Bergen

Bergen, Norway

The colorful wooden houses of Bryggen wharf in Bergen at sunset, reflected in the still harbor water.

Bergen rewards a wet-weather visit with wooden wharf houses, mountain walks and a funicular ride above the harbour.

The place

Bergen sits on Norway's west coast in the county of Vestland. The city centre and the northern districts face Byfjorden, the city fjord, and the land rises steeply behind them. About 290,000 people live here, which makes Bergen the second-largest city in Norway after Oslo. Mountains ring the town on several sides, which is why it is often called the city of seven mountains, and the hills are never far from the harbour. Many suburbs lie on islands or across the water, so ferries are part of daily life rather than a novelty. The old town is compact and easy to walk, but the streets climb quickly, so expect stairs and gradients in most districts. Rain is the thing everyone mentions. Mountains squeeze moisture from Atlantic air, and grey, wet spells can run for weeks. Locals rarely cancel plans because of it. They pack a good waterproof and keep walking. Summers are mild for such a northern city, and the long daylight in June and July makes evenings feel generous. Winters are damp and dark, with snow that tends to melt quickly. The city combines wooden wharf houses, modern waterfront architecture and a student-filled university quarter, so a walk from one to the next tells much of its story.

Its story

Bergen's written history begins with a founding story. Tradition credits King Olav Kyrre with founding the town in 1070 and naming it Bjørgvin, roughly 'the green meadow among the mountains'. Historians now think trade was already taking place in the area before that, with merchants arriving by sea along the coast. By the early thirteenth century the town had become the seat of a basic central government, and its cathedral hosted royal coronations, the first of them in the middle of the twelfth century. Bergenhus fortress, built in the mid-thirteenth century, guards the entrance to the harbour. The role of capital passed to Oslo later in the thirteenth century, under King Haakon V. From the late thirteenth century, North German merchants established one of the four Kontore of the Hanseatic League at Bryggen, the row of wooden wharf houses that still lines the harbour. The main export was dried cod from northern Norway, a trade that began long before the Hanseatic merchants arrived. King Håkon Håkonsson granted the town a monopoly on trade from the north, and Bergen kept exclusive rights to mediate that trade until the late eighteenth century. The town stayed Norway's largest city until the nineteenth century, when the capital, Christiania, overtook it.

What to see

Culture

Bergen has a lively cultural life for a city of about 290,000 people. The main concert venue is Grieg Hall, which seats 1,500 and is home to the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in the eighteenth century. The Bergen International Festival is the main cultural event of the year and fills concert halls, streets and churches for weeks. Two daily newspapers, Bergens Tidende and Bergensavisen, are read widely across the region, and a Christian national daily and an international shipping paper also publish here. Norwegians are generally reserved in public but friendly once a conversation starts, and they value punctuality and plain dealing. Queue in turn at bakeries and fish counters, keep voices low on early ferries and buses, and ask before photographing people working on the wharf.

What to wear

Bergen's dress tradition is shaped by wool, rain and the sea. The traditional costume is the bunad, a regional dress that varies by district and is worn on national occasions in May. Bunads are typically made from wool and linen, with embroidery in coloured wool thread and silver jewellery such as brooches and belt clasps, often in filigree. Many families keep one for a lifetime. Locals now dress for the weather more than for fashion. Waterproof shell jackets, wool jumpers and sturdy boots are everywhere, and the knitwear shops near the harbour sell the same kind of wool that has been used for generations. For a visit, pack a waterproof jacket with a hood, a warm layer that keeps its insulation when damp, and shoes with good grip for wet cobbles and steep wooden steps. Dress neatly for church services, and bring gloves and a hat even in summer.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. Late May to early September brings the mildest weather and the longest days, though rain can arrive at any time. May and September are quieter and cooler. Winter is mild for the latitude but short on daylight and wet throughout.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Bergen Airport, Flesland, is linked to the city by the Flybussen, which leaves from right outside the terminal building. Trains from Oslo arrive at Bergen's railway station after a long run across the mountains.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources