Bergen is permanently salted with robust cobbles and a rich sea-trading heritage. Norway’s capital in the 12th and 13th centuries, 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 hundreds of ships a year and up to seven 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 250,000 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. 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—Take a harbor cruise or 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.
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) and Stavanger 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, yellow-and-red-striped Torghallen market building, which runs alongside the harbor 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; 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: Look for the password posted on the 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 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 a discount on 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—get your Nutshell reservations here if you haven’t already (Mon-Fri 6:45-19:30, Sat 7:30-16:10, Sun 7:30-19:30). There are luggage lockers (30 kr/day, daily 6:30-23:30), 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). 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 SAS 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 at your hotel for tips. Note that all drivers entering Bergen must pay a 15-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 50-60 kr; 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 Bergen Art Museum, facing the cute manmade lake called 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 left (at the bluish slab) up the broad square called Torgallmenningen. Note that my self-guided walk conveniently ends right near the shuttle bus stop. A taxi from the cruise port into downtown runs about 100 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. Kanel in the Galleriet Shopping Mall is a convenient Internet café (2 kr/minute, 20-kr minimum, Mon-Fri 7:30-21:00, Sat 9:00-18:00, closed Sun, located on ground floor next to Body Shop, tel. 40 62 22 27). The Bergen Public Library, next door to the train station, has free terminals in their downstairs café (30-minute limit, Mon-Thu 8:30-20:00, Fri 8:30-16:30, Sat 10:00-16:00, closed Sun, Strømgaten 6, tel. 55 56 85 60).
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, Mon-Fri 8:30-16:30, closed Sat-Sun, Halfdan Kjerulfsgate 8, tel. 55 31 77 41).
Updates to This Book: For news about changes to this book’s coverage since it was published, see 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 27 kr per ride (pay driver). The best buses for a Bergen joyride are #20 (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 27-kr ticket from the machine prior to boarding (to use a US credit card, you’ll need to know your PIN code). You’ll get both a paper ticket and 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 only in July 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 (45 kr, June-Aug 10:00-18:00, 10 minutes). These short “poor man’s cruises” have good harbor views.
By Taxi: For a taxi, call 07000 or 08000 (not as expensive as you might expect).
▲▲▲Bryggen Walking Tour—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 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, none 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 to reserve.
Local Guides—Sue Lindelid and Jim Paton are British expats who have spent more than 25 years showing visitors around Bergen (600 kr for 1.5-hour group tour, 700 kr for 2 hours, mobile 90 78 59 52, suelin@hotmail.no).
▲Bus Tours—The TI sells tickets for various bus tours, including a three-hour tour that goes to Edvard Grieg’s Home at Troldhaugen—a handy way to reach that distant sight (350 kr, May-Sept daily at 10:00, departs from curb across from Fish Market). 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.
Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus—City Sightseeing’s hop-on, hop-off bus links most of Bergen’s major sights and also stops at the Skolten cruise port. Buy tickets on board or at the TI (155 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).
▲Harbor Tours—The White Lady leaves from the Fish Market daily in summer at 14:30 for a 50-minute cruise. The ride is both scenic and informative, with a relaxing sun deck and good—if scant—recorded narration (130 kr, mid-May-Aug). A four-hour fjord trip is also available (480 kr, May-mid-Sept daily at 10:00, July-late Aug also daily at 15:30, tel. 55 25 90 00, www.whitelady.no).
Tourist Train—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).
For a quick orientation stroll through Bergen, follow this walk from the city’s fortress, through its old wooden Hanseatic Quarter and smelly 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). 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 the historic fortress. From the harborfront road, enter the sprawling complex, then walk up into the courtyard at the heart of the place (through the gate marked 1728).
Bergenhus Fortress: In the 13th century, Bergen became the Kingdom of Norway’s first capital. (Prior to the 13th century, kings would circulate, staying on royal farms.) This fortress—built in the 1240s—was a garrison, with a tower for the king’s residence (Rosenkrantz Tower) and a large hall for his banquets (Håkon’s Hall, the stepped-gabled building facing the port). Today the fortress grounds are used for big events (Bruce Springsteen filled it in 2009). Visitors can go inside the tower and the hall; while they feel empty and a bit dull on your own, the guided tour (included in admission) brings them to life.
