90 80, www.skansen-pensjonat.no, post@skansen-pensjonat.no). Follow the switchback road behind the Fløibanen funicular station to the paved plateau with benches, and look for the sign.
$ Marken Gjestehus is a quiet, tidy, and conveniently positioned 100-bed place between the station and the harborfront. Its rooms, while spartan, are modern and cheery. Prices can rise with demand, especially in summer (dorm bed in 8-bed room-270 kr, in 10-bed room-280 kr, in 4-bed room-320 kr, S-600 kr, D-750 kr, Db-920 kr, lower prices off-season, includes sheets, extra bed-135 kr, towels-15 kr, breakfast voucher-130 kr, Wi-Fi, elevator, kitchen, laundry, open all year but with limited reception hours, fourth floor at Kong Oscars Gate 45, tel. 55 31 44 04, www.marken-gjestehus.com, post@marken-gjestehus.com).
$ Bergen YMCA Hostel, located two blocks from the Fish Market, is the best location for the price, and its rooms are nicely maintained (bunk in 12- to 32-bed dorm with shared shower and kitchen-195 kr, bunk in 4-6-bed family room with private bathroom and kitchen-280-320 kr, Db with kitchen-950 kr, includes sheets, breakfast-65 kr, Wi-Fi, roof terrace, fully open June-Aug, few dorm beds off-season, Nedre Korskirkeallmenningen 4, tel. 55 60 60 55, www.bergenhostel.com, booking@bergenhostel.com).
Away from the Center: $ Montana Family & Youth Hostel (IYHF), while one of Europe’s best, is high-priced for a hostel and way out of town. Still, the bus connections (#12, 20 minutes from the center) and the facilities—modern rooms, classy living room, no curfew, huge free parking lot, and members’ kitchen—are excellent (dorm bed in 20-bed room-225 kr—cheaper off-season, bed in Q-295 kr, Sb-670 kr, Db-850 kr, 10 percent cheaper for members, sheets-70 kr, includes breakfast, 30 Johan Blytts Vei, tel. 55 20 80 70, www.montana.no, bergen.montana@hihostels.no).
Bergen has numerous choices: restaurants with rustic, woody atmosphere, candlelight, and steep prices (main dishes around 300 kr); trendy pubs and cafés that offer good-value meals (100-190 kr); cafeterias, chain restaurants, and ethnic eateries with less ambience where you can get quality food at lower prices (100-150 kr); and takeaway sandwich shops, bakeries, and cafés for a light bite (50-100 kr).
You can always get a glass or pitcher of water at no charge, and fancy places give you free seconds on potatoes—just ask. Remember, if you get your food to go, it’s taxed at a lower rate and you’ll save 12 percent.
(See “Bergen Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
You’ll pay a premium to eat at these restaurants, but you’ll have a memorable meal in a pleasant setting. If they appear to be beyond your budget, remember that you can fill up on potatoes and drink tap water to dine for exactly the price of the dinner plate.
Enhjørningen Restaurant (“The Unicorn”) is the place in Bergen for fish. With thickly painted walls and no right angles, this dressy-yet-old-time wooden interior wins my “Bryggen Atmosphere” award. The dishes, while not hearty, are close to gourmet and beautifully presented (320-350-kr main dishes, 580-620-kr multicourse meals, nightly 16:00-22:30, reservations smart, #29 on Bryggen harborfront—look for anatomically correct unicorn on the old wharf facade and dip into the alley and up the stairs, tel. 55 30 69 50, www.enhjorningen.no).
Restaurant To Kokker, down the alley from Enhjørningen (and with the same owners), serves more meat and game. The prices and quality are equivalent, but even though it’s also in an elegant old wooden building, I like The Unicorn’s atmosphere much better (350-kr mains, 625-750-kr multicourse meals, Mon-Sat 17:00-23:00, closed Sun, tel. 55 30 69 55).
Bryggeloftet & Stuene Restaurant, in a brick building just before the wooden stretch of Bryggen, is a vast eatery serving seafood, vegetarian, and traditional meals. To dine memorably yet affordably, this is your best Bryggen bet. Upstairs feels more elegant and less touristy than the main floor—if there’s a line downstairs, just head on up (150-180-kr lunches, 200-350-kr dinners, Mon-Sat 11:00-23:30, Sun 13:00-23:30, try reserving a view window upstairs—no reservations for outside seating, #11 on Bryggen harborfront, tel. 55 30 20 70).
(See “Bergen Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Pygmalion Restaurant has a happy salsa vibe, with local art on the walls and a fun, healthy international menu. It’s run with creativity and passion by Sissel. Her burgers are a hit, and there are always good vegetarian options, hearty salads, and pancakes (80-kr wraps, 180-kr burgers, 150-200-kr main plates, daily 11:00-22:00, two blocks inland from the Fish Market at Nedre Korskirkealmenning 4, tel. 55 31 32 60).
