Bergen
Discover Bergen
Bergen is Norway's second largest city and the most popular gateway to the fjords of West Norway. The city is renowned for its great location amidst mountains, fjords, and the ocean. Steep mountains and highlands within the city offer excellent hiking opportunities. The city center is compact and can easily be covered on foot, while the city as a whole is spacious and sprawling. Bergen and suburbs are home to about one quarter of the people in West Norway. Having fostered many of Norway's greatest bands and artists, the city is also known for its cultural life and underground/indie music scene. Bergen's unpredictable weather adds to its quirky, unmistakable charm. Bergen was Norway's main city for centuries, and many patriotic inhabitants believe it still is.
What to Experience in Bergen
Taste of Bergen...
There is a great variety of restaurants and cafes in Bergen, but you should expect to spend some time looking for the best places. In the most central parts of the city, many of the restaurants are all the same. Move a block away from the most central parts of downtown to find lower prices and better food. Kitchens usually close at 23:00 at the latest. Waiters and other restaurant staff have good wages. You are not required to leave any money to cover the service, but many people choose to tip the waiter if he or she has been helpful and nice, and if the food was good. If you choose to leave a tip, rounding up or adding about five to ten percent will be appreciated. A rule of thumb would be that the more expensive the food is, the more are you expected to leave a tip. Keep in mind that tap water is safe to drink and (usually) free of charge. To save money, ask for tap water to drink. Finding local food might take some effort, but there are some options. There aren't that many local dishes available at restaurants. "Norwegian" food is the food of the husmann (cottager) – nutritious and cheap, not what you usually find in a restaurant. The Bergen fish soup might be the most important, as well as raspeballer and cooked cod. If you want to get that Norwegian taste and have a gourmet meal at the same time, look for dishes that use "local" ingredients (such as reindeer, stockfish and cod) with a twist, such as Bryggen Tracteursted's filet of reindeer farced with goat cheese.
Culture & Religion
Culture
Bergen is one of the most important cultural centres of Norway. The city is home to the Bergen International Festival, Nattjazz and Bergenfest, festivals of international renown within their genres. The local symphony orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, was founded in 1765. It is one of the world's oldest orchestral institutions. Bergen was the home of Norway's great composer, Edvard Grieg. Henrik Ibsen, the famous playwright, started his career in Bergen as manager of Den Nationale Scene. Around 2000, a number of artists from the rhythmic music scene in Bergen gained international fame. In the domestic press, this became known as the Bergen Wave. Musicians and bands with roots in Bergen include Annie, Burzum, Enslaved, Gorgoroth, Immortal, Erlend Øye, Kings of Convenience, Sondre Lerche, and Datarock. Bergen still has a thriving underground/indie music scene.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Bergen into what it is today.
Founded around 1070 AD, Bergen quickly evolved into the biggest and commercially most important city in Norway. It was the country's administrative capital from the early 1200s until 1299, and the second largest city in Scandinavia. Bergen was one of the most important bureau cities of the Hanseatic League, interconnecting continental Europe with the northern and coastal parts of Norway, thus becoming a central spot for the vending of stockfish and the commercial hub of Norway. It was the largest city in Norway until the 1830s and has a long maritime history in shipping and finance. Until the Bergen railway (Bergensbanen) began operation in 1909 there was no convenient overland transport between Norway's principal cities. The city still has relics of its Hanseatic heyday, most notably the old harbour of Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bergen has been ravaged by several fires; the most recent major fire took place in 1916, a fire which destroyed most of the buildings in what is today the central parts of the city centre, around on the large square Torgallmenningen. About 400 buildings were lost. Because of a long tradition of wood building even in cramped areas like Bergen, the city has been destroyed several times by fire. In 1702 90% of the city was destroyed including Bryggen....
Location & Landscape
Bergen is located in the far west in Norway, sheltered from the North Sea only by a number of islands. It is situated along latitude 60 degrees north, on the same latitude as Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Saint Petersburg and Anchorage. The city is the most hilly and mountainous in Norway. The city centre is surrounded by a group of mountains and peaks known as the Seven Mountains. This has given the city its name (berg is an old Norse word for mountain). The geographic conditions of the city are very visible; limited space to build on made it necessary in the 19th century that new city blocks be built on the steep slopes of mount Fløyen. Except for the dense city centre, which made up the entire incorporated city before 1916, Bergen is the least dense of the four largest cities in Norway. Bergen covers the same width as Oslo but Oslo has 3 times more people within the city. London for instance has 10 times higher population density than Bergen.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Bergen.
Institutions of higher education in Bergen include the University of Bergen, The Norwegian School of Business and Economics, Bergen National Academy of the Arts and Bergen University College. The university is Norway's second largest and covers most areas of education, though the educations in law and in medicine are probably considered the best. The Norwegian School of Business and Economics is considered the best education within these fields in the country. All the aforementioned institutions are members of the Nordplus and Erasmus exchange programmes and offer courses in English. Bergen has a number of shopping centres, and international chains are well represented. As prices are rather high in Norway, regular shopping is probably not the most interesting thing to do in Bergen, even if you get a VAT refund (see the Tax Free shopping section below).
