Bergen: City of Seven Mountains in Norway (2024)
Bergen is the second largest town in Norway. The city of Bergen is about 134 km from the city of Odda. Bergen is the most scenic town and surrounded by mountains. Bergen is also known as the “City of Seven Mountains”. The relaxed urban life is mixed with excellent hospitality and energetic locals who work hard to keep the town clean.
The city is expensive. The cost of hotel rent, meals, and local transport is about 25% higher than Oslo. Most tourists stay overnight at Bergen hoping to see occasional visible Northern Lights.
Visitors like to see the following places while their visit to Bergen city
a. Aquarium-
The aquarium in Bergen city has mostly local sea fishes and few other aquatics.
b. Fish Market-
The open fish market of Bergen in Norway is open 6 days a week and visitors like to see the local market and fresh aquatic food sold in the market.
c. Bryggen-
The Bryggen is the harbor section of the Bergen town. Along the shore, tourists are amazed to see identical wooden houses painted with bright colors. The walk along the wharf and short visit to the coffee shop, allows tourists to relax and also see the surrounding magnificent scenes of mountain and harbor. The harbor was built in the 14th century and restored periodically. Several buildings were damaged during a widespread fire at the harbor in 1702 and rebuilt. The shopping area has a small museum that has exhibits of artwork that shows the history of the harbor.
d. Fantoft Stave Church
The present church was built in 1993 at the location where the original church was built in 1150. The church was damaged and restored a few times during the last several years. The church was rebuilt in 1993 with identical construction to replicate the original look of the church. Most structural identities were restored. The Fantoft Stave church in Bergen is an example of Norwegian architectural work and heritage.
e. Fløibanen and Fløyen
The city of Bergen is surrounded by 7 mountains. The top flat surface of one of the mountains is known as Floyen. The Floyen is about 400 meters above sea level. Most tourists take a funicular ride in mountain train to Floyen. The funicular train ride is known as Floibanen funicular ride. The ride begins at the city center of Bergen to the top of the mountain. The tram takes about 8 minutes to reach the top. The visitors spend about 1 to 2 hours to walk around the mountain and take pictures. Few young visitors go further down the mountain or do hiking for an additional hour. The walking tour with a guide is also available for a nominal fee.
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f. Kode Museum & Art Gallery
The Kode museum and Art Gallery is located in Bergen. The museum has a collection of contemporary and modern paintings as well as other historical artwork. The museum also has architectural designs and a collection of musical items. Most artworks are collected during the last century. Most artworks were done by local Norwegian artists and few from other European talents.
g. Fjord Cruise
The coast of Norway has a spectacular landscape that includes water, flat land, and mountain. The best way to relax and see the magnificent view of the coastal area is to take a day trip on a local cruise ship. There are several ferries, small cruise ships and boats move in and out of Bergen harbor for a 1/2 or full-day trip. Most locals prefer to take the ferry to go to cities that are located in the north and south province of Norway.
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