Rainy Days in Bergen

Bergen is a very wet place. It's something to do with the seven mountains that surround the city which does something or other to do with low pressure and hey presto it rains all the time (something like two and a half metres of rain annually!) This is why typical Bergen houses have such steeply pitched roofs and why people in Bergen tend to keep their coats on all the time. And why even a newsagents shop sells umbrellas. The good citizens of Bergen have about ten different words for rain - I have only one and I can't say it here.

You have to accept that you are probably going to get wet during your visit. Take a waterproof jacket, carry an umbrella, have some clothes to change into. After that you just have to get out there and explore. Don't bother diving into a pub thinking that you can shelter there until the rain passes; you'll be there all day!

Your first port of call should be the Tourist Information Office. Here you can pick up a free map of the city and leaflets on all the main attractions as well as buy a Bergen Card and book tours. It's vital you make plans as soon as possible because the trips do sell out quickly and places are limited, especially if you are visiting in the height of summer.

If you know that there are lots of things you want to see that cost money then think about a Bergen Card. It gives you free bus travel within the city, free parking and free admission to most of the museums and attractions. However, it's not cheap so it's a good idea to look at how much you'll be using it and whether it really does offer you a saving. In 2009 the Bergen Card costs 190 Norwegian Kroner (approx £19.00) for adults for a 24 hour card and 250 NOK (approx £25) for 48 hours.

The best place to see the evidence of Bergen's historic trading past is the Bryggen. 'Bryggen' means 'waterfront'' in Norwegian but it more generally refers to the line of brightly coloured wooden houses in the Hanseatic style that date back to the days when Bergen was at the very heart of European trade. The buildings have been burned to the ground on numerous occasions, the last time being the 1960s, but they have been painstaking rebuilt and they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

One of the buildings has been made into a museum that has recreations of rooms from the early eighteenth century and at the back of the Bryggen there are open air workshops where you can see traditional crafts being demonstrated. Other buildings in the Bryggen are restaurants (the type of over-priced tourist trap that Americans adore) and souvenir shops.

Moving away from the Bryggen, out towards the harbour mouth where the international ferries dock, is the castle which, although it isn't that interesting, does occupy lovely grounds.
Moving the other way, across the road, is the 'fisketorget''- the fishmarket - which is one of the most popular sights in Bergen. All over Bergen - on the walls in pubs and restaurants and guest houses - you will see lots of old photographs of the fisketorget in yesteryear when it was a bustling market at the heart of the city. These days fish is still sold here but there are only a handful of stalls left. The rest of the space is now occupied by a craft and souvenir market; this is the place to buy traditional Norwegian knitwear or a comedy reindeer hat. You can also buy vacuum packed fish to take home but you should be sure to sample the cloudberry preserve - it's wonderful!

The "Bergen Expressen", a dinky road train ,departs on a tour of the city from beside the fishmarket. Commentary is piped into each little carriage and is available in a host of languages. The trip takes you around the harbour and the lake before setting up the hill, past Troldhaugen (the house that belonged to composer Edvard Grieg), across to Mount Floyen where it stops for a few minutes to take in the views. It's not the greatest of tours but if it is really raining hard then it at least allows you to see something of Bergen without getting wet.

The best way to appreciate Mount Floyen, though, is to take the funicular to its summit. The lower station is a minutes walk from the fisketorget and the funicular leaves on the hour and the half hour. You may be lucky and hit an additional departure as they do happen occasionally. The funicular operates until 11.00pm and until midnight between May and August.

At the summit there is a restaurant and café that operates mainly in summer but may be open limited hours at other times. There is also a souvenir shop that is surprisingly cheap given that it's in Norway and that it's located in such a prominent location for tourists. The views from the terrace are amazing; this is the best place to get a grip on the unusual geography of Bergen. Energetic visitors may like to walk back down and there is a maze of paths to allow you to do that.

Like any major European city, Bergen is not without plenty of museums - Museum of the Norwegian Knitting Industry anyone - but there's something about the place that makes you want to be outdoors as much as possible in spite of the rain. How about a boat trip around the harbour or perhaps a bit further afield to the fjords? There are plenty of trips - half day and full day - though early booking is advised. If you prefer to stay on dry land but still want something watery how about a visit to the Bergen Aquarium? I loved the penguins so much I had to be dragged away because none of the kids could see past me!

