Top tips for a city break in Bergen, Norway

Back in May, after a spectacular journey from Oslo, my friend Becky and I spent three days exploring Bergen – Norway’s second-largest city and one-time capital. It’s known as the ‘gateway to the fjords’, and many people arrive via its airport or port then head straight back out again on a cruise ship or coach. But it’s a place that’s well worth exploring, either as part of a wider itinerary or as a destination in its own right.

Sandwiched between fjords and an island-studded archipelago, and ringed by seven towering hills, Bergen offers a wonderful combination of urban culture and easy access to nature. Its long history is evident in its 13th-century stone fortress, in the colourful wooden buildings that line the Unesco-listed harbourside of Bryggen, and in the pretty clapboard houses and winding lanes that creep up its steep slopes. Layered on top of this palpable sense of the past is a distinct modern buzz, with top-rated art galleries, a thriving food scene and plenty of gorgeous Scandinavian design to admire.

Bergen is also famed for being one of the wettest places in Europe, but don’t let that put you off. Somehow the rain only adds to the city’s moody, romantic atmosphere, cloaking the surrounding hills in mist and making the cobblestones shimmer. Just pack a raincoat and an umbrella, and be prepared to dive into a cafe for coffee and cake when a heavy shower hits.

Where to stay in Bergen

Bergen Børs Hotel, Vågsallmenningen 1, 5014 Bergen

Set just back from the harbour, in a 19th-century Renaissance Revival building that used to house the city’s stock exchange, is the Bergen Børs Hotel. Inside, the opulent architecture has been paired with understated Scandinavian design to create a smart, contemporary and quietly luxurious place to stay. The 127 rooms and suites have tall windows, muted grey walls and occasional pops of bright red in cushions and curtains. Original cornicing and panelling trace the building’s former use, and one suite even has an armoured safe in the corner. Downstairs, off a marble- and wood-lined lobby, you’ll find lounges, a bar and the fantastic Frescohallen restaurant (see ‘Where to Eat’ below).

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Skostredet Hotel & Spa, Domkirkegaten 6, 5017 Bergen

Occupying a purpose-built building by Elfrida Bull Bene, Skostredet is a tranquil city sanctuary that blends Scandinavian and Japanese minimalism. Leafy greenery offsets clean lines in the soaring light-filled lobby, while the rooms and suites mix warm wood with exposed concrete, dark tiled walls and checked Norwegian blankets. There are also two Japanese restaurants, Izakaya and the Michelin-starred Omakase by Sergey Pak (again, see below), plus a subterranean spa with hot and cold plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms, a relaxation zone and even a ‘snow cave’.

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Citybox Bergen City, Nygårdsgaten 31, 5015 Bergen

This is a great option if budget is tight. The rooms are simple but come with everything you need: very comfy beds, a bit of storage, desks, and small but functional ensuite shower rooms. The biggest, the Junior Suites, also have window seats. No meals are available, but you can buy a breakfast package at the cafe next door and there’s a basic kitchenette with hot drinks and a vending machine in the communal guest lounge.

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Where to eat & drink in Bergen

Fløirestauranten, Fløyfjellet 2, 5014 Bergen

If you only treat yourself to one splash-out meal in Bergen, make it here. This 100-year-old restaurant is perched at the top of one of the city’s seven peaks, Mount Fløyen, in an elegant wooden building designed in the 1920s by Norwegian architect Einar Oscar Schou. The lofty, light-filled interior has recently been given a sensitive makeover, which has introduced contemporary Scandinavian furniture and a palette of soft greens, browns and greys that reference the landscape outside. The food, meanwhile, is a delicious tribute to Norwegian seasonal produce, with contemporary twists on classic dishes made with ingredients drawn from the mountains and fjords. Try to reserve a window table for sweeping views over the city and the harbour far below.

Open daily from 11am to 11pm.

TIP: To get to Fløirestauranten, you’ll need to take the Fløibanen funicular up from the city centre (a must-do Bergen experience in its own right). The restaurant is located right next to the upper station, which takes about six minutes to reach. Services run until midnight.

Peisestuen, Fløyfjellet 2, 5014 Bergen

Whether you dine at Fløirestauranten or not, make time to visit its bar. It’s gently glamorous in an understated Scandinavian kind of way, with dark walls, flickering candles, curved sofas and brass accents. In summer, there’s a terrace for alfresco drinks; in winter, a fire crackles in a huge stone hearth (the name Peisestuen translates as ‘The Fireplace Room’). The drinks menu is wide-ranging, with a particular focus on seasonal cocktails inspired by Nordic mythology – we had a fantastic concoction called ‘Freya’, with pink gin, yellow Chartreuse, blackcurrant, elderflower, lavender and a hint of oak.

