Bergen

The old Hanseatic capital on the west coast of Norway is one of those cities that tends to stay with people longer than they expected. Bergen is famous for its history as a trading town and fishing community, and for the mountains, fjords and archipelago that press in around it on all sides. It is also the southernmost starting and ending point for coastal voyages with Hurtigruten and Havila, and a natural gateway to the fjords and the western mountains beyond.

The city is easily reached by air, including on international routes, and by train from Oslo. The seven-hour Oslo to Bergen railway journey is widely regarded as one of the most scenic rail routes in the world, crossing high mountain plateaus and descending through valleys that shift with every season.

Within the city centre, walking is the best way to get around. You can cross the downtown in around 20 minutes in any direction, and most of what Bergen has to offer is within comfortable reach on foot. Cycling is less straightforward: many central streets are cobbled and designated cycling lanes are limited.

Bergen is surrounded by seven mountains, and getting above the city takes very little effort. The Fløibanen Funicular runs from the city centre to the top of Mount Fløyen at 399 metres, with panoramic views over the harbour, the surrounding archipelago and the mountains beyond. From the top, there are well-marked trails for walks of varying length. The paths can be slippery in wet weather, particularly where moss covers the rock, so reasonable footwear is worth thinking about. For wider views still, a cable car runs up to Mount Ulriken, the highest of Bergen's seven mountains at 643 metres, and there are hiking routes connecting the two summits for those who want a longer day in the hills.

Down at sea level, the Bergen Fish Market on the wharf is a good place to spend an hour at lunch, with fresh seafood, an easy waterfront atmosphere and a contemporary building that replaced the older open-air market. The Bergen Aquarium, a short walk along the Nordnes Peninsula from the city centre, holds one of Europe's largest collections of marine species. Alongside tanks covering Norwegian coastal and Arctic fauna, there are penguins, sea lions, otters, crocodiles and a tropical section. It tends to work well as a half-day, and is particularly good for families.

The old town of Bergen, Bryggen, lines the eastern side of the harbour and is the part of the city most immediately shaped by its trading past. The colourful wooden houses and narrow alleyways visible today were rebuilt after the great city fire of 1702, on medieval foundations that have remained largely unchanged since the 14th century. From around 1350, this was the site of the Hanseatic Kontor, one of only four such trading offices established by the Hanseatic League across Europe, and the only one still preserved today. German merchants controlled the stockfish trade from northern Norway here for roughly 400 years, until the office finally closed in 1754. Walking the alleyways between the old warehouse rows, rather than just along the waterfront facade, gives a much clearer sense of how compact and self-contained that community once was. Bryggen has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979.

About 10 kilometres south of the city centre, on the shores of Lake Nordås, sits Troldhaugen, the summer home of Norway's most celebrated composer, Edvard Grieg. He and his wife Nina lived here for the last 22 summers of his life, and the site has been a museum since 1928. The villa dates from 1885, the small composer's hut beside the lake from 1891. It was in that hut, locked away from the noise of the house, that Grieg wrote many of his best-known lyric pieces. The concert hall Troldsalen, purpose-built for chamber music and seating 200, holds daily lunchtime recitals through the summer. Troldhaugen is best reached by Bergen Light Rail (line 1 to Hop) or by tourist bus from the city centre.

Bergen is worth visiting in any season. Summer brings long days, warm evenings and the possibility of swimming in sheltered bays. Autumn strips the hillsides to gold and copper. Winter is quiet and often dramatic, with low cloud sitting in the valleys and the mountains dusted in snow. Rain is a constant companion in most months, which is simply part of what Bergen is: a city that has always looked outward to the sea rather than waiting for fine weather.

For us at 50 Degrees North, the particular pleasure of Bergen is less about ticking off attractions and more about simply being there: sitting by the water, wandering without a particular destination, and letting the city show itself at its own pace.

Explore our Norway tours that visit Bergen