Bergen travel guide

Bergen, Norway

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Bergen

Introduction

Bergen is a city and municipality in Vestland county, on the west coast of Norway. It sits on the country's western edge, and among Norwegian cities it is second only to the capital, Oslo.

Before you go

Bergen's character comes from its setting: steep mountains, straits and fjords wrap around a compact centre, and lakes sit within the city itself. It is a wooden town through and through, with neighbourhoods of small wooden houses in varied styles even downtown, though taller masonry buildings have replaced them in places, leaving a mix of old and new. The centre is walkable for most visitors, but the wider city stretches far in either direction, its districts divided by mountains, fjords and lakes, and the outlying parts are of less interest to a visitor. Reaching Bergen from eastern Norway once meant days of sailing around the coast; the railway arrived only in the early 20th century.

Expect changeable, damp weather and pack accordingly. The city faces the ocean and sits far north, so conditions shift quickly, and the terrain is the hilliest and most mountainous in Norway. The centre is ringed by the peaks known as the Seven Mountains, and its slopes climb steeply from the waterfront, so comfortable shoes matter more than anything else. Fires have repeatedly reshaped the city, which is why few medieval buildings survive, but the settlement pattern along the inner harbour has held for roughly a thousand years. The historical heart lies on the eastern shore of Vågen, at Bryggen, the fortress and the old churches, while the western shore became the modern centre.

Getting there

Bergen Airport Flesland (BGO) sits about 19 km south of the city and handles international flights from Copenhagen, London and Amsterdam, along with UK cities such as Newcastle, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, plus Prague, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt and various Spanish airports. Domestic routes from Oslo, Trondheim, Stavanger, Tromsø, Kristiansand and Sandefjord also connect Bergen to further international hubs. SAS and the low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle are the main Norwegian airlines, KLM flies to Amsterdam, Lufthansa to Frankfurt, and Widerøe serves the smallest airports. A spacious new terminal replaced the old one in 2017.

From the terminal, the Flybussen bus stops right outside and runs frequently through the day, calling at Bryggen, Fisketorget and the bus terminal, with a journey downtown of roughly 30–40 minutes. Buy your ticket before boarding to save a little, either online, from a machine or a vendor; machines are next to luggage collection in arrivals and at the airport bus stop. The Bergen Light Rail has its southern terminus at the airport, in the basement outdoors, and is the cheapest way downtown since it charges ordinary public transport fares; it runs very frequently with up to twelve departures an hour, but as a stopping service it takes 45 minutes to reach Byparken. Bus line 23 is the only other public transit option, serving the western neighbourhoods of Søreide and Loddefjord during weekday morning and evening rush hours. Taxis cost considerably more, and car rental offices from Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar and National are in the terminal building by the exit, with limited weekend hours though some offer 24-hour rental by reservation.

Bergen is served by a single railway line, the Bergen Line, which runs from Oslo via Hønefoss; Bergen is the last stop, and the city has just one station, in addition to one at Arna to the east. The journey takes about seven hours and offers beautiful views, especially over the final three hours across the plateau and down towards Voss and Bergen, crossing a high mountain plateau near Geilo. Fares can be low if you book online well in advance, and you can pay extra to upgrade to Vy Pluss, the equivalent of first class, with slightly better seats and free coffee and tea. For the best view, take a window seat on the left-hand side of one of the recently upgraded trains, which are stylish and have power outlets at every seat. Entur handles tickets on all long-distance train and bus lines in Norway and is easiest if you need to switch between train and bus or between operators. The ticket office keeps limited hours, outside of which you must use the machines, and tickets booked through an agent, including Norway in a Nutshell, must be collected from the office. A small deli sells coffee, snacks and some supermarket items and opens early and late, while a small cafe has limited hours. Universal access is a priority for Vy: book by phone or at the station at least a day ahead to flag any special needs, most trains have lifts or ramps and accessible toilets, wheelchairs can be secured on board, and larger stations have tactile lines for the visually impaired with staff on hand to assist. Bergen station sits in the eastern corner of the city centre at Strømgaten 4, close to the bus station and the Bygarasjen parking facility.

