Last week found us visiting Bergen in Norway and I have to say that I was blown away by this spectacular city!
Unfortunately we were only there for four days and two of those days my husband was busy with meetings. But, as I’ve said in the past, this just means we’ll have to take the time to make a second visit!
There are many things to do in Bergen. I took a walking tour around the old part of the city and I highly recommend this as a way of learning the local history. Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave us some fascinating insight into Bergen customs, traditions and myths. The Old Houses, on the old wharf of Bergen (erected in Medieval times out of pine) were also a main attraction of the walking tour. This UNESCO heritage site is still maintained today in the traditional way. The pine slats that make up the walls are all hand hewn and fixed using wooden nails. These houses were the focal point for the local Bergen trade in the 14th – 16th centuries and are truly interesting to explore. Today there are a number of businesses and restaurants in the Old Houses. Why not stop at the “The Back Pocket Bar”, a quaint little cocktail bar tucked away at the back of the buildings and dripping in old world charm or try the Unicorn for some traditional local seafood. The food here was delicious and the atmosphere redolent of the local history — it will not disappoint.
There is a train and a cable car (in separate areas of the city), which will take you to the peak of two of the local mountains. We took the train up to be greeted by a stunning view over Bergen. If you’re feeling energetic you can walk up and/or down the mountain and once at the top you can also take advantage of some fabulous walking trails. There is also a restaurant and a kiosk.
The fish market is also worth a wander around. It’s not big but you can stop here to take some local seafood at the restaurant or just take some time to check out all the different offerings!
Be warned, Norway is expensive and whilst the locals speak English, in Bergen at least, all the signs and menus are in Norwegian. Explanations, guides books and menus however, are available in various languages.
Of course no Norwegian blog post would be complete without a piece on the famous fjords. We did take a boat tour. This was so magical and we took so many lovely photos that I’ve decided to dedicate next week’s post entirely to the fjord tour.
I hope you can tune in next week to discover more about this amazing part of the world.
