Bergen

Bergen is definitely one of the most charming cities in Norway, or, for that matter, in all of Europe.  If you arrive by plane you will be initiated into the wonders to come as the plane sweeps low over crystal clear water dotted with miniature islands where boats nestle in tiny coves.

Allow several days to explore Bergen – no better way than on foot.  The fjord reaches its finger into the middle of the city which climbs the low hills rising from the water.  On one side of the harbor lies the colorful section know as Bryggen.   This is the old wharf, extremely picturesque, with brightly colored wooden building dating from the Hanseatic period lining the wharf and reflecting in the water.  Recently these inviting old buildings have become a tourist attractions, with little boutiques, restaurants and galleries built into the shells of the old dwellings.  At the tip of the finger of the Bergenfjord is the Outdoor Market.  Here flower stalls, brilliant with color, share space with fishermen selling all kinds of fresh fish artfully displayed beneath canopied tables.  The main shopping street is Bergen is the Strandgaten, a two-minute walk from the market place.  This is a pedestrian mall with many stores selling souvenirs, including a wide choice of beautiful handknitted Norwegian sweaters.  (The stores close on Saturdays about 1:30 pm and reopen on Monday.)

The most efficient way to plan your sightseeing is to pay a visit to the tourist office located in the center of town.  It offers a wealth of free information plus a variety of inexpensive maps and special booklets with detailed information on sightseeing.  You can purchase tickets for sightseeing here and most of the tour busses conveniently depart just across the street.

Whether you take a tour bus or go sightseeing individually, you will want to include the following sights.  The HANSEATIC MUESUM is housed in one of Bergen’s old wooden buildings – its interior gives a glimpse of what is was like to live in that period.  The MARITIME MUSEUM is a modern museum tracing the development of shipping from the Old Norse period to the modern day.  The ROSENKRANTZ TOWER is a dramantic 13^th-century royal residence which was also used as a fort.  The BERGEN AQUARIUM is the largest in Scandinavia.  OLD BERGEN is an open-air museum with more than 40 18^th and 19^th-century wooden houses.  BRYGGEN is the wharf dotted with colorful Hanseatic wooden buildings. TROLDHAUGEN is Edvard Grieg’s home where he composed many of his best known works, and FANTOFT STAVE CHURCH is a beautiful church nearby. ST MARY’S CHURCH is the oldest building in Bergen and one of the loveliest Romanesque churches in Norway.  The ISLAND OF LYSOEN is laced with walking paths and it is here that you find the famous violin virtuoso Ole Bull’s villa.  But before you begin exhaustive sightseeing, ride the funicular railway to FLOIEN at the top of one of Bergen’s seven hills – on a clear day the city is laid before you like a beautiful map.  Enjoy the incredible view and plan your sightseeing excursions.