Bergen is one of the most visited tourist destinations of Norway. I took ferry from Stavanger to Bergen. The duration of the ferry journey was 5 hours and 30 minutes. I started at Stavanger at around 7 am and reached Bergen around noon time. You can book your cruise online from the website https://www.fjordline.com/en/p/our-ferry-routes/bergen-stavanger-domestic. The ferry service was much cheaper compared to taking flights between these two cities.
Bergen and Stavanger airports are located far from the city so you will save lot of cost if you take ferry instead of taking flight. There was no assigned seating inside the ship. I went to the lounge area and spent time there. The size of the ship was much bigger compared to passenger ship and there was lot of space for everyone. The weather was foggy and cold during morning time so it was not possible to stay at the deck. Around 9 am the weather was much better and less windy. I went to the deck and the view from the deck was absolutely breathtaking. The weather was perfect and the small houses situated on the shores were really beautiful. The deck area was huge and there was enough space for lot of people. Most people stayed on the deck during the whole trip and enjoyed the beautiful Norwegian sun. I was staying 4 days in Bergen during my trip to Norway. I was using Bergen as a base for Trolltunga hike. Bergen is the best place in Norway if you are planning to go for Fjord tours. I did a day tour around the Fjords of Norway and it was fantastic. Based on the duration of your trip you can choose your fjord tour itinerary. You can book your tours from https://www.norwaynutshell.com/.
1. Bryggen
Bryggen is the most popular tourist destination of Bergen. The colorful wharf provides great opportunity to take nice Instagram-worthy shots. The wharf was constructed in the 14th century. Bryggen is the center of Bergen and it is located close to Bergen town center. Bryggen is listed as UNESCO world heritage site. Afternoon time is just perfect for visiting Bryggen. Bryggen is located next to Bergen Fish Market. Bryggen consists of museums, shops, cafes and restaurants. The best view of Bryggen is from the other side of the harbor. You will also see number of small food stalls and street performers around the area. The houses were painted in different shades of red, green and yellow.
2. Mt Floyen
Mt Floyen is a popular tourist destination of Bergen. The queue for the furnicular ride was very long so we decided to hike the mountain. You can choose any one of the several hiking path upto Mt Floyen. We decided to start our hike from the town center. We crossed some narrow lanes and climbed lot of stairs. After walking for about 30 minutes, we saw the main hiking path leading upto Mt Floyen. Vidden trail is a popular hiking trail in Bergen and throughout the trail there are markers to point people towards the right direction. It takes about 1 hour to hike from Town center area to reach Mt Floyen. The path was not exposed and it was covered with trees on both sides. We reached the viewing deck at around 5 pm.
The view of the city was not that great because the sun was facing directly towards the Observation deck. I will strongly recommend to visit the observation deck in the morning so that you can see clear views of Bergen city. If you want to continue hiking then you can reach all the way till Mt Ulriken from Mt Floyen. There is also a small Café situated at the top of the Observation deck. The furnicular ride to the top takes about 5 minutes. The furnicular was constructed in the year 1918 and it is a popular tourist attraction. There is also a children playground at the top of the mountain. If you follow the sign then you will find a lake which is situated about 5 minutes away from the Observation deck.
The lake is beautiful and you can easily spend hours near the lake. If you are visiting the deck at afternoon then I will strongly recommend to wait for the sunset so that you can have better visibility. During summer time sunset happens at 10.30 pm so I dint have patience to wait for that long. I didn’t get good shot of the place because of bad positioning of the sun. Overall I really enjoyed the beautiful hike to the top of Mt Floyen.
3. Mt Ulriken
Mt Ulriken was the first tourist spot I visited after reaching Bergen. Mt Ulriken is located far from Bergen that’s why I decided to visit the mountain first. If you are spending more days at Bergen then you can hike Mt Ulriken. The Height of the mountain is 643 m and depending on your pace it takes about 3-4 hours to reach the top. You can also extend your hike to Mt Ulriken by following the 7 monutains trail all the way upto Mt Floyen. The weather was clear without trace of any clouds. I booked our ticket to Mt Ulriken near the Bergen Town Center. I paid about 280 NOK for the return bus ride and the return cable car transfer. You can also take local bus to Mt Ulriken but I was not sure of the route and I didn’t want to wait too long. The bus ride to base of the Cable car took about 20 minutes. The system they use to operate the Cable Car is very old so we had to wait about 1 hour to get inside the Cable Car. The cables can’t take enough load that’s why only one cable car can move at particular time. The Cable Car ride took only about 10 minutes. I will strongly recommend everyone to stand at the front side of the Cable Car because the view is absolutely stunning. We could see entire Bergen city from the top and because of the good weather the view was epic. I will strongly recommend to avoid afternoon time because you will be facing directly towards the sun and you won’t be able to take beautiful landscape pictures of Bergen city. We took tons of photos at the top from different angles. You will also find lot of hikers at the top of the mountain. Lot of people recommended me to stay at the mountain till sunset because the sunset from Mt Ulriken is outstanding.
The sunset during summer season happen at around 10 pm so the wait was very long. If you are planning to do some adventure activity, then you can take the Zip line at the top of mount Ulriken. If you are planning to splurge a little bit during your trip to Bergen then you can dine in at restaurant SKY. The restaurant serves amazing Norwgian cuisine and you can enjoy beautiful views of Bergen city while having your dinner. The service is only available during summer season and it is bit pricey. A 3 course meal will set you back by about 760 NOK and you have to do reservation because they don’t allow walkins. I will strongly recommend everyone not to miss trip to Mt Ulriken during their visit to Bergen.
4. Bergen Fish Market
Bergen Fish Market was established in the 12th century. Fishing is an important part of life among Norwegian people. The fish market is situated near the Bergen waterfront. Fish market is a great place to grab some fresh seafood. You will get all kinds of seafood at the fishmarket. Crabs, salmon, oysters and lobsters were the main attractions of the fish market. I tried some cooked crab leg and it was delicious. I visited the fish market evening time and it was amazing.
The place was vibrant with tourists and locals. Apart from oil, Norway’s economy depends on fishing. Bergen is the busiest port of the country and it is also the fishing hub for Norway. Apart from traditional seafood you can also get sushi, salmon roe, fruits, fish soup, fish cakes and deer meat burger. The meal at the Fish market is expensive but it is completely worth it.
5.Explore the fjords around Bergen
Bergen is considered as the fjord city of Norway. Sognefjord, Aurlandsfjord and Naeroyfjord are the popular fjords located around Bergen. If you are planning to explore the fjords of Norway then you can book your fjord tour at www.norwaynutshell.com. You can choose your fjord itinerary based on the number of days you are spending at Bergen. I did a day tour of Aurlandsfjord and Naeroyfjord from Bergen. You can Check out my complete post here.
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