Open daily from 11am to 11pm.

Frescohallen, Vågsallmenningen 1 , 5014 Bergen

Another stand-out dining experience for us was Frescohallen, which is part of the Bergen Børs Hotel and occupies the main hall of the city’s former stock exchange. It’s a stunning space, with gilded columns, vaulted ceilings and murals depicting trade painted in the 1920s by Norwegian artist Axel Revold. It was converted into a restaurant in 2022 by Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune, who added a central mirror-clad bar with a hidden mezzanine level above it. The menu spans local and international dishes, with lots of seafood, freshly grilled fish and pasta – I had halibut tartare with jalapeño mayo, followed by spaghetti in a lobster and chilli bisque. There’s also an excellent cocktail and wine list.

Restaurant open daily from midday to 10pm; bar open from midday to 11pm Monday-Thursday and from 10am to midnight Friday-Sunday. There are live jazz sessions with a menu of small plates from 3pm to 5pm most Saturdays.

Stefano, Strandgaten 96, 5004 Bergen

After a long day of travelling, this informal Italian restaurant proved just what we needed on the evening we first arrived in Bergen. The cosy, candlelit interior looked very inviting, but we were so tired that we opted for takeaway pizzas (both excellent) to enjoy in our hotel room instead.

Open from 3pm to 9pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, and from midday to 10pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Closed Monday.

Cornelius, Katlavika 14, 5177 Bjørøyhamn

Sadly Cornelius was fully booked during our visit, but I’ve heard excellent things about it so I had to include it in the list. Standing right by the water on the secluded island of Holmen, it’s only accessible via a 25-minute boat transfer (included in your table reservation) from the city centre through the archipelago. As you’d imagine from the location, it’s all about fish and seafood, with daily changing dishes dictated by the weather, the seasons and the catch of the day. It’s open throughout the year for dinner (a set five-course menu) and in summer for more informal weekend lunches; you can also tack a seafood tasting experience in the bar onto your booking.

Open for dinner from 6pm to 11pm Monday-Saturday year-round (boat departures from Bergen at 6pm and 7pm, returning around 11pm and midnight), and for lunch on Friday and Saturday from May to August (boat departure at 11.30am, returning around 3.30pm). Closed Sunday.

Kaffemisjonen, Øvre Korskirkeallmenningen 5, 5017 Bergen

Set a few streets back from the harbour, this independent coffee shop has been serving up speciality brews from a range of roasters since 2007. The decor is minimalist and subtly retro, with blue cushioned banquettes, a chequered floor and window seats where you can watch the world go by, and the staff are friendly and helpful. Alongside coffee, there’s an all-day menu of smörgås (open sandwiches), salads, cakes and pastries.

Open from 8am to 6pm Monday-Friday, and from 10am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Colonialen Sann, SUNDT Varemagasin, Starvhusgaten 3, 5014 Bergen

Located on the top floor of the SUNDT department store, elegant yet relaxed Colonialen Sann serves playful twists on classic Nordic food, with a focus on traceability, seasonality and sustainability. Its four-course set dinner menus feature the likes of pan-fried Norwegian cod, white asparagus and brown-cheese ice cream, with optional drinks pairings; it also opens on Saturdays for two-course lunches, and has a bar serving small bites and bespoke cocktails. In summer, tables spill out into a rooftop garden where many of its herbs and vegetables are grown, with panoramic views of the mountains that ring the city.

Open from 5pm to 11pm Monday-Wednesday, from 5pm to midnight Thursday and Friday, and from 1pm to midnight Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Colonialen Fetevare, Standgaten 18, 5013 Bergen

Part deli, part cafe, this offshoot of Colonialen is brimming with cheeses, cured meats, pasta, preserves and fresh ingredients from the Nordics and beyond. It’s a great place to pick up a picnic, buy self-catering supplies or linger over sandwiches, salads and sharing platters. It’s particularly famous for its sourdough bread, baked fresh every morning.

