Our walking tour of Bergen commenced at the Bryggen quayside, the historic centre of Bergen.
Here the old warehouses used by the Hanseatic merchants have been painted bright colours – reds and yellows – and converted into shops and restaurants. But if you take short walk through one of the narrow overhanging alleyways you feel that you step back in time to a place steeped in history and hardly touched by the passage of centuries.
A short walk from Bryggen brings you to the famous Bergen Fish Market. Bergen is still very much a fishing port and this is clearly visible when you walk through the stalls selling freshly caught seafood. A popular tradition is to buy a pot of freshly boiled shrimps and eat them whilst strolling around looking at the days catch.
From the fish market we made our way to Lille Lungegårdsvannet, which is an attractive little park with an octagon-shaped lake. This is a popular place for the locals to stroll around and also for outdoor concerts. In addition, this is the location of the traditional annual opening of the Christmas which includes a torch light procession and fireworks display. Surrounding the lake is a number of galleries and museums including the Bergen Art Museum.
Heading back to our hotel we passed the Fløibanen funicular which takes you up to the top of Mount Fløyen (320m) and offers a magnificent view over Bergen. Unfortunately for us the weather had started to close in, so we decided to save this for another day! For those visiting Norway’s second largest city, a journey to the summit of Mount Fløyen is a must. For the active, walking trails lead upwards to the viewpoint.
For those staying in Bergen for a couple of days we would recommend a 20 minutes stroll from the centre of city centre is The Bergen Aquarium. Attractions include a variety of seals and penguins and one of Europe’s largest collections of fish and invertebrates.
Alternatively, use Bergen as a base to explore the Aurlandsfjord and Naeroyfjord, as well as famous Flam Railway, on the Norway in a Nutshell tour.
All in all Bergen is an interesting place to visit and makes a good place to spend a few days at the start or end of a holiday.
Will Rist
Sunvil Discovery