• Head back 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, Sandbrogaten) to reach the Fortress Museum—though its collection of Norwegian military history (focusing on World War II) isn’t worth the detour for most.
Proceed one more block along the harbor until you reach the open, parklike space on your left. Standing at the top of this area is...
St. Mary’s Church (Mariakirken): Dating from the 12th century, this is Bergen’s oldest building. It’s closed through 2015 while a 100-million-kroner renovation is underway. This stately church of the Hanseatic merchants has a dour stone interior, enlivened by a colorful, highly decorated pulpit.
• In front of the church, the boxy, modern building houses the excellent Bryggens Museum, which provides helpful historical context for the Hanseatic Quarter we’re about to visit. The museum’s outstanding Bryggen Walking Tour is your best bet for seeing this area (see “Tours in Bergen,” earlier.)
Behind the church is the back wall of the Hanseatic Quarter and the entrance to the communal Hanseatic Assembly Rooms (Schøtstuene)—not worth visiting on your own, but well explained by the Bryggen Walking Tour. The red house straight ahead marks the corner of the...
Bergen 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.
• To get your bearings, first read the “Bryggen’s History” sidebar; if it’s nice out, stand in the people zone in front of all the colorful buildings, or cross the street to the wharf and look back for a fine overview of this area. But let me guess—it’s raining, right? In that case, huddle under an awning.
Remember that while we think of Bergen as “Norwegian,” Bryggen was German—the territory of Deutsch-speaking merchants and traders. From the front of Bryggen, look down at the Rosenkrantz Tower. The little red holes at its top mark where cannons were once pointed at the German quarter by Norwegian royalty. The threat was never taken seriously, however, because everyone knew that without German grain, the Norwegians would starve.
Now enter the woody guts of Bryggen. You can’t get inside the lanes in the first stretch of houses, so proceed to the second stretch and explore some alleys. 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, massage parlors, T-shirt boutiques, leather workshops, atmospheric but overpriced restaurants, fishing tackle shops, and sweaters, sweaters, sweaters...plus trolls.
The area is flanked by two worthwhile museums within a five-minute walk of each other (the Bryggens Museum and Hanseatic Museum). Right in the middle of Bryggen is the tiny, often-closed Theta Museum, giving a glimpse into the WWII resistance movement.
Up Bellgården (at the far-right end as you face wooden Bryggen—it’s the lane under the golden deer head) is the little “visitors center,” which is more of a gift shop in disguise. Here you’ll find a video and a few photos illustrating how they are trying to rebuild the tenement houses using the original methods and materials (good 80-kr Bryggen guidebook, daily June-Aug 9:00-17:00, May and Sept 10:00-16:00, closed Oct-April).
The visitors center faces a wooden tenement that is currently undergoing restoration. If this preservation work is still going on during your visit, it’s a fascinating chance to see modern people wrestling with old technology in the name of history.
Just past the visitors center, you’ll pop out into a small square with a wishing well and a giant, grotesque wooden sculpture of a dried cod—the unlikely resource that put this town on the map. As you may have noticed, around Bergen, cod is as revered as, well, God.
• When you’re done exploring the bowels of Bryggen, head back out to the main road and continue strolling with the harbor on your right.
Half of Bryggen (the brick-and-stone stretch between the old wooden facades and the head of the bay) was torn down around 1900. Today these stately buildings—far less atmospheric than Bryggen’s original wooden core—are filled with tacky trinket shops and touristy splurge restaurants.
Head to the lone wooden red house at the end of the row, which today houses the Hanseatic Museum. The man who owned this building recognized the value of the city’s heritage and kept his house as it was. Considered a nutcase back then, 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.
• Directly across the street from the Hanseatic Museum—past the Narvesen kiosk—is the...
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 still offers lots of smelly photo fun and free morsels to taste. Many stands sell pre-made smoked-salmon (laks) sandwiches, fish soup, and other snacks ideal for a light lunch (confirm prices before ordering—it can get pricey). To try Norwegian jerky, pick up a bag of dried cod snacks (torsk). The red meat is minke whale, caught off the coast of northern Norway. You’ll also find local fruit in season and hand-knit sweaters (June-Aug daily 7:00-19:00, less lively on Sun; Sept-May Mon-Sat 7:00-16:00, closed Sun). Watch your wallet: If you’re going to get pickpocketed in Bergen, it’ll likely be here.
• When you’re done exploring, stand with your back to the market and harbor to get oriented.
The streets heading straight away from the market are worth exploring; within a few blocks, you’ll find the Leprosy Museum and Bergen’s cathedral.
Two short blocks up the street to the left (Vetrlidsallmenningen, past the red-brick market hall with frilly white trim) is the bottom station of the Fløibanen funicular, which zips you up to fine views from Mount Fløyen.
But to continue our walk into the modern part of town, turn right and walk one block up to the wide square. Pause at the blocky monument.
Seafarers’ Monument: Nicknamed “the cube of goat cheese” for its shape, this monument dates from about 1950. It 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...
Torgallmenningen: Allmenningen means “for all the people.” Torg means “square.” And, while this is the city’s main gathering place, it was actually created as a fire break. 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 along the square to the angled slab. This “blue stone,” a popular meeting point at the far end of the square, marks the center of a park-like swath known as...
Ole Bulls Plass: This 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 (a pop idol and heartthrob in his day—women fainted when they heard him play his violin) collaborated with the playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen commissioned Edvard Grieg to write the music for his Peer Gynt. These three lions of Norwegian culture all lived and worked right here in Bergen.
The park that spills downhill from the theater has a pleasantly bustling urban ambience. It leads past a popular fountain of Ole Bull (under the trees) 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 Bergen Art Museum. 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.
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.
▲Bergenhus Fortress: Håkon’s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower—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—60 kr each, includes guided tour; mid-May-Aug—both open daily 10:00-16:00; Sept-mid-May—hall open daily 12:00-15:00, Thu until 18:00, tower open Sun only 12:00-15:00; tel. 55 31 60 67.
Visiting the Hall and Tower: While each sight is covered by a separate ticket and tour, it’s best to consider them as one and start at Håkon’s Hall (mid-May-Aug tours leave daily at the top of the hour; Sept-mid-May full tour runs on Sat, Sun Håkon’s Hall tour only, no tours Mon-Fri). Stick with your guide, as the Rosenkrantz Tower is part two of the tour.
Håkon’s Hall, dating from the 13th century, is the largest secular medieval building in Norway. It’s essentially a giant, grand reception hall (used today for banquets) under a ceiling that feels like an upturned Viking boat. While recently rebuilt, the ceiling’s design is modeled after grand wooden roofs of that era. Beneath the hall is a whitewashed cellar. Banquets were a men-only affair. The raised seats gave royal, church, and military dignitaries the appropriate elevation.
Rosenkrantz Tower, the keep of a 13th-century castle, has a jumbled design, thanks to a Renaissance addition. The tour brings it to life. There’s a good history exhibit on the top floors and a fine view from the rooftop.
Fortress Museum (Bergenhus Festningmuseum)—This humble museum, set back a couple of blocks from the fortress, may interest historians with its thoughtful exhibits about military history, especially Bergen’s WWII experience. 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. Some exhibits are in English, while others are in Norwegian only.
Cost and Hours: Free, Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Mon, just behind Thon Hotel Bergen Brygge at Koengen, tel. 55 54 63 87.
▲▲Bryggens Museum—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: 60 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 with soup-and-bread specials; 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.
▲▲Hanseatic Museum (Hanseatiske Museum)—This little museum was founded in the late 1900s to preserve a tenement interior. Today it 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: 60 kr; in summer, entry included with Bryggen Walking Tour; daily mid-May-mid-Sept 9:00-17:00; mid-Sept-mid-May Tue-Sat 11:00-14:00, Sun 11:00-16:00, closed Mon; Finnegården 7a, tel. 55 54 46 96, www.museumvest.no.
Tours: There are English explanations, but it’s much better if you take the good, included 45-minute guided tour (3/day in English, 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.
Theta Museum—This small museum highlights Norway’s resistance movement (specifically, a 10-person local group called Theta) during the Nazi occupation in World War II. It’s housed in Theta’s former headquarters—a small room in a wooden Bryggen building.
Cost and Hours: 30 kr, June-Aug Tue and Sat-Sun 14:00-16:00, closed Mon, Wed-Fri, and off-season, Enhjørningsgården, tel. 55 31 53 93.
▲▲Fløibanen Funicular—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 (Peppe’s Pizza is tucked behind the Hanseatic Museum, a block away from the base of the lift). The recommended Fløien Folkerestaurant, at the top of the funicular, offers affordable self-service food all day and fancier dinners in the evenings (both restaurant and cafeteria open daily in summer; off-season only the cafeteria is open and only on weekends). Sunsets are great here. The top is also the starting point for many peaceful hikes (ask for the Fløyen Hiking Map at the Fløibanen ticket window at the base). It’s a pleasant but steep walk back down into Bergen. To save your knees, get off at the Promsgate stop halfway down and then wander through the delightful cobbled and shiplap lanes (note that only the :00 and :30 departures stop at Promsgate). This funicular is regularly used by locals commuting into and out of downtown.
Cost and Hours: 80 kr round-trip, Mon-Fri 7:30-23:00, Sat-Sun 8:00-23:00, departures generally 4/hour—on the quarter-hour most of the day, runs continuously if busy, tel. 55 33 68 00, www.floibanen.no.
Cathedral (Domkirke)—Bergen’s main church, dedicated to St. Olav (the patron saint of Norway), dates from 1301. As it’s just a couple of blocks off the harbor, if you’re nearby (for example, on way to the Leprosy Museum), drop in to enjoy its stoic, plain interior with stuccoed stone walls and giant wooden pulpit. 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 but donations appreciated; mid-June-mid-Aug Mon-Fri 10:00-16:00, Sun 9:30-13:00, closed Sat; off-season Tue-Fri 11:00-12:30, closed Sun-Mon except for worship; tel. 55 59 32 70, www.bergendomkirke.no.
Leprosy Museum (Lepramuseet)—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 shell attached to a 300-year-old church. It’s really only worth your time and money if you stick around for one of the free tours, which generally leave at the top of the hour or by request.
Cost and Hours: 50 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.
▲Bergen Art Museum (Bergen Kunstmuseum)—If you need to get out of the rain (and you enjoyed the National Gallery in Oslo), check out this collection of collections in 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 (with an especially good Munch exhibit). The Stenersen building has installations of contemporary art (and a recommended café), 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 Museum: Many visitors focus on the Lysverket (“Lighthouse”), featuring an easily digestible collection. Here are some of its highlights: The ground floor includes an extensive collection of works by Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928), who depicts Norway’s fjords with bright colors and Expressionistic flair. Up on the first floor 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 second floor, things get modern. The Tower Hall (Tårnsalen) features Norwegian modernism and an extensive 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.
▲Aquarium (Akvariet)—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 informative exhibit downstairs on Norway’s fish-farming industry.
Cost and Hours: 200 kr, kids-150 kr, cheaper off-season, daily May-Aug 9:00-19:00, Sept-April 10:00-18:00, feeding times at the top of most hours in summer, cheery cafeteria with light sandwiches, Nordnesbakken 4, tel. 55 55 71 71, 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 (45 kr one-way, 70 kr round-trip, 2/hour, daily May-Aug 10:00-18:00).
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.
▲Gamle Bergen (Old Bergen)—This Disney-cute gathering of 50-some 18th- and 19th-century shops was founded in 1934 to save old buildings from destruction as Bergen modernized. Each of the houses 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, 70-kr tour (in English) required for access to buildings, mid-May-early Sept Mon-Sat 11:00-15:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, closed off-season, tel. 55 39 43 04, www.gamlebergen.museum.no.
Getting There: Take any bus heading west from Bryggen (such as #20, direction: Lonborg) to Gamle Bergen (first stop after the tunnel). You’ll get off 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.
▲Strolling—Bergen is a great town for wandering. The harborfront is a fine place to kick back and watch the pigeons mate. Other good areas to explore are over the hill past Klostergaten, Knosesmauet, and Ytre Markevei; near Marken; and the area behind Bryggen.
Shopping in Bergen—Most shops, including Husfliden (described below), 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.
Bryggen is bursting with sweaters, pewter, and trolls. The Husfliden shop is popular for its handmade Norwegian sweaters and goodies (fine variety and quality but expensive, just off Torget, the market square, at Vågsallmenninge 3, tel. 55 54 47 40).
The Galleriet shopping center on Torgallmenningen has six floors of shops, cafés, and restaurants. You’ll find a pharmacy, photo shops, clothing, sporting goods, bookstores, mobile-phone shops, an Internet café, and a basement grocery store (Mon-Fri 9:00-20:00, Sat 9:00-18:00, closed Sun).