Open from 10am to 5pm Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Vinbaren – Vin & Pintxos, Kaigaten 12, 5016 Bergen

This cosy little bar has an excellent wine list and a great selection of tapas and pinchos – perfect for a relaxed meal. The Spanish-tiled interior has a handful of tables, plus bar seats in the window and around the main counter. It’s only a couple of minutes’ walk from Bergen’s main station, so ideal if you’ve just arrived by train.

Open from 4pm to 10pm Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Omakase by Sergey Park and Izakaya, Domkirkegaten 6, 5017 Bergen

The Skostredet Hotel & Spa is home to two excellent Japanese eateries. Michelin-starred Omakase by Sergey Pak serves high-end tasting menus devised by a former Nordic sushi champion, with only 10 diners at a time seated around an intimate counter. The more informal Izakaya is inspired by the lively Japanese neighbourhood bars from which it takes its name, offering sushi, oysters, ramen, tempura, grilled skewers and more.

Omakase by Sergey Pak is open from 7pm to 10pm Wednesday-Saturday (closed Sunday-Tuesday). Izakaya is open from 4pm to 11pm Monday-Saturday and from 4pm to 10pm on Sunday; it also serves lunch Thursday-Saturday.

Det Lille Kaffekompaniet, Nedre Fjellsmauet 2, 5018 Bergen

Hidden on a cobbled side street near the lower station of the Fløibanen funicular, this tiny cafe makes a perfect mid-morning or mid-afternoon pitstop. It serves specialty coffee plus a small selection of pastries and other sweet treats (the carrot cake is particularly good), with tables inside and out.

Open from 10am to 6pm daily.

Olivia, Torget 2, 5014 Bergen

Italian restaurant Olivia is part of a Norwegian chain, but the food is good and the Bergen branch has a fantastic location right on the harbourside, with a covered and heated terrace where you can watch boats come and go as you eat. It’s large enough that you’ll likely get a table even without a reservation, and it serves food until 11pm – handy if you need to eat late, after most other places have closed.

Open from 11am to 11pm Monday-Saturday, and from midday to 10pm on Sunday.

Mathallen (indoor fish market), Torget 5, 5014 Bergen

Also right on the harbourside is Bergen’s fish market – nowadays a busy tourist spot, but still worth visiting. Boats have been unloading and selling their catch on the site since the 1200s, but the present-day stalls are housed in a contemporary metal-clad building designed by Eder Biesel Arkitekter and opened in 2012. Spread over glass boxes at the back of the market, with tables overlooking the water, are two restaurants: Fjellskål and Fish Me. We tried the latter, whose menu encompasses sushi alongside Norwegian dishes. I opted for a traditional Bergen fish soup, which has a creamy, sweet and sour base and is loaded with whitefish and vegetables – a tasty way to warm up on a chilly day.

Open from 9am to 10.30pm Monday-Saturday and from 10am to 10.30pm on Sunday.

What to see & do in Bergen

Bryggen

The wharf-side area of Bryggen is where the city of Bergen first sprang up around 1070, but the structures that stand today date from the time of the Hanseatic League – a network of German merchant guilds that operated a major trading post here between 1350 and 1754. Now a Unesco World Heritage site, it’s a tightly packed jumble of colourful wooden houses and narrow alleyways, crisscrossed by suspended walkways and floating staircases. Many of them are now home to cafés, galleries and souvenir shops, and the whole place is incredibly atmospheric. You can also visit some of the old assembly rooms at the Schøtstuene Museum and see where merchants and apprentices would gather for meetings, meals and, in winter, to keep warm (Bryggen has burnt down numerous times during its long history, and the risk of fire meant these were the only spaces where flames were allowed).

Open round the clock. The Schøtstuene Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm May-October and from 10am to 5pm November-March.

TIP: Bryggen gets very busy in the middle of the day, when cruise ship passengers come ashore. To avoid the crowds, go early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Also, it’s definitely worth paying a small fee for a guided tour (book at the Schøtstuene Museum), especially as the main Hanseatic Museum is currently closed for a lengthy refurbishment. They take place throughout the day in various languages and give an excellent insight into what daily life here was like.

Bryggens Museum, Dreggsallmenningen 3, 5003 Bergen

Located at the far end of Bryggen, this fascinating archaeological museum explores life in the area in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, before the Hanseatic League arrived. The first section leads you along raised walkways over the foundations of actual Middle Age buildings, with neon-lit 3D structures showing how they would have stood. The second is packed with finds, from jewellery to pottery to letters written in the runic alphabet. It gives a real sense of the past, in a way that most similar museums don’t.