Evenings are a bit odd in Norway - as they can be in any Scandinavian city. This is because drinking is so expensive (and also because it's still light at midnight!). Things tend to be quiet until at least nine o'clock except in very touristy places (like Irish theme pubs). By the fisketorget you can expect to pay something like 90 NOK for two beers - and that's one that comes in somewhere between a half and a pint. (This was in May 2007, based on today's exchange rate that's just over £9.00!) Stick to Norwegian beers - Hansa is perfectly acceptable - as the price of imported brands is astronomical. The next day we bought a few cans to drink in our room before we went out but you need to know that you can't buy beer in supermarkets after five pm, and slightly earlier on Saturdays. Around three on Saturdays you see men sprinting up the street to catch the supermarket before they stop selling beer.

Eating out is - by British standards - also expensive. I am sorry to say that I didn't eat much Norwegian food at all because of the cost. Instead we ate at an Indian restaurant and a Persian restaurant - both of them were cheap in relation to the usual prices in Norway. We did, however, eat fish and chips on Sunday lunch time from a stall at the fisketorget - it came in around £20.00 for two portions of battered fish and chips. And you pay extra for ketchup! Should you decided to do this take cover from the mutant seagulls which resemble vultures more than any simple seabird. If you can't stretch to this do at least have something Norwegian in the shape of cinnamon buns which costs hardly anything at all from baker's shops.

Of course, nightlife isn't all about drinking - and in Bergen it can't be unless you won the lottery recently. Luckily, as a previous holder of the title European City of Culture (in 2000) Bergen has lots going on in terms of musical and theatrical performances and the city plays hosts to several different cultural festivals throughout they year.

Overall we had a great trip although with hindsight I might have done things differently and considered the financial side of things more before deciding to go. I had several other trips planned and always had that in mind which restricted my spending a little. However, there were plenty of things that didn't cost much or didn't cost anything at all that gave us a good insight into the city and culture in the brief time we were there.

The best advice I can give is to be realistic about the cost and spend what you need to; you might never go back and it would be a shame to miss out because of scrimping. Bergen is certainly worth a visit - but do take a brolly!

The Floibanen funicular offers a quick and easy way to access some brilliant views of the city of Bergen from a purpose built viewing platform atop Mount Fløyen. While the mountain has lots of hiking trails and offers some great opportunities for scenic and rewarding walks, you may not have the time or the energy to spend on getting to the top, in which case the funicular is at your service.

The idea of a funicular here was mooted as early as 1895 but work didn't start until 1914 though this was inevitably delayed due to the war and it finally opened in January 1918. New carriages were installed in the 1950s - one red and one blue - this tradition of one red and one blue carriage is still upheld today. In 2002 the most major renovations were carried out and the whole system was overhauled, including new carraiges, new rails, modernised stations and installation of electronic barriers. The red carriage is named Rødhette and the blue one is Blåmann - apparently these names were chosen by a competition open to the public.

The lower station is just a few footsteps from the fish market. There is no need to book in advance, simply turn up and buy your ticket from the kiosk. The service is regular; it doesn't just take tourists up to the top as there are several stations along the way as there are houses on the mountain and you see plenty of locals riding the funicular armed with their shopping bags. However, not all services are stopping ones so you should check if you want to go anywhere other than the top.

The journey takes about five minutes and you are noiselessy whisked towards the summit in one of two ultra modern carriages. Each carriage holds up to eighty people and the interior has been well-designed in order to give great views and to make sure everyone can enjoy the view. In other words, you don't have to be at the front of the carriage to be able to see the views as you ascend. It is a single track most of the way with one stretch between Fjellveien and Skansemyren where the carraiges can pass each other.

Pushchairs and wheelchairs are welcome on the funicular and bicycles may be taken between October and March. If you have mobility problems or you do have young children in pushchairs you should know that this is the only way to reach the summit as cars are not allowed to the top of Fløyen.

Why go to Mount Fløyen anyway? Quite simply this is the best place in Bergen to get a handle on the geography. From here you can appreciate how the fjords and the islands lie in comparison to the main landmass and you can see all the way to the sea and on a clear day. Fear not if you haven't brought your binoculars, there are some on the viewing platform to help you get an even better view.