Swimming—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 (40 kr, kids-20 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. 55 90 21 70). Sandviken Sjobad, at Gamle Bergen, is free. It comes with changing rooms, a roped-off bit of the bay (no pool), a high dive, and lots of sunbathing space.
▲Ulriken643 Cable Car—It’s amazingly quick and easy to zip 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 and 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.
Getting There: To get from downtown Bergen to the cable car, you can take a blue Bergen Sightseeing hop-on, hop-off bus (245 kr includes cable-car ride, ticket valid 24 hours, May-Sept daily 10:00-17:30, 2/hour, departs Fish Market and Bryggen, also stops at aquarium, buy ticket on board or at TI). The cable-car ride takes five minutes (prices without bus ride: 145 kr round-trip, 80 kr one-way, 8/hour, daily 9:00-21:00, off-season until 17:00, tel. 53 64 36 43, www.ulriken643.no).
▲▲Edvard Grieg’s Home, Troldhaugen—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 Grieg 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: 80 kr, includes guided tour in English, daily May-Sept 9:00-18:00, Oct-April 10:00-16:00, tel. 55 92 29 92, www.troldhaugen.com.
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, concerts roughly mid-June-late Aug Sun and Wed at 18:00, free shuttle bus from TI if you show concert ticket). Delightful 30-minute lunch piano concerts are offered daily at 13:00 in peak season (20 kr plus entry ticket, daily June-Aug, Mon-Sat in Sept).
Getting to Troldhaugen: Bergen’s slick tram drops you a long 20-minute walk 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 three-hour city bus tour promoted by the TI, which comes with informative recorded narration, gets you to within a five-minute walk of Troldhaugen, and includes a brief tour of the house (300 kr, May-Sept daily at 11:00). 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.
Fantoft Stave Church—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. 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: 44 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: The church is located 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.
Busy with business travelers and increasingly 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 emailing the bigger hotels and asking for their best price. Otherwise, Bergen has some fine budget alternatives to normal hotels that can save you a bundle.
$$$ Hotel Havnekontoret, with the best location in town, fills a grand old shipping headquarters dating from the 1920s. It’s an especially fine value on weekends and in the summer, for those who eat the included dinner. While part of a chain, it has a friendly spirit. Guests are welcome to climb its historic tower (with a magnificent view) or enjoy its free sauna and exercise room downstairs. The hotel’s 116 rooms are expensive during the week, and half-price on weekends and through most of the summer. If you aren’t interested in fancy dining, the room price includes virtually all your food—a fine breakfast, self-service waffles and pancakes in the afternoon, fruit and coffee all day, and a light dinner buffet each evening. If you take advantage of them, these edible extras are easily worth 600 kr per day per couple, making the cost of this fancy hotel little more than a hostel (Db during business peak-2,300 kr, Db Fri-Sun and most of summer-about 1,700 kr, extra bed-300 kr, book online to save, free Wi-Fi, facing the harbor across the street from the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel at Slottsgaten 1, tel. 55 60 11 00, www.choicehotels.no, cc.havnekontoret@choice.no).
$$$ 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, free Wi-Fi, Harald Hårfagres Gate 35, tel. 55 54 44 00, fax 55 54 44 44, www.hotelpark.no, booking@hotelpark.no).
$$$ Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz, with 129 rooms, is one block behind Bryggen, between the Bryggens Museum and the Fløibanen funicular station—right in the heart of Bergen’s appealing old quarter. However, the next-door nightclub is noisy on Friday and Saturday nights—be sure to request a quiet room (average rates: Sb-1,295 kr, Db-1,695 kr, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, Rosenkrantzgate 7, tel. 55 30 14 00, www.thonhotels.no/rosenkrantz, rosenkrantz@thonhotels.no).
$$ 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-950 kr, Db-1,250 kr, credit card only—no cash, box breakfast in your room, elevator, free Wi-Fi, Vestre Torggate 9, tel. 80 04 68 35, www.p-hotels.no, bergen@p-hotels.no).