Open daily from 10am to 5pm.

Nordnes

Occupying a peninsula that stretches out from the city centre, on the opposite side of the harbour from Bryggen, is Nordnes – one of Bergen’s most picturesque neighbourhoods and a wonderful place for a stroll. Its cobbled lanes are lined with pastel-coloured wooden houses, their windowsills adorned with flower boxes and, on sunny days, the occasional napping cat. The streets of Knøsesmauet, Strangebakken, Cort Piil-smauet and Ytre Markeveien are particularly pretty, and normally blissfully free of other tourists.

Nordnes Park

At the tip of the Nordnes peninsula is the leafy green expanse of Nordnes Park, where tall trees frame views across the water to the islands of the archipelago. It’s also home to Nordnes Sjøbad (May-September only) – a popular outdoor bathing spot with a heated saltwater pool, saunas and diving boards straight into the sea.

Mount Fløyen funicular, Vetrlidsallmenningen 23A, 5014 Bergen

The funicular up Mount Fløyen takes you from the city centre into pristine Nordic nature in just six minutes. Services run throughout the day, leaving from the lower station near Bryggen and sometimes pausing at intermediate stops on the way to the top. Once there, there’s a viewing platform with a panoramic vista over the harbour to the archipelago, as well as walking trails through the forest, a lake with paddle-boarding, and a herd of resident cashmere goats who help keep the steep slopes clear of thicket.

Mount Fløyen is particularly beautiful at sunset, and we combined an evening visit with dinner at Fløirestauranten (see ‘Where to Eat in Bergen’ above) – an unforgettable experience.

Open daily from 7.30am to midnight.

TIP: Signed paths wind up and down Mount Fløyen, so you can easily walk in one direction and take the funicular in the other. There’s also a popular hike from Mount Fløyen over the mountains to Ulriken, where you can get the cable car back down into the city centre (see below) – more info here.

Ulriken cable car, Haukelandsbakken 40, 5009 Bergen

Mount Ulriken is the highest of Bergen’s peaks and is reached via a spectacular five-minute cable-car ride. If you have time, it’s worth doing both this and the funicular up Mount Fløyen, as the view from each is different – the former offers the classic vista of the harbour, whereas Ulriken gives you a wider panorama that also takes in the mountains and fjords inland.

The cable car leaves from the base station at Haukelandsbakken 40, which is a few km from the city centre. To get there, take the light rail to Haukeland and then follow the signs uphill for 10-15 minutes; from April to October, there’s also a dedicated shuttle bus direct from Torgallmenningen 1A in the city centre. Once at the top, there’s a cafe for coffee and pastries with a view, plus various hiking trails and, for the adventurous, Norway’s fastest zip line.

April to September: open daily from 9am to 11pm. October to March: open from 9am to 7pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, and from 9am to 11pm Thursday-Saturday (closed Monday).

TIP: Dress in layers – conditions on Mount Ulriken are unpredictable, and it can be cold, windy and cloudy even if the city centre is basking in sunshine. During the hour we spent at the top, the weather changed from warm and clear to snow showers and back again.

Kode art museums, various sites around Lille Lungegårdsvannet, 5015 Bergen

Kode is one of the largest museums of art, design and crafts in the Nordic region. It’s split over four sites around the city-centre lake of Lille Lungegårdsvannet, which are all covered by a single admission ticket. Lysverket is a white 1930s building housing art from the 15th to 20th centuries, while the neighbouring Rasmus Meyers covers the golden age of Norwegian art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including a large collection of work by Edvard Munch. The monumental Neo-Renaissance Permanenten has rotating displays themed around crafts, and the newest of the quartet, Stenersen, focuses primarily on contemporary installations. Getting around all of them will take more than a day, so I’d recommend taking a look at the latest exhibitions on the Kode website and choosing one or two to prioritise. We opted for Lysverket, which during our visit was hosting an excellent temporary exhibition exploring the links between craft and design. 

The Kode admission ticket also gives entrance to the homes and gardens of three Norwegian composers: Edvard Grieg, Harald Sæverud and Ole Bull. They all lie to the south of the city and the latter is on an island accessible only by boat. We didn’t have chance to visit them during our short time in Bergen, but they look beautiful and worth the journey if you have more time than us. 

Main museum sites open from 10am to 6pm Tuesday-Friday and from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday; from September to May, they open at 11am rather than 10. Closed Monday. Hours for the composer homes vary. 