Next to the upper station there is a souvenir shops that also sells snacks (such as hot dogs), soft drinks and ices. I'm not really a souvenir buyer but we wanted a Norwegian flag to add to our collection and we found the prices here were way cheaper than in the city, for example the stalls in the fish market.

There is also a restaurant and cafe that has a pleasant terrace; this place is open every day from mid-May to the end of August. During the remainder of the year, the cafeteria is open every Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 - 17:00. We didn't visit it so I can't comment more than this.

Nearby is an adventure playground for children, the highlight of which is a fantastic troll the kids can climb.

As it was quite wet when we visited we avoided the trails but maps can be obtained showing the trails and these maps also show the locations of six picnic cabins on the mountain you can use free of charge. Elsewhere there are outdoor picnic sites and stone barbecues which are well maintained.

Prices
Adults single/return 35NOK/70NOK

Children under 4 travel free, older children get a discount.

Timetables vary depending on the time of year but details can be obtained from

http://www.floibanen.no/visartikkel.asp?art=134

Garage is probably Bergen’s most popular rock bar/music venue and with good reason. The playlist is eclectic, the music laid back and the choice of beers better than any I found in Bergen. There isn’t an obvious area to head for in Bergen to enjoy some nightlife so we were delighted to stumble on this place on Christies gate (Number 14). Garage is well known not just in Norway but in Scandinavia as a rock music venue and many bands have made their live debuts here (among them Kings of Convenience). International bands play here too and forthcoming gigs can be viewed at http://www.garage.no/

The entrance is on street level and on this floor Garage is a pub with a large bar in the centre that you can sit at on bars stools if you wish. There are plenty of tables around the pub but there are also some great window places where you can sit on bar stools and people watch. The live music/club venue is downstairs in the basement. If there’s a gig going on you’ll hear a lot of it even if you don’t go downstairs to watch. This was a bit annoying because you could hear neither the live band nor the music being played in the pub properly.

The clientele is mixed but generally under 35 and mostly people into rock/alternative music. There is officially no dress code but you know that certain types of people are going to look very out of place in this kind of establishment. If in doubt, black works best here. There is definitely a "studenty" vibe too.

The bar staff were really friendly and spoke excellent English (it’s Scandinavia, of course they did!) and were able to talk us through the beers. It was disappointingly short on local beers but there was a good choice between light and dark bottled beers from all over Europe and in this respect more varied than anywhere else we visited while in Bergen. The music is the most important thing however so you can’t really criticise them too much; they’re not claiming to be an exciting bar in terms of beers available.

One thing that we liked was that there was an excellent selection of free local listings and arts magazines with articles on other music venues, interesting independent shops and really just cultural life in Bergen in general which made for interesting and useful reading. There was a better selection of local listings here than was available at the Tourist Information office
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This is not somewhere I’d recommend across the board to everyone. It’s certainly somewhere that targets the younger crowd and if you don’t appreciate rock music you’ll not enjoy the music much – either the live music or that played in the pub. By Bergen standards this place wasn’t expensive and the atmosphere was certainly friendly and welcoming. One for the rock fans visiting Bergen.

What do you do on a rainy day in a city renowned for bad weather and that is surrounded by water? You go to the aquarium of course! As if you hadn't seen enough water!

Bergen Aquarium has a reputation of being one of the finest in Europe and while I haven't been to many, I can see why Bergen's has this good reputation.

The aquarium is situated about 1.6 Kilometres from the fish market, which in tourist terms is the heart of the city. It stands at the end of the Nordnes peninsular and you can find it quite easily by walking as far as you can before you end up in the fjord. When you fall in you know you have gone too far. I was going to say "when you get wet" but as it rains virtually all the time in Bergen, this is not helpful. If you don't want to walk you can take a bus, alternatively you can take a ferry from the fish market which drops you off at the aquarium. However, the walk is very scenic through a lovely residential area of traditional wooden house, the part of Bergen where we stayed, in fact.

