Beautiful Bergen

Bergen, Norway’s second largest city, known for its location near the breathtaking fjords, is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. The city offers a wide variety of activities including fjord tours, hiking, museums, walking and bike tours, and of course, great seafood.

The Hanseatic Wharf became Norway’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Today 61 of Bergen’s quintessential tall, narrow buildings are also UNESCO Sites.

Like Rome and Lisbon, Bergen is circled by seven mountains. The Fløibanen Funicular will take you to the top of Mt. Fløyen for spectacular views of the city, fjords and more. Bergen gets 231 days of rain annually, more than any other city in Europe. However, during our visit it was mostly clear, making for expansive views from the mountain.

There is a herd of goats at the top of the mountain, known as Fløyen goats. These friendly goats have names and work to keep the vegetation under control. They are kept from wandering too far by solar powered collars that vibrate when they reach the edge of their territory.

We took a three hour fjord tour, which was another highlight of our time in Bergen. As we cruised through the fjords we saw many waterfalls, vacation homes, autumn colors, and stunning scenery.

As we reached the mid-point, the captain manuevered the boat so we were up close and personal with the waterfall pictured below.

Click here for prices and additional information; the cruise we took was to Mostraumen. Be sure to bundle up, as it was quite cold and windy on the outer decks.

And as always, I enjoy wandering through a city and taking photos.

We had a bit of excitement while in Bergen; one evening as we were having tapas at Taperia Tapas and Pinchos, we noticed a police van pull up next to the window across from our table. Soon more officers arrived all in full riot gear – helmets, shields, batons; that certainly got our attention. Soon the Pro-Palestinian protestors arrived, and thankfully, were peaceful.

The next afternoon while wandering along the harbor front, we heard sirens and then smelled smoke. It seemed like the fire was extinguished quickly, before too much damage occurred.

And of course, there is the food. Fjellskål has incredible seafood, super friendly staff, all with a view of the harbor.

We stayed at Magic Hotel Kløverhuset right next to the harbor. Our room was spacious and comfortable, but the highlight was the meal we had in the hotel’s restaurant. We had caviar, oysters, scallops, and bubbles; everything was superb! You can read the travelSketcher’s review of our meal, which was one of the best dining experiences we have ever encountered. We have no doubts that Chef Mateusz will someday be a Michelin awarded chef.

BTW, in my humble opinion, Norway has the best butter in the world; and I live in France which is known for excellent butter. I could not get enough of it. It’s a good thing I don’t live in Norway; my cholesterol levels would be off the chart! They say the secret is happy cows; click here if you’re interested in learning more.

Oh, and I learned that Bergen’s sister city is Seattle, my hometown!

This concludes my posts on our late summer and autumn travels through France and Norway. We’re enjoying some time at home in Normandie before enjoying our next adventure in just two weeks time; can’t wait!

All the best,

Tricia