I instantly fell in love with Bergen the second we got off our train in the city center. Bergen is located on a harbor, surrounded by mountains, and has cobble stone roads (my favorite!). My boyfriend and I spent 3 days in Bergen and got to see historical sights, the fjords, the fish market, multiple museums, and more. And we did it all while on a budget!
Where to stay
As the Scandinavian countries are expensive, we opted for the cheapest option.. a hostel! And no, hostels are not anywhere near like how they are portrayed in the horror film. We stayed at the Bergen YMCA Hostel. It is in the perfect location! It is right dab in the middle of the city and you can easily walk to all the popular sites. This hostel is also very clean (although this depends on how high your standards are). There is a beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking the harbor where you can do work, enjoy coffee, or just take in the views. We found this to be the cheapest option in Bergen as compared to hotels and Airbnbs. But if you feel like splurging, there are of course, several hotels and Airbnbs to choose from.
Bergen Card
This card was fabulous! We bought a 72 hour pass (there is also a 24 and 48 hour card) and saved a lot of money on the touristy stuff and transportation. We bought our card online and picked it up when we arrived at the airport. We then were able to take the train from the airport to the city center for free! Below are the awesome deals we got with this city card:
Free: Transportation (Light Rail train, Skyss bus), Kode art museums (all 4 buildings), Rosenkrantz Tower Museum, Bryggens Museum, and the entrance to St. Mary’s Church. There are many more, but we didn’t make it to all of them/weren’t interested in some.
Discounted Price: Fjord Cruise to Mostraumen (20% off), Bergen Aquarium (25% off)
Click here for more information regarding the Bergen Card and all of its perks.
What to do in Bergen
Wharf: The wharf is a world heritage site and is worth going to see and walk along. The very first buildings in Bergen were built along this wharf called Bryggen. Walking through the wharf’s buildings and between its alleyways takes you time traveling to the past. The buildings are full of shops, restaurants, and cafes. It is a very picturesque location as the buildings are different colors and along the waterfront.
Cost- Free to walk around, but will cost money if you buy something from a shop or go to one of its restaurants.
Bergenhus Bryggeri: This brewery sits right in the harbor overlooking the water. It is small and quaint with both indoor and outdoor seating. We chose outside because they have blankets and heated lamps for you to stay warm when it is colder outside… talk about great customer service! Their beer was also delicious (they had a lot of light and fruity beers, which I love!) We got a flight to try more beers and to save money. Bergenhus Bryggeri even has shuffle board and board games to entertain you for hours. This place was perfect to go to after dinner and to watch the sunset on a nice day.
Cost- Depends how much you drink and eat 🙂
Fish Market: This market is located at Bergen’s city center and it is absolutely delicious. It is pricy, but we did find some decently priced meals. The smells are so good that every time you walk by it, you want to buy more. There are booths upon booths of fresh fish that you can choose from. They cook it right then and there for you and even have nice outdoor seating to eat your meal. I had the salmon and it was definitely one of the best salmons I have ever had! The market is right along the harbor so you get to eat while looking out at the sea. Even if you are on a budget, I highly recommend going for at least one meal to experience the culture and to enjoy some of the best food!
Cost- Depends on what you get. We found meals for ~24 USD per person.
Museums:
1. Rosenkrantz Tower– this tower was built in the 1560s by Erik Rozenkrantz (the governor of Bergen Castle). As you walk through the rooms on multiple floors you learn about its history and it takes you back to medieval times. When you get to the top there is a great view overlooking the harbor and the city of Bergen. There is also a spiral staircase that connects all the floors of the tower, so if you get dizzy easily, use the other staircase. This was probably the most interesting of the museums we went to. Cost- Free with Bergen Card; ~10 USD without card
2. Kode art museums: These four buildings which are located in the city center are filled with art exhibitions of Norwegian and international artists. It was very interesting seeing all the artists’ different styles, techniques, and perspectives. You can also easily walk building to building as they are all close together. But if you don’t like art and are not interested in it, then this is not the museum for you. Cost- All buildings free with Bergen City Card; ~14 USD for all buildings without card.
3. Bryggens Museum: This museum is Bergen’s museum of archaeology. It was built on top of ruins of Bergen’s oldest settlement. There are exhibitions on trading, shipping, and the daily life of the people living in the middle ages. It was very informative and interesting to see how the people lived back then. Cost- Free with Bergen City Card; ~11 USD without Bergen City Card
4. Bergenhus Fortress Museum: This museum has several exhibitions on the resistance movement in Bergen in the 1940s, the history of the Bergen Fortress, Norwegian Military Units, Bergen’s press/illegal press, and women’s contribution to the Armed Forces. If you are a history junky then this is the place for you! They even have informational booklets that are in several different languages. Cost- Free with or without the Bergen City Card.
