Fresh Fish and Funiculars in Bergen
A diary/ travel guide for a week in Bergen, Norway.
If it’s your first time visiting Bergen/ Norway, I can assure you’ll be blown away by the view from the plane alone as you’re approaching touchdown. However, the combination of exhaustion from an early flight, hangriness, and lugging a suitcase around makes it that much more difficult to suss out a way from airport to hotel. Luckily, the only thing confusing about exiting Bergen’s airport needs to be the giant question mark punctuating the city’s title in large yellow font on the other side of the road (if anyone’s figured that out yet please let me know…)
‘Visit Bergen’’s website is filled with helpful resources for your trip, and they very kindly offer handbooks in several different languages for tourists at the airport. The security and staff are also incredibly helpful if you have any uncertainties. From a first-time visitor’s pov, I’d say the airport bus is the least overwhelming approach to begin with. You can of course catch a taxi or the Bergen Light rail line if you prefer, but if anything I would strongly suggest booking a hotel located in, or a few minutes walk from, Bergen’s city centre.
I stayed at the Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz, which is situated a short walk from the liveliest part of Bergen, but maintains its own serene and safe energy in being tucked away behind the main roads, overlooking parks and shops. If you’d like to check out this hotel, their website information is here, or they offer deals along with flights on lastminute.com.
The ‘Flybussen’ stops right outside the airport exit, with wonderful staff who are typically English speaking too, and incredibly friendly and helpful. You can book a ticket for the bus in advance here (saving you 30 NOK as opposed to buying a ticket upfront). The views from the coach are a wonderful introduction to Bergen, and if you’re lucky your driver may entertain with a guided tour over the mic…
Conveniently, the bus stops just outside some great restaurant locations in the city centre if you’re feeling like you need some fuel after some long travel, however you might want to leave your suitcases with your chosen hotel beforehand. The Thon hotel is about a 5 minute walk from the bus stop, and they’re happy to take your bags until your room is open. If you’re staying elsewhere and are unsure of the bag storage situation, I’d recommend asking if it’s possible to keep your suitcase behind the reception desk in the meantime. Bergen can get quite hilly and it’s ideal if you have as little luggage on you as possible in my opinion!
Porto 13 Pizzeria and Bar was our first stop upon arrival – admittedly not very ‘immerse-in-Norwegian-culture’ of us, but the staff are wonderful, the setting cosy and calm, and the food is exactly what you need after an extensive period of airport snacks and the luke-warm bottle of water from the depths of your backpack. Alternatively, the fish market, as well as Olivia Zachariasbryggen (another Italian treasure) which overlooks the water, are both delicious and set in stunning locations. Acquaint yourself with Bergen properly as you watch the boat tours go by and immerse in the hustle and bustle of Torget.
Though it’s not the most extravagant stop to make, I couldn’t get through this portion of the blog without telling you about the conveniently situated 7-eleven in the same area. If you’re in need of hotel snacks, or you forgot the adapter plug, it’s notoriously a spot for the essential bits.
I tend to need the remainder of the travel day and a good night’s sleep before I can properly get into the adventure portion of the trip, so if you’re visiting the Funicular (sorry, when you visit the Funicular because you have to!!), I would recommend leaving yourself the majority of the day.
It was a three minute walk from our hotel, where a queue winds round outside the ticket desks full of exuberant families, plus the occasional hiker who gets a lift up for the downhill walk, instead of braving what feels like a 90 degree climb.
As you glide up and over the hills, looking over the stunning fjords and buildings of Bergen, packed in a limited space with dozens of other strangers, there’s a warm sense of community and shared excitement to reach the highest point of Mount Fløyen together.
I was unaware just how memorable this specific adventure would come to be, making such an impression I had to return on my last day. Being the food enthusiast I am, I can’t go on without mentioning the fantastic cafe at which I was first introduced to Solboller (‘sun buns’), which puts a delicious twist on sticky cinnamon buns by filling the centre with thick vanilla custard. It wouldn’t be a bad idea dropping everything and moving to Bergen for these alone, not to mention the amazing coffee, focaccia sandwiches, and ice cream.
An odd but necessary suggestion I must make is visiting the gift shop to pick up one of the handmade troll models. To this day, it might be the best memento I have from any trip ever. I’m such a sucker for their souvenirs I can no longer have my morning coffee if it’s not in my Bergen mug.
But enough about the material stuff – the sights are to die for, and so are the mountain goats. Yes… goats. They walk freely on the grounds, and if you’re lucky they may come and quietly lay down nearby as you sit overlooking the city.
The Funicular runs both up to the top and back down to the exit, but if possible I implore you to take the walk down. The benefit is that it’s a lot easier than walking uphill, but you still get to immerse yourself in the beautiful forest trails as opposed to watching it roll by a glass window. The winding paths give you a 360 view of the city, while the towering pine trees offer a new perspective and are somewhat reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s ‘folklore’ shoot. (Get used to the t.s. references…)
As you reach the end of the walk down, there’s a large fountain just to the right (which I can imagine would be a beautiful place to sit on the steps of in summer), and if you continue you can make your way down to the iconic Bryggen. The historic harbour is, as I’m sure you know, a big tourist attraction, so you could also dedicate a separate day to exploring this part of the city. My personal favourite is Julehuset, the Christmas decoration store that is open all year round and fully covers three floors – they also have brilliant Norwegian souvenirs (the search for the mini troll collection continues my friends…).
If you make your way behind this popular street, there are also tons of wooden huts filled with mementos and some beautiful work from local independent artists.