The outside sections of the building are that kind of art deco style that lots of zoos tend to be built in; simple clean white buildings that are rather stylish. Although we visited on a Saturday afternoon and there were lots of people around we didn't have to queue long for our tickets. When you get your tickets you are also given a guide to the aquarium and a list of the feedings times for the seals and penguins. Alas, we had missed both.
First you come to the penguins and seals. They live separately of course, but their pools are close together and there will be loads of children tripping you up as they run madly from one to the other. Both pools have viewing windows in the side walls so you can get a really good look at them swimming and the seals, especially, like to put on a show and continually swim past the window in a flamboyant fashion - they are so obliging in this respect. I would say that if you are visiting with kids it's probably best to try to go with the feeding times at mind because the seals in particular do become less active just after eating and I suspect children would enjoy seeing them being fed more than just lolling around the pool (the seals, not the kids).

Inside the aquarium are about 70 tanks containing all kinds of sea-life, much of it from the North Sea. The collection is split into different zones - coastal, tropical and North Sea. The tropical area is also home to some very mean looking crocodiles and some snakes. To be honest the inclusion of these creatures didn't add much to the experience and seemed incongruous with the rest of the collection. Is it an aquarium or a zoo?
The contents of the tanks range from huge cod and eels to teeny little creatures you simply have to believe are there if you have forgotten your specs. Children seemed to lose interest quickly in this section and I can't say I blamed them. In this section the lights are very dim and it takes a few minutes to adjust to it. It also doesn't help if your travelling companion sneaks up on you and pretends to be an eel biting your posterior - I was a bag of nerves by the end!

Ordinarily most of the creatures here wouldn't much interest me but the captions were so informative and thought-provoking that I became more interested - I still prefer a piece of cod in batter than hundreds swimming in a tank but I did learn a lot. Usefully, the captions were in Norwegian, English and Swedish (well the English part was useful for me!).
Upstairs in a huge hall there was what I think was a temporary exhibition on creepy crawlies with lots of tanks on tables full of soil and other vegetation and apparently (not that I am for one second accusing Norwegians of pulling the wool over your eyes) various arachnids, multi-footed creatures and other creatures likely to make your skin crawl. If you were interested in that kind of thing jolly nerds were there to answer questions.

Access around the whole complex is good with lifts and ramps both inside and out. There is plenty of room for pushchairs though you might find you have to be patient and wait for people to get out of the way in front of tanks as the more "exciting" fish did tend to make children go a bit crazy and forget their manners. There were also toilets on all levels and they were well signposted so you didn't have to make your way through lots of exhibition halls to find a loo.

There is a cafe and a souvenir shop though we didn't use either of these.
We spent a couple of hours at the aquarium and really enjoyed our visit. I am not sure how much younger children would get out of it except perhaps for the seals and penguins and if this is why you're going then it becomes pretty expensive. Having said that the place was full of children who appeared to be having a great time: perhaps it's best for children over seven years of age.

Current prices (2009)

Adults NOK 100 (£10.19 on 15.02.09)
Children (3-13) NOK 75 (£7.65)
Family ticket (2 adults+2 children) NOK 300 (£30.59)

A Bergen Card gives 25% discount on entry May-August. Free admittance September - April. These can be bought from tourist information centres and details can be found at

http://www.visitbergen.com/default.asp?sp=GB&layout=4&intro=1542_2&listBK=au$on@pt $1@ek$14


Opening hours

Summer (1 May to 31 August) 9:00 to 19:00 every day
Winter (1 September to 30 April) 10:00 to 18:00 every day

This attractive lake in the middle of a small park is the perfect place to sit and watch the birds, have a picnic lunch or just rest your feet for a while. The name translates roughly as "little water" and this lake is popular with ornithologists because a number of diffrent sea birds like to feed here. A large fountain sends a plume of water up into the air in the centre of the lake. Looking across the lake with the harbour behind you offers a good view of the houses climbing the hillside.

You're bound to come across the lake and park not least because several of Bergen's museums (namely the Bergen Art Museum and the West Norway Museum of Decorative Art) are situated overlooking the lake.

Interestingly the lake was actually sea water and a street at one end of the lake is called "Quay Street" which demonstrates that this was not always a lake. In fact it only became a lack about 100 years ago.

