Bergen: 12 reasons to book a trip to Norway’s second city today

But why stop there? As one the best gateways to the nation’s fjords (billed nowadays as Fjord Norway) you can easily combine a city break with an epic escape of a lifetime. 

Picture perfect streetscapes one day, cruises into the wilds the next, Bergen offers a break with real hidden depths…

Snap the beauty of Bryggen

Arguably Norway’s most iconic city scene, Bergen’s historic harbour is one of the most photographed spots in the entire country. 

A Unesco World Heritage Site, the medieval wharf is a domino of dozens of wooden houses which makes for gorgeous wandering as well as excellent Instagram moments.

Beyond the souvenir stores you’ll find fine artisan traders as well as the Hanseatic Museum which charts Bergen’s fascinating maritime trading history.

Enjoy the peak panorama

Bergen is built around seven hills and the most famous of them all is the scenic peak of Fløyen. You can reach it aboard the Fløibanen funicular, which itself is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Norway. 

Views of the city and the cruise ship-dotted harbour, ramp up with every cog turn and an impressive panorama (and a lovely café) await at the summit. 

That’s on a clear day, of course! Bergen is one of Europe’s rainiest cities, so pack a raincoat when visiting.

Savour a taste of Bergen

Bergen’s food scene is one of the most vibrant in Scandinavia with the city delivering a mouth-watering menu from nouvelle Nordic cuisine to imaginative ethnic restaurants. 

If traditional specialities tickle your tastebuds, be sure to order persetorsk; a sugar- and salt-cured cod dish which you can relish in restaurants like Bien Basar, where it’s served with pea purée and a cider-infused beurre blanc.

Elsewhere, you’ll find excellent options from Ethiopian at Horn of Africa to Indian at Varanasi at the waterfront. You can’t leave Bergen without trying a skillingsbolle either. 

The tasty buns have been Bergen’s favourite pastry for 500 years and you’ll find great versions at the likes of Baker Brun in Bryggen.

Wonder at Monch & Grieg

Bergen packs a cultural punch for a small city and features a number of blockbuster attractions for lovers of the arts. The city’s KODE museum, features the largest collection of works by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch outside of Oslo as well as masterpieces by other Norwegian greats like Harriet Backer and JC Dahl (€13). 

Classical music lovers should also earmark a visit to Troldhaugen, the former home of the composer Edvard Grieg, which now acts as a living museum and place of pilgrimage for fans of his works. (€11).

• kodebergen.no

Soak up Bergen beach life

The water may not rise much above 14˚C, but it’s not unusual for Bergen to really heat up come summer (the city’s top temperature is a pretty sizzling 34.7˚C). 

That means the city’s beaches become hugely popular draws in the summer months. From the city centre, the sandy beaches at Kyrkjetangen (8km) and Grønevika (15km), which is set in an arboretum, are some of the best locations to lay down your towel.

Trek with a view

Whether hail, snow or sunshine, Bergensers rank as some of the most outdoorsy urbanites in the world with the city’s wild environs offering endless hiking options throughout the year. 

The summit of Mount Floyen makes a great starting point for tourists and locals: The 5km hike onwards to Torrfjellet mountain is a popular intermediate route and features pristine pine forests along the way. For a more bite-size trail, take the 400m track to Lake Skomakerdiket from which you can even avail of free canoe rental in the summer. The trail is wheelchair and buggy-friendly too!

For Bergen’s sustainability cred

Bergen is consistently rated one of the eco-friendliest cities in the world and it’s the largest Nordic city to hold the Sustainable Destination label — that recognises locations which work systematically towards more sustainable tourism and which reduce the environmental footprint from tourism. Some of the noteworthy innovations to

clock include the city’s waste collection service — an underground air vacuum which moves tonnes of waste by airflow, while the 3km Fyllingsdalstunnelen is the world’s longest purpose-built pedestrian and cycling tunnel. Why not hire an e-bike to experience it (€42)?

• norwayactive.no

Discover Fjord Norway

Bergen is one of the main gateways to the Norwegian fjords, arguably one of the world’s most bucket-listed destinations. 

However, you don’t need to splash out on a luxury cruise to experience them… how about just €59?

From Bergen you can even hop aboard vessels like the Hardangerfjord Express which offers day cruises from the city’s harbour deep into the dramatic Vestland region. 

Once in the fjords, you’ll have three hours to explore the beautiful village of Rosendal before returning back to base.

• rodne.no

Toast cider country

Did you know that southern Norway is one of Europe’s top cider-producing regions? The Hardanger region, home to an endless patchwork of lush, mountainside orchards, is most famed for the drink and Hardanger cider today enjoys the same protected destination of origin status as the likes of Champagne or the Waterford Blaa.

The village of Ulvik features its own cider hiking trail where you can ogle at the gorgeous view before stopping off at the Syse Gard cider farm and economusée for a tasty tipple. Skål!

• sysegard.no

Hit the slopes

Come winter, the Vestland region of Norway is a downhill skier’s paradise and the season stretches from December to late April or even May in some resorts. Voss, a ritzy town with an air of a Nordic Aspen, is one of the best bases for those wishing to take in the slopes.

The town lies just one ride east of Bergen aboard Norway’s high speed train service. Expect blockbuster views along the way once you emerge from those (countless!) tunnels. Ski passes cost €40.

• vossresort.no

Take a fjord rib safari

If a cruise sounds a little too low energy, then consider exploring the area by booking a spot aboard a rib fjord safari. Operators like Hardanger Fjord Adventure offer exhilarating 90-minute tours from their bases in both Ulvik and Norheimsund. 

Expect to zip across the waters of the dramatic fjord landscapes as mountain peaks tower and waterfalls thunder around you. Tours run all year but autumn is a particularly spectacular season as the forests shrouding the fjords begin to rust. Decent value too at €65.

• hardangerfjord-adventure.no

Chase waterfalls

Many of Norway’s most memorable experiences won’t cost you a single krone and Vestland is punctuated with epic waterfalls.

Some of the most accessible in the region include Steinsdalsfossen which features a dramatic walkway behind the falls, while at Skjervsfossen, you can follow a stepped trail leading from the base to the very top of the cascade. 

A must is a trip to Skjervsfossen’s glass-bottomed public toilets which overlook the falls. Tourism Norway bills them as the best loos in the world!

Escape Notes

How to get there

You can fly direct from Dublin to Bergen with Scandinavian airline Wideroe; they currently have excellent value return fares from €220 which includes a carry-on and a checked bag; wideroe.no. 

If travelling to Vestland’s fjords, you can easily navigate to the main hubs via public transport; Norheimsund is a 1hr 15 bus ride from Bergen.

Stay there

With hotel rates in Ireland bumping up in recent years, travellers to Bergen may find accommodation more of a steal than expected. You can stay at the four-star Radisson Blu, located right in the heart of Bryggen, from just €145 per night; radissonhotels.com. 

For a stay amid the fjords, Thon Hotel Sandven in Norheimsund is a wonderful old world hotel offering an outstanding breakfast buffet, with rates from €127 ( thonhotels.com).

In the postcard village of Ulvik, the Brakanes Hotel offers dream waterfront views from as little as €133 per night; brakanes-hotel.no

For more, see: 

visitbergen.com

fjordnorway.com

• Thom was a guest of Wideroe, Visit Bergen & Fjord Norway