Bergen

...for an unexpected trip to Bergen on Norway's west coast. We did the minimum of research save for digging out a rather elderly copy of the Rough Guide to Scandinavia which informed us that we had chosen to visit at the time of the International Culture Festival which rather put a dampener on our plans to pick up some accommodation when we arrived. A quick look on the Internet proved that there was barely a bed left and those that were available were ...
...know you can fly to Bergen from London, Newcastle and Aberdeen if there are other UK departures then please mention this in the comments section). Bergen is also well connected to other European cities and there are also plenty of domestic flights including several each day to and from Oslo.

Another way to get to Bergen is by ferry and there is a DFDS service from North Shields (Newcastle upon Tyne as they class it). However, this ... more

A Jet 2 flight sale in the late spring of 2007 was the catalyst for an unexpected trip to Bergen on Norway's west coast. We did the minimum of research save for digging out a rather elderly copy of the Rough Guide to Scandinavia which informed us that we had chosen to visit at the time of the International Culture Festival which rather put a dampener on our plans to pick up some accommodation when we arrived. A quick look on the Internet proved that there was barely a bed left and those that were available were in the five star bracket. Fortunately a rather helpful lady at the Tourist Information Office found us some great digs and so we set off with high hopes for a great weekend.

As far as I know you can fly to Bergen from London, Newcastle and Aberdeen if there are other UK departures then please mention this in the comments section). Bergen is also well connected to other European cities and there are also plenty of domestic flights including several each day to and from Oslo.

Another way to get to Bergen is by ferry and there is a DFDS service from North Shields (Newcastle upon Tyne as they class it). However, this entails a long sea crossing which lands you in Bergen in the evening and gives you only a few hours in port. I don't see the point myself. You may be able to buy a ticket that allows you to stay in Bergen, booking your own accommodation, and return on a different ferry. (Though I once did this on a trip to Amsterdam with DFDS and they don't much like you to do it)

Assuming you arrive by air, there is a shuttle service into the city centre that stops at the train station and the Scandic Hotel at the end of the Bryggen before stopping in town opposite the lake. It's a lovely journey and you get an immediate flavour of Norway as you pass wooden houses and climb the hills to get wonderful views of some of the fjords.

The higher end hotels are found mainly in the centre of town while the guest houses and private accommodation tends to be a little further out (though still just a short walk) on the stretch of land between the two harbours that leads eventually to the Bergen Aquarium perched almost at the tip. Seeing the little wooden house in which we were to stay really got me into the spirit for three days in Norway. It was so pretty with gorgeous flowers trailing across the walls and our attic room had great views over the harbour.

Now is the time to say that Bergen is a very wet place. It's all in the geography you see. Now, I'm no Wincey Willis but I do know it's something to do with the seven mountains that surround the city which does something or other to do with low pressure and hey presto it rains all the time (something like two and a half metres of rain annually!) This is why typical Bergen houses have such steeply pitched roofs and why people in Bergen tend to keep their coats on all the time. And why even a newsagents shop sells umbrellas. The good citizens of Bergen have about ten different words for rain - I have only one and I can't say it here.

The upshot is that you have to accept that you are probably going to get wet during your visit. Take a waterproof jacket, carry an umbrella, have some clothes to change into. After that you just have to get out there and explore. Don't bother diving into a pub thinking that you can shelter there until the rain passes; you'll be there all day and Norwegian beer prices don't really allow this type of behaviour. More on that later....

Your first port of call should be the Tourist Information Office. Here you can pick up a free map of the city and leaflets on all the main attractions as well as buy a Bergen Card and book tours. It's vital you make plans as soon as possible because the trips do sell out quickly and places are limited, especially if you are visiting in the height of summer.

If you know that there are lots of things you want to see that cost money then think about a Bergen Card. It gives you free bus travel within the city, free parking and free admission to most of the museums and attractions. However, it's not cheap so it's a good idea to look at how much you'll be using it and whether it really does offer you a saving. In 2008 the Bergen Card costs 190 Norwegian Kroner (approx £19.00) for adults for a 24 hour card and 250 NOK (approx £25) for 48 hours. Since we prefer to walk and only intended to visit a couple of places that charge an admission fee, we gave it a miss.

While you're in the Tourist Information Office take a look at the walls. The space is called the Fresco Hall and the murals were painted in the 1920s; there are three sections showing aspects of the Norwegian fishing industry, how that connects with Bergen and Bergen's status as a city with international trading connections.