The park is a pretty one with lovely flowers in bloom in the summer and a handful of eye catching statues and sculptures. When we were there the international arts festival was in full swing and some performers had pitches in the park.

All in all a pleasant place to enjoy a quiet break from the hustle of town without having to venture far

We booked this private accommodation through the Bergen Tourist Office having not realised when we booked our flights that the international festival was taking place when we were going to be in Bergen. Since accommodation can seem expensive to non-Norwegians this turned out to be a good move. We paid 450 NOK per night plus a booking fee of 50 NOK for the tourist office. The first night was paid in advance by credit card, the other night was paid in cash to the owner.

The house is located about ten minutes walk from town and is on the strip of land between the two harbours, leading eventually to the Bergen Aquarium. There are a few restaurants and bars nearby as well as a couple of shops to buy provisions for breakfast. The house is just off the main road but shelterd by a hedge. We were very close but couldn't spot the house and a friendly local gentleman asked if that was what we were looking for, and directed us to the house.

We were delighted with the first impresssion; a typical timbered Bergen house, painted white and with flowers trailing over the walls. A wrought iron table and a couple of chairs made a pleasant outdoor seating area.

The lovely owner let us in and showed us to our top floor room. It was a hike up several flights but the room was cosy and comfortable with a nice double bed and a small sofa, all tucked away in the eaves. A little dormer window gave views over the houses and down to the waterside area. There was a TV but we didn't get time to watch anything. On the table were a selection of leaflets on the town and local attractions.

Under the eaves in our room was a tiny en suite that contained just a washbasin. The shower room and toilet were separate and were both on the landing and shared with one other room. There was also a small kitchen with everything you needed to cook a light snack or prepare breakfast as well as a table to sit at.

Other than on arrival we didn't see our host again but she did make it clear that we should knoock on the door of her living area should we require anything,

This is a charming house in a useful area in a good position for accessing the sights without incurring the costs of living in the centre. I would recommend it without reservation.

I knew before I went to Norway that I would find it expensive in comparison with prices in Britain but I was still a little surprised at how much more. Therefore I was on the lookout for ways of reducing my costs without feeling like I was skimping. We were handed leaflets for Egon Restaurant, situated just in front of the food hall close to the Bryggen and Fishmarket although there is another branch in the city centre.

I have learned from the website that Egon is a Norwegian chain with restaurants in locations all over the country and that all restaurants offer the same dishes so this review should be useful to you whichever branch you choose to eat at.

The reason we ate there was that we wanted a reasonably priced light-ish meal because we intended to eat a larger meal in the evening. The leaflets were advertising a ‘pizzalunch-buffet’ – help yourself to pizza and salad from a selection at the buffet for 109 Kr (this price correct as of June 2008, it was less when we visited) (57 Kr for children under the age of ten). Compared to other places in the area – and this is the heart of the tourist area – it seemed reasonable.

The offer is available all day Sunday and Monday, and until 18:00 other days. We went in around noon on a Saturday and found a table with no problems. The interior décor is a bit of a hotch potch but essentially the place is meant to look like and old barn with wooden panels and exposed stonework. Low lighting makes the place look quite cosy and the seating was comfortable. There are some interesting and picturesque old photographs of Bergen on the walls and generally an assortment of quirky items hanging here and there from beams.

We paid at the bar for the food and the drinks and were directed to the buffet to load our plates. You could go back as often as you wished so we were quite restrained in how much we took on the first trip.

Furthermore there were only to types of pizza and we were expecting fresh pizza to arrive soon. There was a plain cheese and tomato margherita and a ham and pineapple. Both had plenty of topping and the base was midway between thin and pan. The tomato sauce was tangy and the when the other pizzas came the vegetable toppings were nice and fresh.

The salad was disappointing but perhaps we shouldn’t have expected so much given the deal we were getting. It was in medium sized bowls and consisted mostly of lettuce with a few bits of corn and cucumber. It wasn’t dressed but there were bowls of different (mostly creamy) dressings for you to help yourself too. The salad got very low at one point and it took staff a while to top it up.

Overall we felt we couldn’t really quibble about the offer; there’s better food in Bergen but for the convenience, the location and the price it’s not bad at all.