(See “Bergen Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Bergen’s “in” cafés are stylish, cozy, small, and open very late—a great opportunity to experience its yuppie scene. Around the cinema on Neumannsgate, there are numerous ethnic restaurants, including Italian, Middle Eastern, and Chinese.
Pingvinen Pub (“The Penguin”) is a homey place in a charming neighborhood, serving traditional Norwegian home cooking to an enthusiastic local clientele. The pub has only indoor seating, with a long row of stools at the bar and five charming, living-room-cozy tables—a great setup for solo diners. After the kitchen closes, the place stays open very late as a pub. For Norwegian fare in a completely untouristy atmosphere, this is a good, affordable option. Their seasonal menu (reindeer in the fall, whale in the spring) is listed on the board (160-220-kr main dishes, nightly until 22:00, Vaskerelven 14 near the National Theater, tel. 55 60 46 46).
Café Opera, with a playful-slacker vibe and chessboards for the regulars, is the hip budget choice for its loyal, youthful following. With two floors of seating and tables out front across from the theater, it’s a winner (light 60-80-kr sandwiches until 16:00, 100-200-kr dinners, daily 10:00-24:00, Engen 18, tel. 55 23 03 15).
Dickens is a lively, checkerboard-tiled, turn-of-the-century-feeling place. The window tables in the atrium are great for people-watching, as is the fine outdoor terrace, but you’ll pay higher prices for the view (200-kr lunches, 250-300-kr dinners, daily 11:00-23:00, Kong Olav V’s Plass 4, tel. 55 36 31 30).
(See “Bergen Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
Fløien Folkerestaurant Cafeteria offers meals indoors and out with a panoramic view. It’s self-service, with sandwiches for around 60 kr and a 139-kr soup buffet (May-Aug daily 10:00-22:00, Sept-April Sat-Sun only 12:00-17:00, tel. 55 33 69 99).
(See “Bergen Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
You’ll find these chain restaurants in Bergen and throughout Norway. All are open long hours daily. In good weather, enjoy a takeout meal with sun-worshipping locals in Bergen’s parks.
Peppes Pizza has cold beer and good pizzas (medium size for 1-2 people-200-220 kr, large for 2-3 people-220-300 kr, takeout possible; consider the Thai Chicken, with satay-marinated chicken, pineapple, peanuts, and coriander). There are six Peppes in Bergen, including one behind the Hanseatic Museum near the Fløibanen funicular station and another inside the Zachariasbryggen harborfront complex, next to the Fish Market (with views over the harbor).
Baker Brun makes 50-70-kr sandwiches, including wonderful shrimp baguettes and pastries such as skillingsbolle—cinnamon rolls—warm out of the oven. Their branch in the Bryggen quarter is a prime spot for a simple, inexpensive bite (open from 7:00, seating inside or takeaway).
Deli de Luca is a cut above other takeaway joints, adding sushi, noodle dishes, and calzones to the normal lineup of sandwiches. While a bit more expensive than the others, the variety and quality are appealing (open 24/7, 60-kr sandwiches and calzones, branches in train station and near Ole Bulls Plass at Torggaten 5, branch with indoor seating on corner of Engen and Vaskerelven, tel. 55 23 11 47).
Zupperia is a lively, popular chain that offers burgers, salads, Norwegian fare, and Asian dishes for 75 to 150 kr; their Thai soup is a local favorite. For a lighter meal, order off the lunch menu (120-150 kr) any time of day (daily 12:00-22:00, but Nordahl Bruns location closed Mon). Branches are across from the Fish Market at Market 13, near the National Theater at Vaskerelven 12, and between Ole Bulls Plass and the lake (Nordahl Bruns Gate 9).
(See “Bergen Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
The Fish Market has lots of stalls bursting with salmon sandwiches, fresh shrimp, fish-and-chips, and fish cakes. For a tasty, memorable, and inexpensive Bergen meal, assemble a seafood picnic here (ask for prices first; June-Aug daily 7:00-19:00; Sept-May Mon-Sat 7:00-16:00, closed Sun). Also be sure to peruse the places next door in the ground floor of the TI building, Torghallen.
3-Kroneren, your classic hot-dog stand, sells a wide variety of sausages (various sizes and flavors—including reindeer). The well-described English menu makes it easy to order your choice of artery-clogging guilty pleasures (20-kr tiny weenie, 55-kr medium-size weenie, 75-kr jumbo, open daily from 11:00 until 5:00 in the morning, you’ll see the little hot-dog shack a block up Kong Oscars Gate from the harbor, Kenneht is the boss). Each dog comes with a free little glass of fruit punch.
Kjøttbasaren, upstairs in the restored meat market of 1887, is a genteel-feeling food hall with stalls selling groceries such as meat, cheese, bread, and olives, plus lefse, reindeer sausage, and goat cheese—a great opportunity to assemble a bang-up picnic (Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Thu until 18:00, Sat 9:00-16:00, closed Sun). You can picnic at the top or bottom of the Fløibanen funicular, just up the street.