The Nordnes pool is another location that can’t be missed, located in the middle of the park of the same name. The park itself is a beautiful walk, especially in the spring and summer months where you can catch the sun and simultaneously a birds-eye view of the fjords, mountains and ever ascending stacked multi-coloured houses.
You can choose the outdoor heated pool – still a refreshing experience in the crisp outdoor air – though I implore you to brave the sea no matter your tolerance for cold water! Wim Hof’s cold water immersion theory certainly applies once you find yourself bounding out of a Norwegian fjord feeling like you could conquer the world, it’s a serotonin hit you can’t match. Besides, if it’s getting a little too icy they offer a sauna that overlooks the water beautifully, leaving you perfectly cleansed and calm.
The live temperature of both the outdoor pool and sea are recorded online here, so you don’t have to make it all the way over if the weather isn’t ideal that day. Oh, and here’s some handy inside scoop… if by any chance you’re entering the park/ pool and happen to see guests leaving with entry wristbands, check if they have time left on theirs to avoid having to get your own! It so happened that as we were on our walk there, towels in hand, a couple of fellow tourists had forgotten to return theirs and passed them along to us to fill out their time slot.
Light snacks are also available there, but Nordnes Sjøbad is located only 1km from the city centre so the food options are endless. If you’re like me and enjoy a hearty meal after a swim, I recommend the Daily Pot for either lunch or dinner. it’s a delicious and intimate restaurant serving soups where you can choose your fillings/flavours, or select from their power bowls and sandwiches. The portions are nice and generous for their prices and the staff are wonderful. I would recommend booking in advance as they can get a little busy, or you can even order for pick up if you prefer.
If you’re looking for food with yet another breathtaking view, I recommend Kippers Bar and Kafe. It’s located right by the USF – a modern and vibey music, arts and film venue – which hosts various entertainment events if you’re interested in catching a movie or show while in Bergen! Kippers offers a delicious menu but it’s also a beautiful location to grab some drinks and/or snacks and soak in the view from the outdoor seating. Only 18 minutes walk from the city centre, with some gorgeous sights along the way, it’s definitely worth stopping by to check out (option to pre-book here if you wish).
Walking through the streets and alleyways, you may notice Norwegian flags and banners adorning the traditional wooden architecture, an attestation to the civic engagement and celebration of culture and history. I was unaware at the time that we’d happened to book our trip just after Norwegian Constitution Day, the 17th May. If I’d known, I certainly would have booked the trip a few days earlier to bear witness to the festivities! But thankfully, many prolong the event, walking around in traditional costume (bunads) and waving or handing out flags.
I got to have many a memorable conversation with the residents around the streets of Strangehagen about the anticipation leading up to the event and have since made a promise to myself to ensure my next trip back will see the 17th May. I would implore you to do the same if possible, the spirit itself is palpable and the traditional costumes beautiful.
The good energy couldn’t be more of a reflection of the people and how they take care of themselves and each other. I highly doubt you’ll find many hotels with tables dedicated to fish oils and multivitamins for guests to use for free elsewhere. I’ve found the encouragement for healthy living in most Scandinavian countries so refreshing, and it’s worth noting how it offers no gain for the employees besides the satisfaction of customers.
What stands out the most is the staff at the Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz Bergen, who were so friendly and approachable that by the time I had to depart we were exchanging hugs goodbye, desperate to return the moment we stepped back on the coach (which proved a little too literal when my mum left her bag in our room and had to race back while I delayed the coach driver). I am eternally missing their incredible buffet breakfasts, and though I have attempted a thousand variants of scrambled egg recipes since that trip, not one has come close…
If you are in the central city area, you can’t miss Det Lille Kaffekompaniet for a morning coffee and a pastry. This is a real treasure situated right in the middle of a beautiful alley, perfect for a takeaway as you walk, or a brilliant stop to make if you’re waiting around for your boat tour as it’s just by the ferry terminal.
Many people are under the impression Norway is not a budget-friendly travel destination, but there’s so many affordable opportunities once you’ve arrived, and with regards to booking I would absolutely recommend searching websites like lastminute.com for flight and hotel packages where you can.
I think it speaks volumes that the majority of tourist attractions are simply scenes you can stumble upon without having to pay for a ticket. However, if you’re anything like myself, getting a little overwhelmed by large crowds in uncharted places (especially on the first day), don’t hurry to spend the majority of your time at tourist attractions like Bryggen. I’d suggest getting the lay of the land a little by exploring the streets around your hotel first. There’s a park – big or small – almost everywhere, and of course a view of the water from most spots.
Once you lay eyes on your first fjord, the way the picture of serenity calls out to you outshines any other vision – here are these towering landmarks in these bustling cities that raid our Pinterest feed, and suddenly things are put in perspective when you’re immersed in the picturesque Hardangerfjord – nothing manmade or material about it, simply breathtaking by existing.
I hope this was a refreshing upload compared to my usual, more personal/confessional rants…! Apologies again for the missing fff this week, it’s been busy and I wanted to do my next book review justice by giving it some proper detail as it means so much to me - that’ll be out next week!
I miss Norway so much, it strangely felt so much like a home to me the one time I visited that I’m convinced I lived there in a past life. I’m hoping to go back and see Oslo next time - we have some friends there and I’d love to spend time in a more deserted area with a larger fjord-filled landscape. Proper Natasha-from-Black-Widow, nomadic style. Let me know your favourite places if you’ve visited!
Next ‘alien leaves London’ upload may or may not be to do with Paris - all things high fashion and croissants… so look out for that.
See you next time, aliens!
Oh, Bergen is charming ☺️