Of course Egon does serve other food and the menu is quite varied, starting with soups and light snacks including tapas-style dishes, sandwiches and burgers, through to full pizzas and pasta dishes, curries and other main courses such as steaks, enchiladas and fajitas. The menu can be found on the website but as an example the following dishes are available

Smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese and salad – 145 Kr
Quesedilla – 138 Kr
Fish soup with bread – 75 Kr
Lamb tikka massala – 157 Kr

www.egon.no

Other Bergen Branch:
Egon Bristol
Torgalmenningen 11
Bergen

It's often the case in expensive countries and cities that 'ethnic Asian' food (except for Japanese) is the cheapest way to go if you are on a budget. With that in mind we found 'Pars' a small Persian restaurant about ten minutes walk from the port in Bergen, it's distance from the main 'touristy' area may also explain why its more affordable though it's by no means out of the way.

With little lanterns lit aound the place, making the brass ornaments gleam, it certainly looked enticing on a wet Bergen night. We hadn't booked but we managed to get a table in spite of the place seeming quite busy. The atmosphere was lively with a few groups in but it wasn't overbearing.

The decor is a little over the top and a little shabby in places too. There are false Arabian arches built in everywhere and a bizarre kind of texture to the walls painted a golden yellow colour, I couldn't tell if it was meant to resemble stone or sand. The soft furnishings consisting gold embroidered satin fabrics in rich warms colours were nice but the brass jugs and plates were a bit naff. Overall it was a bit too much.

The menu was in English and Norwegian and organised so you could easily choose between starters, meat dishes, chicken dishes, kebabs and vegetarian dishes. There seemed a lot of choice but many were just permutations of the variuos ingredients; that said, I would defy anyone not to be able to find something pleasing.

We both went for beef casseroles; mine was one with lentils and aubergines, while my partner had one with okra as the main vegetable. Both came with good portions of saffron rice. The rice was served in a bowl and the casserole came in a little cooking pot, you add the casserole and sauce to the rice, adding more as you go. The subtle Persian spices used in the casseroles were delicious - cumin, turmeric, cinnamon - and so was the aroma that greeted you when the dish was placed before you. Just magical!

We didn't have starters or desserts but soups start at just 79Kr so quite reasonable really. The choice of starters is small consisting of soup, tzatziki or an aubergine dish with bread. The dessert list is longer but sticky honey and nut dishes seem to be typical of the selection.

We finished with mint teas but had drunk beers during the meal. Persian it may be but they have a full selection of alcoholic drinks including wine.

We found that just the main course with rice was sufficient and felt that at 159Kr for this hefty portion of delicious food, Pars does represent good value.

The staff speak English and were attentive when needed but not pushy and even managed to wish us a friendly goodnight as we left even though the place was busy.

I would recommend Pars to anyone looking for an interesting restaurant in Bergen. That it is reasonably priced is a pleasant bonus.

Tatse of Indian has two restaurants on the same Bergen street. We found the one in the white timber house first but we hadn't booked and they had no tables so we went along to the other which is a minutes walk along a pedestrian street and above some shops. An advertising board points out the entrance.

The interior is quite opulent with richly coloured velvet drapes, lots of ornaments such as a number of ornate carved elephants and lots of flower garlands hanging from anywhere possible. It's a trifle over the top but it's fun.

We were shown to a table at the far end of the restaurant whch was fine although there are lots of tables crammed in and it makes going to the toilet a nuisance because you have to ask everyone to move their chairs.

Service was fine, the staff spoke reasonable English and understood my concern at whether any dishes contained nuts. The problem was mainly that this was a busy Friday evening and the staff were run off their feet and so we did have to wait an inordinately long time sometimes just to get someone's atttention.

The food was not startling and could have been a bit spicier but the portions were generous and there was a fair (but not wide) choice of dishes. There were meat, chicken and fish dishes as well as a couple of vegetarian dishes so there was enough to choose from. Choices ranged from mild to hot (vindaloo) although there wasn't much range between them.

Main courses come in between 150 and 200 NOK; in all we spent the requivalent of around £50 for two people - that's two courses, drinks and a side dish. Reasonable for Bergen but the quality could have been a little better.

You could do worse than Taste of Indian but ardent curry lovers may wish to ask for some extra spice in their food.