One of the main reasons for preparing this travelogue was to present Norwegian Bergen as a destination that can be easily afforded even by travellers on a limited budget, but more on that later.
Bergen is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in Norway, as it is located on the coast and at the same time nearby the mountains, which is how it got its original name Bjørgvin, which is composed of the words "bjørg", which translates to mountain, and "vin", which is the Norwegian term for a new settlement. At the same time, the phrase can also be translated as birch wine, although there are no historical records from which it would be understood that the latter was the reason for naming the city.
Regardless of the origin of the name, Bergen and its surroundings are certainly an excellent destination, where you will find both historical and cultural attractions, and above all, beautiful nature, so when asked whether to visit Bergen, there are only two possible answers: yes and yes.
Bergen is an exceptionally green city, but even that comes at a price, as it is inextricably linked to rainfall. It has 232 rainy days a year. But they don't consider rain as an inconvenience there, as they don't even recognise bad weather. They say there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing and footwear.
My visit matched the statistics pretty well. On the day of arrival, the weather was wonderfully sunny, filling every terrace in the city to the last chair, but the very next day it became a bit cloudy and at times the sky gave way and sent us a few raindrops. The third and fourth days were mostly rainy. But despite all the consolations, the rain has slightly spoiled the penultimate day, when we headed towards the nearest fjord, reachable by public transport.
As Norway is considered a very expensive country, I intend to show you that it is possible to visit Bergen even on a lower budget thanks to Hostel Montana and the local tourist organisation Visit Bergen.
You can book Hostel Montana on their website for less than 30 euros per night with breakfast in a shared room and for less than 50 euros in a double room with a private bathroom, which is extremely affordable compared to other accommodations. You can also save money thanks to the large and well-equipped guest kitchen, where you can prepare lunch or dinner yourself, whether it is just pre-cooked food heated in the microwave, or you can try a more complex dish that requires more time and knowledge. Although prices are also higher in stores, when using the member kitchen, you will eat cheaper than in most restaurants in Europe.
If you add the exceptional atmosphere and superb view from the terrace, you find that you are staying in an elite location at a very reasonable price. But since you will probably not only visit Bergen, it makes sense to plan your trip to Norway with Hostelling International Norway, which offers quality hostels in almost all important destinations, and you can find more about Norwegian hostels on their official website.
The local tourism organisation Visit Bergen is another partner that will help you spend these few days in Bergen as affordably as possible. The easiest tool to get to know Bergen and the wider area is certainly the online BERGEN CARD available here.
In addition to public transport in the city and the wider area, the Bergen Card also offers over 30 attractions, most of which are free, and you can visit the rest with a significant discount. Considering what the Bergen Card offers, the price is also affordable, costing around 36 euros for one day and around 68 euros for four days, and there are also 2- and 3-day options available. They start working at the moment of activation and are valid for a full 24, 48, 72 or 96 hours. This includes transport from the airport to the city and back.
We will of course write more about Bergen, but since I have touched upon mainly the tools to get around, let's go a little further out of the city, more precisely to the Steinsdalsfossen waterfall and get to know the Hardangerfjord.
The Hardangerfjord is one that can be easily visited by public transport or for free using the Bergen Card, even though it is about 75 kilometres away or an hour and a half by bus. It is certainly worthwhile to visit both the waterfall and the fjord in good weather, but in my case, I had no such luck, and so the visit to the fjord ended a little earlier than I had expected. But I did get to see the Steinsdalsfossen waterfall, for which you have to get off one stop early and which is a bit more than a half-hour walk from the town of Norheimsund at the beginning of the fjord.
Although I have seen many waterfalls in my life, Norheimsund is special because the route is laid out in such a way that you first see it from below, walk under it and finally admire it from a slightly higher point. This waterfall and fjord can be a wonderful day trip, but if you are willing to wake up a little earlier, you can also consider another stop along the way, full of beautiful nature, waterfalls, lakes and hiking trails.
Bergen has a rich history, and like any town, it has grown over time. But unlike many other cities, the old houses were not demolished but were dismantled and reassembled a few kilometres from the centre, where the Old Bergen Museum was created.
The open-air museum is the best representation of the city's history. You can meet everyone, from the local baker, dentist, shopkeeper, to the photographer. Every now and then, short performances in historical costumes take place in front of the houses, which you can also visit to learn about life in the past centuries. It takes at least two hours to see it, and an additional one or two hours in the summer months, as the city beach is nearby. To see Old Bergen, you would need to pay around 15 euros, but fortunately it is one of those sights that you can visit for free with the Bergen Card.
In addition to its numerous sights, Bergen is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Bryggen, Bergen's old port, preserves the memory of the trading empire of the Hanseatic League from the 14th to the mid-16th century. It is a typical wooden town, which has unfortunately been engulfed in fire several times; the last time in 1955, yet 62 of those carefully restored and beautifully maintained buildings still stand today. They are now home to numerous shops with traditional souvenirs, including restaurants and bars.
Not far from Bryggen is the fish market, where they don’t sell just fish, but all sorts of Norwegian delicacies, from cheeses to elk salami. It is especially interesting because of its many seafood restaurants and serves as the starting point for day trips by boat through the nearby fjords. The market also has the Tourist Information Centre, where you can get some additional information that you may have missed on the internet.
Of course, I could list almost endlessly what is worth seeing in Bergen, but I would only be repeating myself. You can find everything that Bergen and the surrounding area have to offer on the Visit Bergen website. And because they are also aware that they are the record holders among European cities for the number of rainy days, they have prepared a very special selection of ten attractions that can be easily visited even in rainy weather.
Although such a title would be more appropriate for the beginning than the end, I would like to emphasise that despite the high prices in Bergen, you can spend three to four days even on a tight budget. For example, for four nights in a shared room with breakfast at Hostel Montana and a 96-hour Bergen Card, you will spend a total of around 200 euros. You will only need a little more money for a sandwich or ingredients for dinner, which you will prepare in the hostel’s kitchen. With a little luck and in good weather, you will be able to prepare dinner on the grill on the terrace and enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Bergen at the same time.
It is true that the prices in most restaurants are quite high. In the centre you will pay around 25 euros for an average pizza and around 10 euros for a mug of beer. However, a little further out of the centre you can also find more reasonable prices, especially around the main train and bus stations, where with a little skill and the use of some online coupons you will be able to eat and drink for less than 10 euros, which is completely acceptable for a traveller’s budget.
That's all from me. Now you can start looking for cheap flight tickets and start planning your trip to Bergen.
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