Things to see and do Bergen

The tourist brochures praise two beautiful views of the city: Fløyen and Ulriken. The Ulriken cable car is further from the centre. The funicular to Fløyen Hill is undoubtedly the most pleasant, taking you up to 320 m in 7 minutes and offering a superb view of the fjord. It is only 150 m from the market. It is also possible to go for a walk... or to go back down on a perfectly marked path, on the side of the mountain and in a beautiful vegetation. There is also a nice café and a shop.

Fjord Tour organizes trips throughout Norway. Since 2010, the company has been awarded the Norwegian Miljøfyrtårn label, a label that certifies the company's pro-environmental strategy. Fjord Tour's two most popular products are the Fjord Pass and their famous Norway in a nutshell, which takes you to many of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as Aurlandsfjorden and the Naerøydalen Valley, which are not to be missed! You can choose your mode of transport - train, bus, boat - combined or not.

On the port, there is the Fisketorget, the fish market. It is a very lively market where shrimps and fresh fish abound. But we also sell frozen crab sandwiches and souvenirs. Enjoying fresh salmon, grilled or smoked, is an unforgettable pleasure. It is a visit to make, but be aware that the prices are quite high because of the tourist traffic. However, you can simply stroll around and let yourself be tempted by a small fishcake for the taste.

To get to Ulriken, Bergen's cable car takes you 643 metres above the city, to the top of one of the city's seven mountains. You can buy a combined bus and cable car ticket at the Tourist Office (you will get all the information you need) or take the bus from the Småstrandgaten stop to Haukelandsbakken and get off at the Haukeland Hospital N stop. Then follow the signs to "Ulriken" and you will reach the cable car doors in a few minutes. Reduced fare with the Bergen Card. The view of Bergen, the fjord, the mountains and the sea from the top is spectacular. It's best to go up on a clear day. From the summit, several hiking trails start. Mount Ulriken is a bit out of the way, but it offers the best views of the city, and the opportunity to get away from the noise and crowds. It is also a way to realize how nature is never far away in Norway. It is also possible to go up to the top on foot, a very nice walk that takes about 2h30. The cable car was renovated in 2021, as was the restaurant at the top, which is a very pleasant place to take a break from eating with a great view of the city and especially of the fjords and islands in the distance. Free internet connection in the building, toilets and also a souvenir shop. Whether you stay two days or a week in Bergen, we think a visit to Ulriken is a must.

Board their boat to discover the fjords from Bergen during a half-day trip. Bergen-Mostraumen cruise and Hardangerfjord tour all year round by reservation. Departures also from Stavanger (visits to Preikestolen, Pulpit rock) and Tromsø, especially to see whales and the Northern Lights in winter on cold, clear days. In Bergen, the departure is next to the Fish Market. Depending on the cruise you choose, you can expect to spend anywhere from 3.5 hours to a full day.

This monument is a faithful copy of the original building, which was destroyed by arson (by a satanist group) in 1992. The church was originally located in the hamlet of Fortun in Sogn and dates back to 1150. In 1883 it was moved to Fantoft in Bergen. It is quite interesting to see that it is possible to rebuild the church exactly as it was. Even without the original history, this church is very beautiful and worth a visit.

The small, enchanted villa of the great Norwegian composer and pianist of classical music (Romantic period) is situated high up on a point of greenery overlooking Lake Nordås. Built in 1885 for Bergen-born Edvard Grieg, the house has been preserved in its original state since his death. This museum, which houses all Grieg's period furniture and personal objects, is a house that lives on thanks to the intimate concerts that are still held on the master's old piano. Grieg lived here for over twenty years at the end of his life. Today, there are concerts every day during the International Music Festival, as well as summer concerts on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are on sale at the tourist office. The new, larger concert hall is fortunately hidden under the bridge just before the house. A little further down the road, Grieg's very basic little working hut is practically at the water's edge. His coat, hat and violin still hang on the wall. From the only window, you can see the lake through the branches of the large weeping birches. Another historic building nearby, the Fantoft Stavkirke, a wooden church dating back to 1150, sadly went up in smoke in June 1992, in the wave of arson and Satanism that swept the country. It has since been rebuilt to its original appearance.

This open-air museum features 50 wooden houses from an old district of Bergen dating back to the ^17th century. In the old bakery, you can watch the making of Skillingsboller, Bergen's buns. There's also the old barber's shop, the photographer's, the tooth puller's... The rich bourgeois interior could have been the perfect setting for Ibsen's play Doll' s House. An attractive restaurant serves dishes that can be enjoyed on the terrace.

During the renovation of the city's iconic museum, the tour is in Schøtstuene and provides an opportunity to learn more about the wealthy Hanse traders who had a monopoly on trade in the north (dried cod, grain, salt). Bergen and Novogorod were among their most important trading posts. These great merchants lived separated from the rest of the population of Bergen in high houses lined up a few meters from the harbour. A nice visit.

KODE is the union of four art museums, all on the same campus, which present one of the best overviews of Nordic art in all of Scandinavia.

KODE 1 is the former Design Museum (located at Nordahl Bruns gate 9). The building houses the most important collection of Buddhist marble sculptures in Northern Europe. The permanent exhibition, "Man and Objects", tells the story of design and applied arts through 5 centuries.

KODE 2 hosts the annual temporary exhibitions, as well as the permanent collections of contemporary art.