Half-day fjord cruises with Rødnoe, Torget 2, 5014 Bergen

If you haven’t done a boat ride through the fjords as part of your journey to Bergen, I’d definitely recommend booking one from the city centre. There are various operators, but I’d suggest Rødnoe as we’ve used them elsewhere in Norway and rate them highly. There are several departures daily, leaving from the quay by the fish market and using modern catamarans with indoor and outdoor viewing decks. The two- or three-hour trips take you along the Mostraumen Strait or Hardangerfjord – neither quite as majestic as the Unesco-listed Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord that we travelled through on our Norway in Nutshell itinerary, but still incredibly picturesque, with tumbling waterfalls, steep sides and tiny villages huddled on the shoreline.

Floating saunas with City Sauna, Solheimsgaten 3, 5058 Bergen

For a boat ride with a twist, you can also book a private sauna cruise. They last two hours and take you on a scenic tour around Bergen’s harbour area in a floating glass-walled sauna driven by a dedicated captain. There are options for two, four, six, eight and 10 people, and you can bring your own drinks and music.

I haven’t tried a sauna cruise in Bergen myself, but I did a very similar experience in Finland a few years ago and really enjoyed it. The operator, City Sauna, also has private saunas on a wooden pier with fantastic views, for those who prefer to stay still as they unwind.

Where to shop in Bergen

Norwegian Rain, Chr. Michelsens Gate 1, 5012 Bergen

Treating yourself to some seriously stylish rainwear seems like a very apt thing to do in Europe’s wettest city, and this is the place to go. Founded by Alexander Helle and renowned designer and tailor T-Michael, it now has shops in Oslo, London and Paris, but the flagship Bergen store is where it all began. There’s an array of coats and jackets for men and women, as well as hats, bags and rucksacks – all 100% waterproof, breathable and made from recycled materials.

Open 12pm to 5pm Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Oleana, Strandkaien 2A, 5013 Bergen

Ethical Norwegian knitwear brand Oleana is known for putting a modern twist on traditional Nordic patterns. There are classic and contemporary collections, with womenswear, accessories and home textiles – including the checked throws used in the guest rooms at Skostredet Hotel & Spa.

Open from 10am to 6pm Monday-Friday, from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and from 10am to 2pm on Sunday.

Illums Bolighus, Strandgaten 20, 5013 Bergen

Bergen is home to a large branch of Danish furniture and homeware retailer Illums Bolighus – a great one-stop-shop for Scandinavian design and the kind of store you can happily browse for hours.

Open from 10am to 7pm Monday-Friday and from 10am to 6pm on Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Per Vigeland, Bryggen 31, Bergen 5003

Located on the waterfront in Bryggen, this tiny studio-shop sells handcrafted gold and silver jewellery, much of it inspired by nature or geometry. The designs are all utterly beautiful and I could have bought most of them!

Open from 9am to 8pm Monday-Saturday and from 10am to 8pm on Sunday.

Getting to Bergen & getting around

Bergen Airport has flights from across Europe and is connected to the city centre by light rail (a 45-minute journey) and an express bus (a 30-minute journey, but more expensive). If you’re coming from further afield, you’ll likely have to fly into Oslo. You can of course take a domestic flight from there to Bergen, but if time allows I’d highly recommend travelling between the two cities on the iconic Bergensbanen (one of the world’s most beautiful railways) or via the ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ train, boat and bus itinerary that we did. Both offer an unforgettable way to see some of Norway’s most spectacular scenery, and you can find all the details here.

Bergen city centre itself is compact and easily walkable. There’s a comprehensive light rail system (Bybanen) and a bus network, but you probably won’t need to use them very much.

TIP: You can buy 24-hour, 48-hour, 72-hour and 96-hour Bergen Cards, which give unlimited light rail travel (including out to the airport), plus discounted entry to various museums and attractions. Unless you plan on using public transport a lot, however, the purchase price is probably more than the amount of money you’ll save.

Please note this Bergen city guide contains affiliate links (all clearly marked), which means I will receive a small commission on any resulting bookings. You won’t pay any more by clicking on these links than you would by visiting the websites directly, and it helps to support the free content I create here.

Images of Bergen Børs Hotel, Skostredet Hotel & Spa, Citybox Bergen, Cornelius, Kaffemissjonen, Colonialen Sann, Colonialen Fetevare, Izakaya and Norwegian Rain courtesy of the respective locations. All other photography by Abi Dare.