Bergen: the city of the Seven Mountains

Surrounded by seven hills and seven fjords, Bergen is also known as the city of the Seven Mountains. Norway’s second-largest city is located on the southwestern coast, and should definitely be part of your itinerary. So far, I’ve visited Bergen three times: once in 1998 and twice in 2018. Here are my top 7 tips:

7 tips for Bergen:

Go to the (Stave) Church

Start your sightseeing by visiting the Fantoft Stavkirke (Fantoft Stave Church). From the city center, take the Bergen Light Rail to Fantoft or Paradis; the church is a short walk from there (open every day 10:30-18.00, admission NOK 60). Once present in many parts of northern Europe, nowadays stave churches are almost exclusively found in Norway. This is one of the 28 still remaining in the country. Located in the Fana borough of Bergen, this elaborately carved wooden church was destroyed by arson in 1992, but has since been reconstructed.

2. From Bryggen to the top of Fløyen Mountain

Return to central Bergen. The most instagrammable sight is undoubtedly the colorful façade of Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf (also known as Tyskebryggen) by the Vågen harbor. Bryggen is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Next to it is the outdoor Fish Market, where you can enjoy an open salmon or whale sandwich (NOK 60).

Then, take the Fløibanen Funicular that goes 320m above sea level to the top of Fløyen Mountain, one of the seven mountains (the one-way ticket costs NOK 45). From there you can enjoy panoramic views of the city, the harbor, and the fjords, and, if the weather allows, follow the hiking trails, or simply walk downhill back to the city center.

I took the Fløibanen Funicular to enjoy this magnificent view of Bergen

3. The KODE Art Museums

Spend a day at the KODE Art Museums and Composers Homes (open every day 11.00-17.00, admission NOK 120). KODE 1, 2, 3 and 4 are located in the center of the city and house permanent and temporary exhibitions of art, including works by Edvard Munch, J.C. Dahlm and Nikolai Astrup. Three composers’ homes (Ole Bull Museum Lysøen, Harald Sæverud Museum Siljustøl, and Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen) are also part of KODE.

4. Visit Edvard Grieg’s villa

Enjoy a half-hour lunchtime concert in the Troldsalen chamber music hall at Troldhaugen, located right next to Edvard Grieg’s villa. Troldsalen is considered one of the most beautiful chamber music halls in Norway. The ticket includes the concert and a guided tour through Edvard Grieg’s villa (NOK 180). There’s also the option of a concert and bus package, which also includes transport to and from Troldhaugen (NOK 290).

The Troldsalen chamber music hall at Troldhaugen, Bergen — The Troldsalen chamber music hall at Troldhaugen

5. Jazz in Bergen

One of the largest jazz festivals in Norway is Bergen International Jazz Festival (also known as Nattjazz), which is held annually in late May/early June and takes place in a beautiful central location. Doors open at 19.00 or 20.00 except for Sunday (18:30); so you can combine it with sightseeing, or with a day trip to the fjords. Each evening there are up to 6 Norwegian or international bands or artists playing. In 2019 Nattjazz took place over 9 days, from May 24 to June 1, and the line-up includes both Norwegian and international artists (9-day pass NOK 2150, 5-day pass NOK 1250, 1-day-pass NOK 150-590). When the music stops (not before midnight), wander around in the twilight – it will soon turn into full daylight.

If you don’t visit during Nattjazz, check if there is a concert at the medieval Bergenhus Fortress.

6. Coffee, food and cocktails

By this time, you may have already realized that Norway is one of the most expensive countries you’ve visited. Food and drinks are particularly pricey. I had dinner at Royal Gourmetburger & Gin on Neumanns gate, and at Pingvinen on Vaskerelven, and I would recommend both. But, if you want to have a light and relatively inexpensive meal (breakfast/brunch/lunch), there are quite a few bakeries/cafés in Bergen. Norwegians are the 2^nd biggest coffee drinkers in the world (after the Finns), and the average coffee drinker has almost four cups per day; I, therefore, suggest these four places to have yours: Det Lille Kaffe Kompaniet (on Nedre Fjellsmauet) and Kaffemisjonen (on Øvre Korskirkeallmenning) are located near the port, whereas Blom (on John Lunds plass) and Kaffebrenneri (on Thormøhlens Gate) are near the University.

