Rainy Days in Bergen

Bergen - An Overview

Story/Tip

Bergen - the rainy city Photo - Bergen, Norway

Quote:

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...Read More

Cheer!
Flag

Mount Fløyen Funicular - your ticket to spectacular views

Story/Tip

Fløibanen Funicular Photo - Bergen, Norway

Quote:

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 u...Read More

Cheer!
Flag

Garage Rock Bar and Club

Attraction | "The Garage Bergen - Noisy But Friendly"

Quote:

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 tha...Read More

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
.
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.

Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 20, 2009

Cheer!
Flag

Bergen Aquarium

Attraction | "Bergen Aquarium - No Wrapper on These Penguins"

Quote:

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 virt...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 28, 2009

Bergen Aquarium
Nordnesbakken 4
Bergen
+47 55 55 71 71

Cheer!
Flag

Lille Lungegårdsvann

Attraction | "Lille Lungegårdsvann - Bergen's City Centre Lake"

Quote:

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....Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 9, 2008

Cheer!
Flag

Berntsen private accommodation

Hotel | "Berntsen - The Room at the Top"

Private accommodation Berntsen, Bergen Photo - Bergen, Norway

Quote:

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...Read More

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.

Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 7, 2008

Cheer!
Flag

Egon Restaurant

Restaurant | "Egon"

Quote:

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 w...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on June 27, 2008

Egon Restaurant
Vetrlidsalmenningen 2

+47 55 55 22 22

Cheer!
Flag

Pars

Restaurant

Quote:

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...Read More

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. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 1, 2008

Pars
Sigurdsgate
Bergen, Norway
(55) 563-722

Cheer!
Flag

Taste of Indian

Restaurant | "Taste of Indian - Slow but Sure"

Quote:

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 nu...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on October 7, 2008

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Bergen Journals

Rainy Days in Bergen

Bergen - An Overview

Mount Fløyen Funicular - your ticket to spectacular views

Garage Rock Bar and Club

Bergen Aquarium

Lille Lungegårdsvann

Berntsen private accommodation

Egon Restaurant

Pars

Taste of Indian

About the Writer

More Journals by fizzytom

More Bergen Journals

Bergen Tips & Stories

Popular Bergen Hotels