KODE 3 houses the Rasmus Meyer collection, including several works by Edvard Munch, twenty large oil paintings, including Melancholy, Evening on Karl Johan, Jealousy and The Three Ages of Women, as well as works by the great Norwegian masters of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Romantic period is well represented by J.-C. Dahl with The Birch in the Storm and The Monastery of Lyse. We see Tidemand and Gude, the former with The Bad News and the latter with his High Mountain Landscape. Christian Krogh's stark realism shines through in The Struggle for Survival, while Kitty Kielland's magical light is captured in her Jaeren Landscape.

KODE 4 is devoted to 20th-century art, including Harald Solberg's numerous sketches of the Rondane Mountains. Also worth seeing are the Klee, Picasso, Miro, and the KunstLab, an art laboratory for children.

Tourist information on the site. From Bergen, the Tourist Office also offers many cruises for Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord as well as excursions in the surrounding mountains and glaciers of Folgefonn and Briksdalsbreen. The city has set up a menu that allows you to reach some museums free or discount, to have discounts on guides, the hotels.

The Bergen Aquarium is a 20-minute walk from the city center. It features many exotic and local fish, as well as penguins and sea lion shows. Visitors can enjoy shows in the outdoor pools and watch 3D documentaries. At specific times, the public can watch seals and penguins feeding, or hold a snake in their hands. A great activity for the whole family.

This majestic hall was erected in 1261 for royal ceremonies in Bergen, and was the centre of political decisions in Norway (King Magnus Lagabøter married the Danish princess Ingeborg Eriksdatter here the same year). The building had to be restored after being severely damaged by fire in 1944. The guided tours (also in French) include the Rosenkrantz Tower, a fortress built in the 1560s by Lord Erik Rosenkrantz.

It is Bergen's most beautiful summer house and perhaps the finest example of rococo architecture in Norway. The mansion was built in the 1770s and is now open to the public after extensive restoration work. The adjoining garden has been recreated as it was originally, with plants that were in vogue 200 years ago. This place can only be visited by reservation and guided tour. If you like architecture, do not miss this beautiful house.

The cathedral has been restored many times, but a very old part has been preserved, dating from the 12th century. The Gothic style still predominates, as evidenced by the choir and part of its tower. Recitals are held during the summer on Thursdays and Sundays. The service is in Norwegian, and in English in the summer. Note the churches in and around the town: Fana Church (30 minutes by bus), Johanneskirken, Korskirken, Mariakirken, Nykirken.

Bergen Guide Service offers walking tours, citysigthseeing by bus with licensed guides in Bergen. A la carte tours in more than 20 different languages. Several tour programs are offered, from 2 hours to a full day, in Bergen, in the Hordaland region to see Ole Bull's house in Lysøen for example... Tours are organized on Saturdays at 2pm and 4pm, in Norwegian and English, starting from Holmedalsgarden 4, in Bryggen. Contact them to help you put together your program in Bergen. A good option to get all the information live.

This open-air folk museum offers an insight into the traditions and daily life of Norwegians from 1000 years ago to the present day. During the summer, the traditional houses are open to visitors but there are no fixed times, so it is best to check before you visit. You can see houses, boats, textiles, fishing nets and tools. Please note that it is located 13 km from Bergen city centre, so you have to go by car or bus.

The city museum consists of two museums: the Museum of History and the Museum of Natural History. The History Museum tells the story of Norwegian art and cultural heritage and has important archaeological and anthropological collections. The Natural History Museum has many exhibitions and important zoological, botanical and geological collections. A very nice botanical garden and arboretum, if you are there in spring and summer of course.

Bergen, Norway's second largest city, offers a multitude of tourist attractions to suit all tastes. One of Bergen's must-sees is Bryggen, the old wharf famous for its colorful wooden houses. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Bryggen is home to the small Bryggen Museum, as well as numerous restaurants and boutiques. The fish market (Fisketorget) is also a popular attraction, where you can sample fresh seafood or buy Norwegian handicrafts. Other popular cultural attractions in downtown Bergen include the Bergen Museum, the medieval Bergenhus Fort and the KODE Art Museums, Scandinavia's largest collection of art, design and music. Lovers of classical music can also visit Troldhaugen, the home of composer Edvard Grieg. Surrounded by mountains and located close to the Sognefjord, Norway's longest and deepest fjord, Bergen is also a dream for active travelers and nature lovers. For the best panoramic views, take the Fløibanen funicular from downtown to Mount Fløyen and enjoy a stroll through the surrounding woods. Or take the Ulriksbanen cable car to the summit of Ulriken, the highest of Bergen's seven hills, for a refreshing hike with superb views. Bergen is also the departure point for the famous Hurtigruten coastal cruise, which follows the magnificent coastline to the town of Kirkenes. This cruise offers breathtaking views of the main sights of Bergen and the west coast. Bergen is easily reached by plane from Oslo International Airport, and by car or train from Oslo.

Bergen, a picturesque city on the west coast of Norway, is a popular tourist destination. With its colorful wooden houses, cobbled streets and charming atmosphere, Bergen offers visitors a unique experience. The Bergen Tourist Office offers a wealth of information to help you plan your stay. Whether you want to visit the famous fish market, explore the historic Bryggen district or take a hike in the surrounding mountains, you'll find all the information you need to make the most of your stay in Bergen.