Arriving by car, it is better not to take your vehicle into the city centre unless you know exactly where you are going, since most streets are one-way or closed to cars entirely, reserved for buses and taxis. Parking is generally forbidden downtown inside zone 1 unless explicitly permitted, and restricted outside it. Many roads in rural areas, even highways between cities, are partly narrow and slow; there are no motorways except a few kilometres around the city, and most main roads such as the E16 and road 7 are two-lane undivided with an 80 km/h limit. Even if others drive fast, mind the speed limits and drive to the conditions, as help in the mountains can be hours away and traffic controls and unmarked police cars are common, with very high fines. Stopping to let faster traffic pass is a good idea. Except in and around Bergen, traffic is generally light, though road 7 can be busier during summer vacation and around weekends. The E16 from Oslo and Voss circles from Arna through Åsane, joining the E39 on a motorway toward the centre from the north; at Sandviken the wide road continues through a long tunnel to the southern end of the centre to avoid it, while those heading in can exit at Sandviken or just after the tunnel. The southern approach on the E39 comes from the Halhjem ferry dock at Os and arrives downtown just before the long tunnel. Find good parking and explore the centre on foot or by public transport.

Driving from Oslo and eastern Norway takes between seven and nine hours depending on route, conditions and stops, and you should add hours in winter when daylight is scarce for many months. All routes from Oslo to Bergen cross mountain passes, and in winter it may be wise to spread the trip over two days if you are not used to such conditions, since a long drive on icy, dark roads in bad weather is not pleasant. If you cross the mountains in winter, prepare thoroughly: keep a full tank of fuel and warm clothes, food and drink in the car, make sure your tyres suit winter conditions, as all-year tyres are not good enough, and that your skills match snowy, cold driving. Roads often close at short notice because of weather; call 175 in Norway for advice on conditions and closures, or check the online road reports from the Norwegian State road authorities, and note that not all parts of the country have mobile coverage. From Stavanger, the quick route is the E39 past Haugesund, Stord and Os, taking about five hours and including two ferries, while a more scenic option detours along road 13 through the inner fjords via Odda and Hardanger. Routes also lead in from Ålesund and other towns and villages north of Bergen.

Getting around

Downtown Bergen is compact and best explored on foot — you can walk across the centre in about twenty minutes in any direction. The most central streets are relatively flat and generally accessible, with rounded sidewalk corners for wheelchairs, sound signals and tactile paving at the most important pedestrian crossings, and little cobblestone in pedestrian areas. Be aware, though, that the characteristic alleys and narrow streets on the slopes often have stairs rather than ordinary surfaces, so they are not wheelchair-accessible and can be difficult to walk for the disabled. The centre sits on flat ground while hills rise in virtually every direction, so heading downhill usually brings you back towards the centre. Navigation is made easier by clear landmarks: the bay of Vågen with Bryggen and the Fortress on its eastern side, Mt Ulriken for large parts of the city, the red-brick, green-roofed St John's Church downtown, and the sturdy theater building at the top of Ole Bulls place. The main square, Torgallmenningen, is a pedestrian zone, and the Nordnes peninsula points north from the very centre. Even so, threading through the irregular streets can be challenging, and getting around by car is equally difficult because of hills, narrow streets and many one-way streets — what looks close on the map may be a long drive.

Bergen's street names follow their own logic, and knowing them helps you find your way: allmenning are wide streets or squares laid out at strategic points to stop fires spreading, often perpendicular to main streets and the waterfront; smug or smau are narrow alleys, usually too narrow for cars and sometimes so steep they have stairs; smalgang is even narrower; strede is an old word for street; gate means street; vei or veg means road; kai and brygge mean quay or wharf; and plass means square. A handful of names carry no such suffix at all — Bryggen ("the Wharf"), Strangehagen, Klosteret, Georgernes Verft, Marken, Engen, Krinkelkroken, Galgebakken, Arbeiderboligen, Torget and Vaskerelven among them.

Where to stay

Outside the summer season, finding a room is usually straightforward, though it can be expensive unless you book ahead. From May to September, reserve well in advance. Breakfast is normally included in the room price, except at hostels and camping sites.

Food & drink

Bergen's restaurant scene rewards those who wander. In the most central parts of downtown, many restaurants are much the same, so move a block away from the middle of things to find lower prices and better food. Kitchens close early, so plan your evening meal accordingly. Tap water is safe to drink and usually free of charge, so ask for it if you want to save money. Staff earn good wages, so tipping is not required, but rounding up or adding five to ten percent is appreciated if the service and food were good.

Local food takes some effort to find, since not many local dishes appear on restaurant menus. The food of the husmann is nutritious and cheap rather than restaurant fare, but you can seek out Bergen fish soup, raspeballer and cooked cod. For a gourmet take on Norwegian flavours, look for dishes using local ingredients such as reindeer, stockfish and cod with a twist, like filet of reindeer farced with goat cheese. Raspeballer, potato dumplings usually served with bacon, sausages, salted sheep meat, melted butter and mashed rutabaga, appear at many cafes and restaurants on Thursdays; try Pingvinen or Bjellands Kjøkken for excellent versions, or Kjøttbasaren for takeaway. Madam Bergen does reasonable take-away fish soup, fish-balls, plukkfisk and fish-gratin. In November, December and January, many restaurants serve traditional Christmas food: pinnekjøtt, lutefisk and ribbe, and for something very special, smalahove, a dish from Voss. For Norwegian homecooking, Pingvinen serves good portions in a usually crowded bar. Budget options cluster in the centre and around the train station, covering pasta, pizza, kebabs, Chinese and Thai food, while Bryggen Tracteursted and Enhjørningen offer more formal meals in historic surroundings.

