Ancient Bergen

Third year anniversary of our journey.

The weather can be changeable in Bergen but rarely too hot nor too cold. This morning we wake up to clouds and cool weather 51°, but soon the mist is swept aside by a light breeze out of the mountains and temperatures rise to 60° with thick cumulus clouds cutting across the deep blue sky.

We walked in the mist to the new and renovated part of the harbor, and grabbed a delicious breakfast before heading into the heart of the city.

Bergen is ancient, 1000 years old, founded in 1070 A.D. It’s a big harbor and always has been. In the 1300s it was Norway’s capital. And it was here that the famous dried cod was brought from high up in the north and traded to countries in Western and Central Europe, making it an important and wealthy city.

We explored the old Bryygen quay, a World Heritage Site which is still busy as a working harbor and jumping off point for big cruise ships, but it was mostly filled with tourists, and not particularly beautiful. Good food at one of the restaurant’s fish markets but keep hold of your wallet. Expensive just as all of Norway is.

We also needed to find a ferry to take us on our next leg north. Two shipping companies dominate routes along the Norwegian coast: Hurtigruten and Havila. I had already taken Hurtigruten ship, so we tried Havila. In a couple of days we would be heading into the town of Flom to explore one of Norway’s most beautiful fjords. Ultimate goal: get to the Arctic Circle.

Fløibanen

Today we made for the town’s famous funicular, known as the FLØIBANEN. It would haul us, and a cluster of other tourists to the top of the city’s Føyen Mountain, for a sumptuous view of the harbor and city below, 991 feet high.

Once there anyone can shop the local boutiques and restaurants, explore the children's playground and walk hiking trails. The mountain here is filled with fir trees five stories high crowded with granite rocks and alive with green moss that hangs all around. It feels a lot like the cool, rain forests of Washington State and Vancouver. You can even explore the woods by horse back.

Bergen Recommendations

Traveling to Bergen? Here are some recommendations to consider for your own adventures. You can see all of our Norwegian Recommendations here.