The best place to see the evidence of Bergen's historic trading past is the Bryggen. 'Bryggen' means 'waterfront'' in Norwegian but it more generally refers to the line of brightly coloured wooden houses in the Hanseatic style that date back to the days when Bergen was at the very heart of European trade. The buildings have been burned to the ground on numerous occasions, the last time being the 1960s, but they have been painstaking rebuilt and they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

One of the buildings has been made into a museum that has recreations of rooms from the early eighteenth century and at the back of the Bryggen there are open air workshops where you can see traditional crafts being demonstrated. Other buildings in the Bryggen are restaurants (the type of over-priced tourist trap that Americans adore) and souvenir shops.

Moving away from the Bryggen, out towards the harbour mouth where the international ferries dock, is the castle which, although it isn't that interesting, does occupy lovely grounds.
Moving the other way, across the road, is the 'fisketorget''- the fishmarket - which is one of the most popular sights in Bergen. All over Bergen - on the walls in pubs and restaurants and guest houses - you will see lots of old photographs of the fisketorget in yesteryear when it was a bustling market at the heart of the city. These days fish is still sold here but there are only a handful of stalls left. The rest of the space is now occupied by a craft and souvenir market; this is the place to buy traditional Norwegian knitwear or a comedy reindeer hat. You can also buy vacuum packed fish to take home but you should be sure to sample the cloudberry preserve - it's wonderful!

The "Bergen Expressen", a dinky road train ,departs on a tour of the city from beside the fishmarket. Commentary is piped into each little carriage and is available in a host of languages. The trip takes you around the harbour and the lake before setting up the hill, past Troldhaugen (the house that belonged to composer Edvard Grieg), across to Mount Floyen where it stops for a few minutes to take in the views. It's not the greatest of tours but if it is really raining hard then it at least allows you to see something of Bergen without getting wet.

The best way to appreciate Mount Floyen, though, is to take the funicular to its summit. The lower station is a minutes walk from the fisketorget and the funicular leaves on the hour and the half hour. You may be lucky and hit an additional departure as they do happen occasionally. The funicular operates until 11.00pm and until midnight between May and August.

At the summit there is a restaurant and café that operates mainly in summer but may be open limited hours at other times. There is also a souvenir shop that is surprisingly cheap given that it's in Norway and that it's located in such a prominent location for tourists. The views from the terrace are amazing; this is the best place to get a grip on the unusual geography of Bergen. Energetic visitors may like to walk back down and there is a maze of paths to allow you to do that.

Like any major European city, Bergen is not without plenty of museums - Museum of the Norwegian Knitting Industry anyone - but there's something about the place that makes you want to be outdoors as much as possible in spite of the rain. How about a boat trip around the harbour or perhaps a bit further afield to the fjords? There are plenty of trips - half day and full day - though early booking is advised. If you prefer to stay on dry land but still want something watery how about a visit to the Bergen Aquarium? I loved the penguins so much I had to be dragged away because none of the kids could see past me!

Evenings are a bit odd in Norway - as they can be in any Scandinavian city. This is because drinking is so expensive (and also because it's still light at midnight!). Things tend to be quiet until at least nine o'clock except in very touristy places (like Irish theme pubs). By the fisketorget you can expect to pay something like 90 NOK for two beers - and that's one that comes in somewhere between a half and a pint. (This was in May 2007, based on today's exchange rate that's just over £9.00!) Stick to Norwegian beers - Hansa is perfectly acceptable - as the price of imported brands is astronomical. The next day we bought a few cans to drink in our room before we went out but you need to know that you can't buy beer in supermarkets after five pm, and slightly earlier on Saturdays. Around three on Saturdays you see men sprinting up the street to catch the supermarket before they stop selling beer.

Eating out is - by British standards - also expensive. I am sorry to say that I didn't eat much Norwegian food at all because of the cost. Instead we ate at an Indian restaurant and a Persian restaurant - both of them were cheap in relation to the usual prices in Norway. We did, however, eat fish and chips on Sunday lunch time from a stall at the fisketorget - it came in around £20.00 for two portions of battered fish and chips. And you pay extra for ketchup! Should you decided to do this take cover from the mutant seagulls which resemble vultures more than any simple seabird. If you can't stretch to this do at least have something Norwegian in the shape of cinnamon buns which costs hardly anything at all from baker's shops.

Of course, nightlife isn't all about drinking - and in Bergen it can't be unless you won the lottery recently. Luckily, as a previous holder of the title European City of Culture (in 2000) Bergen has lots going on in terms of musical and theatrical performances and the city plays hosts to several different cultural festivals throughout they year.

Overall we had a great trip although with hindsight I might have done things differently and considered the financial side of things more before deciding to go. I had several other trips planned and always had that in mind which restricted my spending a little. However, there were plenty of things that didn't cost much or didn't cost anything at all that gave us a good insight into the city and culture in the brief time we were there.

The best advice I can give is to be realistic about the cost and spend what you need to; you might never go back and it would be a shame to miss out because of scrimping. Bergen is certainly worth a visit - but do take a brolly! 

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