$$ Thon Hotel Bergen Brygge, beyond Bryggen near Håkon’s Hall, is part of Thon’s cheaper “Budget” chain. However, the 229 spartan rooms can be just about as nice as those in its sister hotels. Because of its relatively good prices and great location, it fills up quickly—book ahead. Light sleepers, beware: Many rooms face the fortress grounds, which sometimes host summer evening concerts. Ask for a room on the quiet side, bring earplugs, or go elsewhere (Db-1,100-1,400 kr, discounts unlikely but you save if you book online, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, Bradbenken 3, tel. 55 30 87 00, fax 55 32 94 14, www.thonhotels.com/bergenbrygge, bergen.brygge@thonhotels.no).
$$ 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-895 kr, Db-995 kr, Tb-1,395 kr, free Wi-Fi, Kong Oscarsgate 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 reception is staffed daily 9:00-16:30, except May-Oct until 23:00 (S-400 kr, Sb-500 kr, D-600 kr, Db-700 kr, extra bed-150 kr, family room for up to four-1,200 kr, 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 non-smoking doubles that share a shower, two WCs, and a kitchen (D-600 kr for Rick Steves readers, no breakfast, free Wi-Fi, 4 blocks from station at Skivebakken 17, tel. 55 31 30 30, 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-450 kr, larger S-500 kr, D-800 kr, fancy D on corner with view and balcony-900 kr, apartment-1,000 kr, includes breakfast, 2 showers on ground floor, 2 WCs, sinks in rooms, family room with TV; all non-smoking, free 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 (dorm bed in 8-bed room-195 kr, in 4-bed room-225 kr, S-495 kr, D-570 kr, extra bed-135 kr, sheets-65 kr one-time fee, towels-15 kr, breakfast voucher-90 kr, free 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, fax 55 31 60 22, 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-190 kr, bunk in 4-6-bed family room with private bathroom and kitchen-280-320 kr, Db with kitchen-900 kr, includes sheets, breakfast-65 kr, pay Internet access, free Wi-Fi, roof terrace, fully open June-Aug, no 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 (#31, 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-215 kr—cheaper off-season, bed in Q-280 kr, Sb-660 kr, Db-830 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 take-away 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.
You’ll pay a premium to eat at these three 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 (300-330-kr main dishes, 530-600-kr multi-course meals, nightly 16:00-22:30, #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).
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 (most main dishes around 350 kr, 600-685-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 (145-165-kr lunches, 200-350-kr dinners, Mon-Sat 11:00-23:30, Sun 13:00-23:30, #11 on Bryggen harborfront, try reserving a view window upstairs, tel. 55 30 20 70).
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 unpretentious Norwegian cooking in a completely untouristy atmosphere, this is one of your best budget choices (140-190-kr main dishes, Sun-Thu 14:00-12:45, Fri-Sat 12:00-20:45, Vaskerelven 14 near the National Theater, tel. 55 60 46 46).
Naboen (“Neighbor”) is another good deal, but only if you skip the tableclothed main-floor dining room and go straight downstairs to the popular pub. The bar menu features Swedish specialties for 100-160 kr—the plank steak with potatoes and veggies is a bargain. The draft beers (Fatøl) are also relatively inexpensive—for Norway (daily 16:00-23:00 except Sun until 22:00, bar open much later, Sigurdsgate 4, tel. 55 90 02 90).
Zupperia, a café in the basement of the Bergen Art Museum’s Stenersen wing, has cool ambience and even cooler prices. The cuisine has a slight Asian twist (the Thai soup is a local favorite), but you can also find burgers, salads, and Norwegian standards (75-150 kr). The 109-kr lasagna special (includes bread and salad) is a steal in this high-price city. If you’re not very hungry, you can order off the lunch menu any time of day (Sun-Thu 12:00-22:00, Fri-Sat until 22:30; facing the museum, go to the entrance on the ground level at the right, Nordahl Bruns Gate 9, tel. 55 55 81 14).
Café Opera, with a playful-slacker vibe, 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 30-40-kr sandwiches until 16:00, 100-150-kr dinners, daily 10:00-24:00, occasional live music, live locals nightly, English newspapers in summer, chess, around the left side of the theater at Engen 18, tel. 55 23 03 15).
Dickens is a lively, checkerboard, turn-of-the-century-feeling place serving fish, chicken, and steak. 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. To save money, go for lunch and skip the view (150-kr lunches, 250-300-kr dinners, Mon-Sat 11:00-23:00, later on Fri and Sat, Sun 13:00-23:00, reservations smart, Kong Olav V’s Plass 4, tel. 55 36 31 30).