Fjord Cruise: We took a fjord cruise to Mostraumen. It was 3 hours long (which was perfect for our 3 day trip to Bergen as we didn’t want to waste our whole day, but wanted to experience the fjords). You get on a large boat which has both indoor and outdoor seating. I recommend sitting outside to get the best experience and the best photos. The cruise leaves from the harbor and takes you through a narrow straight where you are surrounded by fjords, small villages and farms, and pretty islands. When you make it to the farthest point of the straight, you get to see majestic waterfalls surrounding Modalen. Modalen is Norway’s second smallest municipality with only 380 residents. The boat crew then brings the boat so close to one of the waterfalls that they collect water from the waterfall and let you drink it. The water is that clean! That would never happen in my hometown of Chicago haha. Also for those of you that don’t know, a fjord is basically a long, narrow inlet with steep sides that is created by a glacier.
Cost: 20% off price with Bergen City Card; ~68-75 USD without card
St. Mary’s Church: This is the oldest intact building in Bergen and is said to have been built between 1130 and 1170. The church is gorgeous with its Romanesque architecture, Gothic influence, and a beautiful organ inside. Unfortunately they do not allow you to take photos inside the church, so you will have to go see it for yourself!
Cost- Free with Bergen Card; ~6 USD without card
Mt. Floyen: To get to the top of Mt. Floyen you can take a scenic ride on the Floibanen funicular (see costs below) or you can walk. When you get to the top there is a gorgeous panoramic view of the city of Bergen. At the top there is also a park for children, a shop, restuarant, and several hiking trails. We decided to hike and learned that the trails connect to other mountains. We ended up hiking for miles and ended up on top of Mt. Rundemanen. It was probably one of my favorite hikes I’ve ever done. It wasn’t too strenuous and we got to hike through the forest, along cliffs, and came across several lakes. At the top of the mountain there were amazing views of the sea, cities, mountains, and the fjords. We ended up hiking for hours because around every corner was a new amazing view. Once we returned to Mt. Floyen, we decided to walk down instead of taking the funicular which I highly recommend doing. It takes about 45 minutes, but you get to walk along side the houses that are build in the mountainside. Each house is unique and has character.
Cost- 50% off of return trip only with Bergen Card (May-September) and Free return trip with card October-April); ~12 USD without card.
Akvariet (aquarium): Being an ocean lover, I like to check out the aquariums in different places I travel too. I greatly enjoyed Bergen’s Akvariet. It was smaller, but they had a lot of animals. It wasn’t overly crowded and it was compact so you didn’t have to walk far to get to the other exhibits. They have a small tidal pool inside that has crabs, fish, starfish, and sea urchins. You are actually allowed to touch and pick up the animals (minus the fish) as long as you keep them in the water for their safety. My favorite part of the aquarium is the shark tunnel. You walk in to the tunnel and there are reef sharks, sting rays, and colorful fish swimming above and along the side of you. I will say the tunnel was smaller than I thought it was going to be, but it was still pretty neat. The aquarium is also located along the water so when you are done, take a stroll around the aquarium as there are walking paths, piers, and benches overlooking the water.
Cost- ~28-34 USD depending on the season; we got 25% off our price with our Bergen City Card.
Hots dogs at Trekroneren: You must stop at this hot dog stand. There are several types of meat to choose from and they are very large and filling. They have reindeer, wild game, lamb, bratwurst, frankfurter, etc. They also have many topping choices to choose from (garlic sauce, chili, mustard, onions, ketchup, juniper berries, and more!). The people at the stand are very helpful with advice on which toppings go well with each hot dog (considering I’m a very indecisive person). I’ve come to find out that basically every city in Europe has different types and styles of hot dogs, so stay tuned for more hot dog recommendations as I continue my journey. Plus, they are cheap (especially since food in Norway is expensive). Also, beware of the birds at this stand…they have no fear and will try to eat your hot dog.
Hot dog ratings: Taylor- San Francisco Saugage- 4.25/5; Wild Game Sausage- 4/5
Zach- Reindeer Sausage- 4.25/5; Wild Game Sausage- 4/5
Cost- ~ 8-11 dollars per hot dog (depends on the meat you get). With your hot dog they offer you free lemonade!
Transportation
With the Bergen Card, you can travel on the Light Rail and Skyss Bus for FREE. If you don’t have a pass, you will have to pay a fee. There are also ferries that you can take, but those also cost a fee. We prefer to walk as we feel like you get to see more and can find new hidden places to explore. Bergen is a very walkable city as you can easily get to places within and outside the city center. Plus with walking, you get a workout in and its free.
There is so much to do and see in Bergen, but if you power through, you can see and experience a lot in just 3 days. It’s beauty, history, and people are the reasons I would easily go back and visit Bergen one day.
I hope we “roped” you in to wanting to go to Bergen! haha 🙂 If you didn’t catch my pun, see photos above.
