How To Spend a Day in Bergen

Norway is a truly magical place with fjords that completely captivate you and charming little cities. We divided our two days in Norway by spending one day in Bergen (they call it the gateway to the fjords) and one day on a fjord tour from Bergen to Flam. Even with the rain Bergen was full of color and I loved the cobblestone streets.  In the city center, the houses are on steep hills along the mountains, which must be one heck of a walk home. Another thing to note is how friendly Norwegians are -- every local, shop owner and waitress we encountered was warm and welcoming.

Mount Floyen & Mount Ulriken

Bergen is a city surrounded by 7 mountains and you can take in the spectacular view of this gem of a city atop Mount Floyen. The hike to Mount Floyen from Bergen takes about an hour, but because it was raining we decided to take the funicular up. Atop Mount Floyen were more trails and a lake to discover. We would have hiked from Mount Floyen to Mount Ulriken if the conditions were better, but that's definitely something to put on your list if it's not raining heavily!

Explore the wharf Bryggen & the many cobblestone streets

Bryggen is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site that used to be the center of trade in Norway. It had a few fires over the years that destroyed it but today it houses restaurants, boutiques and hotels. Definitely walk around behind Bryggen too for a maze of colorful little buildings and shops.

Eat seafood

We had some of the best seafood of our lives in Norway, including salmon and monkfish. The first night we ate at a fancy Norwegian restaurant in Bryggen, and when we got back from the fjord cruise on our last night we ate at the fish market which was a more casual environment, but equally good.