Fløien Folkerestaurant offers meals with a panoramic view. The cheaper cafeteria section has a light menu, with coffee, cake, and 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). The restaurant section has decent but expensive dinners with an emphasis on locally caught fish for about 300-350 kr (150-200-kr lighter dishes, May-Aug daily 17:00-23:00, restaurant closed Sept-April, tel. 55 33 69 99).
Lido offers basic, affordable food with great harbor and market views, better ambience than most self-serve places, and a museum’s worth of old town photos on the walls. For cold items (such as open-face sandwiches and desserts, 50-80 kr), 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 109 kr), grab a table, order and pay at the cashier, and they’ll bring your food to you (June-Aug Mon-Fri 10:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 13:00-22:00; Sept-May Mon-Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 13:00-19:00; second floor at Torgallmenningen 1a, tel. 55 32 59 12).
You’ll find these tasty chain restaurants in Bergen and throughout Norway. All of these are open long hours daily (shorter off-season). In good weather, enjoy a take-out meal with sun-worshipping locals in Bergen’s parks.
Peppe’s Pizza has cold beer and good pizzas (medium size for 1-2 people-175-200 kr, large for 2-3 people-200-250 kr, takeout possible; consider the Moby Dick, with curried shrimp, leeks, and bell peppers). There are six Peppe’s 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 (open from 9:00, seating inside or take-away; several locations including Bryggen and the Storsenter shopping mall next to the bus station).
Bon Appétit sells 60-kr baguette sandwiches and wraps, plus ice cream (locations include Baneveien 15 and Bryggen). Restaurant desserts run 100 kr; strolling with an ice-cream cone can save plenty.
Deli de Luca is a cut above other take-away joints, adding sushi 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; 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).
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, less lively on Sun; Sept-May Mon-Sat 7:00-16:00, closed Sun).
Trekroneren, 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, 50-kr medium-size weenie, 75-kr jumbo, open daily 11:00-5:00 in the morning, you’ll see the little hot-dog shack a block up Kong Oscar Gate from the harbor, Kenneht is the boss).
Kjøttbasaren, the restored meat market of 1887, is a genteel-feeling food hall with stalls selling groceries such as meat, cheese, bread, and olives—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).
This cobbled lane, leading from the train station to the harbor, is lined with creative little restaurants and trendy cafés. Strolling along here, you can choose among cheap chicken and burgers, the elegant Bambus Marken for Vietnamese (daily 14:00-23:00, seating indoors and out, Marken 33, tel. 55 56 00 60), the Taste of Indian (69-kr daily special, daily 13:00-24:00, Marken 12, tel. 55 31 11 55), and the Aura Café for classy sandwiches and salads (Mon-Sat until 22:00, Sun until 19:00, indoors and out, Marken 9).
Bergen is conveniently connected to Oslo by plane and train (trains depart Bergen daily at 7:58, 10:28, 15:58, 16:10, and 22:58—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 railpass, 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, www.nsb.no.
To get to Stockholm or Copenhagen, you’ll go via Oslo. 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).
By Bus to Kristiansand: If you’re heading to Denmark on the ferry from Kristiansand, catch the Haukeli express bus (departing Bergen daily at 7:30). After a nearly two-hour layover in Haukeli, take the bus at 14:40, arriving at 18:55 in Kristiansand in time for the evening ferry to Denmark.
By Boat to Stavanger: Flaggruten catamarans sail to Stavanger (1-2/day, 4.5 hours, 770 kr one-way, 990 kr round-trip; nearly half-price for students and railpass-holders; tel. 55 23 87 00 or 05505, www.tide.no). From Stavanger, trains run to Kristiansand and Oslo, and ships sail to Denmark.
By Boat to Denmark: Fjordline runs a boat from Bergen to Hirtshals, Denmark (17 hours; departs Mon and Wed at 13:00, Fri generally at 11:00; boat from Hirtshals runs Sun, Tue, and Thu; seat in reclining chair-around 1,500 kr, tel. 81 53 35 00, www.fjordline.com).
By Boat to the Arctic: Hurtigruten coastal steamers depart nearly daily (mid-April-mid-Sept at 20:00, mid-Sept-mid-April 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 $1,599 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 ships, 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).