Alternatively, you could combine your visit to KODE Art Museums with a coffee or light lunch at Smakverket in KODE 2. Or, you could have dinner at Bien Centro in KODE 1, or a cocktail at Lysverket in KODE 4. Nygårdsgaten is also great for bar-hopping: Apollon, Garage, Legal, Don Pippo, or Ujevnt (on Christies gate) are all good choices to enjoy an aquavit-based cocktail.

7. Explore the fjords

Bergen is an ideal place to explore the fjords. Fjord Tours offer a wide range of options, including the popular ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ 10-hour round-trip, which was the one I chose. Take the 08.43 train to Myrdal, where you get on the Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) embarking on one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys, as rightly advertised on the sides of the green train. This 20 km-long train ride offers spectacular views of ravines, waterfalls, and mountains, and it also makes a short photo stop at the Kjosfossen waterfall. The 57-minute journey ends in Flåm, a tiny village located at the head of Aurlandsfjorden. Here you can stay for either one and a half or four hours before you take the ferry to Gudvangen. Or, if you want to make an overnight stop in Flåm, go hiking and further explore the beautiful fjord scenery, you can stay at the Fretheim Hotel and continue on the ferry the following day.

The 2-hour cruise on the Aurlandsfjord and then on the Nærøyfjord, the narrowest arm of Sognefjord, was simply the highlight of my 9-day trip. Together with the Geirangerfjord, the 17 km-long Nærøyfjord has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The ferry will bring you to Gudvangen; from there, a bus will take you to Voss, where you get on the train back to Bergen. On your way to Voss, the bus will drive past the Stalheim Hotel, Norway’s most spectacularly sited hotel, then down Stalheimskleiva, one of the steepest roads in Northern Europe. Also passing between Sivlefossen and Stalheimsfossen waterfalls, the view is all the way magnificent.

As mentioned, ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ is available as a day tour starting from Bergen (and also from Oslo, Voss or Flåm), but can be extended with overnight stays en route (from NOK 1600). Other popular tours include ‘Hardangerfjord in a Nutshell’ (from NOK 1570) and the ‘Sognefjord in a Nutshell’ (from NOK 1750). Both can be either done as a round-trip from Bergen or a one-day trip from Oslo to Bergen and they can also be extended with overnights stays.

cruising the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord near Bergen, Norway — Cruising the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord near Bergen, Norway.

Getting there

There are direct flights to Bergen from London and other European cities. There are also domestic flights from Oslo and other Norwegian cities. My favorite airlines are SAS and Norwegian (the latter offers free internet access during the flight). From the Flesland airport, take the train (45 minutes, NOK 35) or the bus to the city center (30 minutes, NOK 105-125).

I would strongly recommend taking the train from Oslo to Bergen (or the other way round), a distance of 496 kilometers. The journey, one of the world’s most scenic train rides, takes almost 7 hours. Crossing the Hardangervidda plateau at 1,237 meters above sea level, it is also the highest mainline railway line in Northern Europe. Prices vary between NOK 249 and 1000 depending on when you buy the ticket.

Accommodation

When I last visited Bergen, I stayed at Citybox (Nygårdsgaten 31). This modern hostel-hotel hybrid is located in the city center and is very close both to the train station (8-minute walk) and to Bryggen (20-minute walk).

How long and when to visit

Late spring and summer is the best time to visit Bergen (and Scandinavia in general), as the days are really long. This is also when most of the jazz festivals take place. I would recommend staying in Bergen for four-five days, or more (especially if you plan to attend Nattjazz).