What to see and do

Bergen rewards you for slowing down: the atmosphere, cultural landscape and architecture tend to stay with visitors longer than any single sight, so pick a few attractions and spend the rest of your time in a park or café, strolling the streets, at a concert or hiking the mountains. On sunny summer days, stay downtown until late to enjoy the sunset in the north. The rugged landscape gives the city an abundance of panorama points. Mt Fløyen and Mt Ulriken are the classic viewpoints, reached by funicular and cable car respectively, or on foot if you're feeling sporty. Closer to the centre, the Fjellveien panorama road runs largely level and pedestrian between Sandviken and Bellevue, while Skansen, just above the funicular's lowest station, the Tippetue footpath, the top of the Nordnes peninsula and St John's Church on Nygårdshøyden all give easy outlooks over the centre. Sandviksbatteriet above Sandviken hospital and the Montana residential area at the foot of Mt Ulriken offer further views.

Traditional wooden houses, often set in irregular patterns along narrow streets and passages, still dominate several downtown neighbourhoods, and are best seen on a relaxed stroll. Look for them in Nordnes and the adjacent Nøstet area, the steep slopes of the Fjellsiden neighbourhood behind Bryggen, Marken north of the railway station, Ladegården and upper Sandviken, Skuteviken around its small bay, and lower Sandviken near the market square. Remember that people live in these houses. Downtown, the KODE art museums hold renaissance and contemporary work including pieces by Edvard Munch, while the West Norway Museum of Decorative Art covers design and Chinese art. The fish market is the historic centre of fish trade, now lined with stalls and souvenir shops where you can sample whale, salmon and salmon caviar. St Jørgen's Hospital, the Leprosy Museum, tells the story of the disease and of Armauer Hansen's discovery of its cause. You can also visit St Mary's Church, the oldest remaining building in the city, the Bergen Aquarium with its penguins, seals and shark tunnel, and the three-masted barque Statsraad Lehmkuhl at the harbour.

When to go

Bergen is Norway's warmest city, but it is also one of Europe's wettest, so rain is possible at any time of year and mild temperatures are the norm in every season. Winter brings frost just below freezing and some snow, though genuinely cold spells are rare and even January stays mild by Norwegian standards; rain remains frequent, as it does throughout the year.

If you want the best odds of dry weather, aim for spring. April is a relatively dry month, though cooler than summer, and rain is still possible. May is usually the month with the least precipitation, and with many local events taking place it is probably the best time to visit — conditions are drier and the city's parks and open spaces are at their best. Summer is almost as good: July has the highest mean temperature, with August close behind, and although the rain is frequent, you shouldn't let it keep you away — when the sun breaks through, the city twinkles and glows, and locals make the most of the sunny days.

Three days in Bergen

Day one: Start by getting your bearings in Bergen, the gateway to the fjords in Vestland, Norway. Reaching Bergen is straightforward, whether you arrive at Bergen Airport Flesland (BGO) or by train from Oslo. Expect a compact centre that is easy to explore on foot. Begin around Vågen, the harbour at the heart of the city, and walk the waterfront at Bryggen, the historic wharf district. The Seven Mountains frame the city, so take your time to look up and orient yourself. In the evening, settle into the easy rhythm of the harbour area.

Day two: Use Bergen as your base for a wider look at the region. Domestic connections and flights from Bergen Airport Flesland make it possible to reach other parts of Norway, including Trondheim, Stavanger, Troms, Kristiansand and Sandefjord. Several airlines serve the city, among them SAS, Norwegian Air Shuttle, KLM, Lufthansa and Widerøe. International routes link Bergen with Copenhagen, London, Amsterdam, the UK, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Prague, Dublin, Paris, Berlin and Frankfurt. If you prefer to stay local, spend the day between the harbour and the surrounding streets, keeping the Seven Mountains in view.

Day three: Return to the centre and take in Bergen at an unhurried pace. Revisit Vågen and Bryggen in the daylight, when the waterfront is at its most active. If your travels continue, connections from Bergen Airport Flesland make onward journeys simple, whether to Oslo or further afield. Before you leave, spend a final hour around the harbour, watching the life of the city against the backdrop of the Seven Mountains.

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