Gingerbread by the Kilometre at Kong Oscars gate
Step out of the December dark and into Pepperkakebyen, the gingerbread city at Kong Oscars gate 24–26, and you are walking through a miniature Bergen built from dough. Roughly half the city's citizens contribute to it, which is why the display is described as the world's largest gingerbread town. It runs from 14 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 and is open daily from mid-November. Come hungry for the end of the tour, where gingerbread hearts are handed out.
Markets, Lights and the Advent Climb up Fløyen
Bergen's Christmas season opens with the Festival of Lights on 14 November, centred on Lille Lungegårdsvann lake in the city centre, and closes with fireworks over the water. From 20 November to 22 December 2026, the Bergen Christmas Market fills Festplassen square with local food producers and crafts — this is where you buy your way through the afternoon. Beyond the main square, numerous smaller markets appear across the city and the surrounding region; Visit Bergen publishes the list and map with 2026 dates as they are confirmed.
- Bryggen: the wharf is decorated for Christmas, with local artists, designers and cafés open among the timber fronts.
- Julehuset at Bryggen: open all year, but in November and December two floors fill with nisser and Christmas decorations.
- Mount Fløyen: a traditional candle lighting every Sunday of Advent.
- Christmas concerts: a large selection runs throughout December — check listings for the venue and date that suits you.
Christmas Eve Itself: Services, Dinner and the Quiet Streets
Norwegians celebrate on 24 December, and Bergen does it with a family meal followed by presents. If you are in the city for the day, the churches of the centre hold services in Norwegian, with times that in 2025 ran as follows: Bergen Cathedral at 14:30 and 16:00; St John's Church at 16:00; St Mary's Church at 14:30, 16:00 and 23:00; and Nykirken at 14:30. On 25 December, St Mary's Church holds an English-language service at 11:00, alongside Bergen Cathedral at 11:00 and St John's Church at 12:00; Bergen Cathedral also holds a service at 11:00 on 26 December.
The traditional Bergen Christmas dinner is mutton ribs (pinnekjøtt), fish, or pork ribs, served with sauerkraut, swede, gravy and boiled potatoes. Book your table well ahead — the meal is the centre of the evening, and the city largely closes around it.
Shopping Hours and Where to Spend New Year's Eve
Between 10 and 23 December, city-centre shops stay open Monday to Friday until 20:00 (malls until 21:00), Saturday until 18:00, and Sunday until 14:00 or 19:00. On Christmas Eve they close at 13:00, with some exceptions; Christmas Day and Boxing Day are closed; on New Year's Eve they close at 16:00, again with some exceptions.
New Year's Eve is spent in restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and bars, or at home, and at midnight the fireworks are visible across the city centre. The night buses and the Bergen Light Rail run all night, so you can stay out without watching the clock.
Plan Around the Calendar, Not Against It
Note that open attractions and open tours for the Christmas period are still listed from 2025, with 2026 versions published closer to the time, so build your days around the fixed points — the gingerbread city from 14 November, the market on Festplassen until 22 December, the Advent candles on Fløyen, and Christmas Eve itself. For a sense of the local traditions before you arrive, the "Christmas in Bergen" podcast covers the holiday events and customs. Start with your flights and a table for pinnekjøtt, then let the rest of December fill in around them.