Climate
Due to the city's northern location, close to the northern sea and surrounded by mountains, special weather conditions occur, resulting in approximately 240 days with precipitation a year and a mean temperature of 7.6 °C (45.7 °F). In January 2007, a record of 85 rainy days in a row was set. Still, local people claim there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. An annual mean at close to 8 °C, with even January on average above 0 °C, makes Bergen the warmest city in Norway. Frost just below 0°C and some snow occurs between December and February, but temperatures colder than -10 °C are very rare. Temperatures above 30 °C are also extremely rare. For the rest of us, the trick is obviously to choose the time of visit with caution. The infamous rain should not keep visitors away in summer, because when the sun breaks through after a rainy day, hardly any city twinkles and glows like Bergen.
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Jun – Augbest time to visit Bergen, with the summer months of June, July and August almost as good....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsFlybussen departs from right outside the terminal building. Flybussen makes frequent stops, including at Bryggen, the Fisketorget, and the bus terminal. The journey downtown takes about 30–40 minutes. Adult tickets are kr 179, return ticket kr 309 (discounts for children, students and senior citizens apply). Buy your ticket before boarding to save kr 10, either online, from a machine or from a ticket vendor. However, tickets can easily be bought on the bus, with either cash or cards. Buses run frequently throughout the day. There is a machine next to luggage collection in arrivals, and at the bus stop at the airport, so buy your ticket while you are waiting for your luggage. The Bergen Light Rail has its southern terminus at the airport, the station is in the basement outdoor. This is the cheapest option for travelling downtown since it charges the regular public transport fares (kr 49 for an adult single ticket, kr 25 for children and seniors)....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Downtown Bergen is compact and easy to walk for most visitors. Most sights and hotels are located within few minutes walk within downtown. While the very centre is located on a relatively flat piece of land, there are hills in virtually every direction out of the centre so heading downhill usually leads to centre. The main square is the east/west Torgallmenningen, a pedestrian zone. The Nordnes peninsula points north from the very centre, on the eastern side is Vågen, a small bay and once Bergens main harbour, lined on the eastern side by Bryggen and the Fortress. Overall navigation is generally easy as the summits and the bay provides clear indication of general direction, Mt Ulriken is a key landmark for large parts of the city, while downtown St John’s Church (Johanneskirken) with its characteristic red brick and green roof is another landmark. The sturdy theater building at the top of Ole Bulls place is also a point to note.
Where to Stay
Outside the summer season, getting a hotel room is usually not a problem, although it can be quite expensive unless you have a reservation. In the summer season (from May to Sept) a reservation well in advance is required. Breakfast is normally included in the price except at hostels and camping sites. Bergen has, as the rest of Norway, a generally low crime rate. The most likely crimes for tourists to experience is car break-ins and bicycle theft. Pickpockets is also becoming an increasing problem in the summer season, but it's still nothing like in larger cities in Europe. It is always a good idea to look after your belongings, this includes never leaving valuable objects visible in your car and locking your bike safely. There are no particularly unsafe areas in Bergen. The upper part of Nygårdsparken used to be the hang-out place for drug addicts. The lower part of Nygårdsparken is a beautiful place popular among the locals.
Money & Budget
Bergen has a number of shopping centres, and international chains are well represented. As prices are rather high in Norway, regular shopping is probably not the most interesting thing to do in Bergen, even if you get a VAT refund (see the Tax Free shopping section below). But if you know where to go, you can find rare and unique items, both traditional crafts and stuff made by local designers - and some other fun stuff. Keep in mind that with a very few exceptions, Bergen shuts down completely on Sundays and holidays. VAT (value added tax/sales tax, Norwegian: mva. (merverdiavgift) or moms. (merverdiomsetningsavgift)) is 25% for most items in Norway. It is included in the retail price, which makes the VAT content 20% of the price you pay.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Bergen has, as the rest of Norway, a generally low crime rate. The most likely crimes for tourists to experience is car break-ins and bicycle theft. Pickpockets is also becoming an increasing problem in the summer season, but it's still nothing like in larger cities in Europe. It is always a good idea to look after your belongings, this includes never leaving valuable objects visible in your car and locking your bike safely. There are no particularly unsafe areas in Bergen. The upper part of Nygårdsparken used to be the hang-out place for drug addicts. The lower part of Nygårdsparken is a beautiful place popular among the locals. To make the whole park family friendly the upper part was closed down and renovated for two years forcing the drug addicts to disperse. As a consequence they are now spread across the city. The drug addicts are usually completely harmless, but nevertheless not fun to be around.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Bergen
houses near body of water and mountain during daytime
houses near body of water under blue sky during daytime
panorama city view
people walking beside house
Bergen from above
I this a photo of Bergen from Fløyfjellet at night - cloudy skies gave the city a soft bluish tint, while the yellow lights below created a beautiful contrast. It felt calm, almost magical, standing there looking down at it all.
buildings in town facing body of water and mountains under cloudy sky
From Sandviken Area in Bergen, Norway in 2018.
a group of people standing on a dock by a body of water
a group of boats floating on top of a body of water
houses near body of water and mountain during daytime
houses near body of water under blue sky during daytime
panorama city view