Lido Cafeteria offers basic, affordable food with great harbor and market views, better ambience than most self-service places, and a museum’s worth of old-town photos on the walls. For cold items (such as 50-100-kr open-face sandwiches and desserts), grab what you want, pay the cashier, and find a table. For hot dishes (120-170-kr Norwegian standards, including one daily special discounted to 110 kr), get a table, order and pay at the cashier, and they’ll bring your food to you (120-kr salad bar, Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00, Sat and Sun 10:00-18:00; second floor at Torgallmenningen 1a, tel. 55 32 59 12).
Söstrene Hagelin Fast Fish Joint is an easygoing eatery that’s cheerier than its offerings—a dreary extravaganza of Norway’s white cuisine. It’s all fish here: fish soup, fish burgers, fish balls, fish cakes, and even fish pudding (meals for around 60 kr, Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, Kong Oscars Gate 2).
Kafe Magdalena, a humble little community center just two blocks off the Fish Market, is run by the church and staffed by volunteers. While it’s designed to give Bergen’s poor citizens an inviting place to enjoy, everyone’s welcome (it’s a favorite of local guides). There’s little choice here; the menu is driven by what’s available to the mission cheap (40-kr daily plate, 70 kr for bigger meal served after 13:30, nice cheap open-face sandwiches, waffles, coffee, Mon-Fri 11:00-16:00, closed Sat-Sun, Kong Oscars Gate 5). They have two computer terminals with Internet access and free Wi-Fi.
(See “Bergen Hotels & Restaurants” map, here.)
While you’ll be tempted to drop into 7-Eleven-type stores, you’ll pay for the convenience. Pick up your groceries for half the price at a real supermarket. The Rema 1000 supermarket, just across from the Bryggens Museum and St. Mary’s Church, is particularly handy (Mon-Fri 7:00-23:00, Sat 8:00-21:00, closed Sun).
Bergen is conveniently connected to Oslo by plane and train (trains depart Bergen daily at 7:57, 11:59, 15:59, and 22:59—but no night train on Sat, arrive at Oslo seven scenic hours later, additional departures in summer and fall, confirm times at station, 50-kr seat reservation required—but free with first-class rail pass, book well in advance if traveling mid-July-Aug). From Bergen, you can take the Norway in a Nutshell train/bus/ferry route; for information, see the Norway in a Nutshell chapter. Train info: tel. 81 50 08 88, and then 9 for English, www.nsb.no.
To get to Stockholm or Copenhagen, you’ll go via Oslo (see “Oslo Connections” on here). Before buying a ticket for a long train trip from Bergen, look into cheap flights.
By Express Boat to Balestrand and Flåm (on Sognefjord): A handy express boat links Bergen with Balestrand (4 hours) and Flåm (5.5 hours). For details, see here.
By Bus to Kristiansand: If you’re heading to Denmark on the ferry from Kristiansand, catch the Haukeli express bus (departing Bergen daily at 8:25). After a nearly two-hour layover in Haukeli, take the bus at 14:55, arriving at 19:00 in Kristiansand in time for the evening ferry to Denmark (for boat details, see here).
By Boat to Denmark: Fjordline runs a boat from Bergen to Hirtshals, Denmark (18 hours; departs daily at 13:30; boat from Hirtshals departs daily at 20:00; seat in reclining chair around 1,750 kr, tel. 81 53 35 00, www.fjordline.com).
By Boat to the Arctic: Hurtigruten coastal steamers depart nearly daily (June-Oct at 20:00, Nov-May at 22:30) for the seven-day trip north up the scenic west coast to Kirkenes on the Russian border.
This route was started in 1893 as a postal and cargo delivery service along the west coast of Norway. Although no longer delivering mail, their ships still fly the Norwegian postal flag by special permission and deliver people, cars, and cargo from Bergen to Kirkenes. A lifeline for remote areas, the ships call at 34 fishing villages and cities.
For the seven-day trip to Kirkenes, allow from $1,600 and up per person based on double occupancy (includes three meals per day, taxes, and port charges). Prices vary greatly depending on the season (highest June-July), cabin, and type of ship. Their fleet includes those with a bit of brass built in the 1960s, but the majority of the ships were built in the mid-1990s and later. Shorter voyages are possible (including even just a day trip to one of the villages along the route). Cabins should be booked well in advance. Ship services include a 24-hour cafeteria, a launderette on newer boats, and optional port excursions. Check online for senior and off-season (Oct-March) specials at www.hurtigruten.com.
Call Hurtigruten in New York (US tel. 866-552-0371) or in Norway (tel. 81 00 30 30). For most travelers, the ride makes a great one-way trip, but a flight back south is a logical last leg (rather than returning to Bergen by boat—a 12-day round-trip).