Bergen By Foot (and Funicular)
- Cat
- Jun 16, 2017
- 4 min read
Bergen, Norway was a spectacular small city, and one of our favorite places in our travels thus far. That's saying a lot, as we've been to some pretty amazing places. But as we outlined last week, Norway has topped our list of amazing countries, and Bergen didn't disappoint.
If you didn't read our post last week about the Naeroy Fjord Cruise, check it out here!
PRO TIP REMINDER: We took a 4-day weekend to visit this stunning country, and it wasn't long enough. If you go, spend AT LEAST a week in the southern part and another week around Alesund up to Tromso. Can't get two weeks off? No sweat, but don't plan to pack too much in. Norway has a way of making you slow down to reflect on its beauty and on life.
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We stayed at the Thon Hotel Orion in Bergen. It was FABULOUS. Close to everything in the city, right on the harbor and next to Bryggen, offered a free light supper and included an excellent breakfast spread. Since we arrived after 6 PM, parking was free until 8 am the next morning as well! We couldn't have asked for a better place to stay. The room itself was modern (recently updated) and had a large bed for Adam and I with a queen sized sofa bed for G. The room could have easily accommodated a family of 4.
For those of you who don't know, Norway is an EXPENSIVE country. So a hotel that included the light supper and breakfast saved us at least $100. We went to a grocery store to purchase lunch items so we could have a picnic lunch and spent $70! No, we didn't buy fancy cheeses and tons of food. That's just the way it is in Norway. Come prepared or be ready to spend a lot of money on food. When we did eat out, everything we had was very good, so it WAS worth what we were charged.
After arriving at the hotel and eating there, we set out on foot to explore the city before dark. We trekked through Bryggen, the famous seaside street with ancient wooden buildings. A very quaint row of shops. What we didn't know before going was that you can meander through the alleys behind these shops. The inner alleys are SO MUCH more interesting than the shopfronts! And since everything was closed, we had the entire place to ourselves. It was a treat.
The next morning we walked next door to tour the grounds of Bergenhus Festning - a waterfront, 13th-century stone fortress. Since it was fairly early in the morning the area was empty so once, again, we were alone. We've been rewarded visiting places in the off season with NO TOURISTS, so we are able to wander slowly, make up stories, and see sights at our own pace. Even though the weather isn't always cooperative, we've found we enjoy the solitude when traveling more than good weather.
We then hiked up the hill to board the Fløibanen, a funicular, so we could get a bird's-eye view of the city. It was a 5-8 minute journey with very nice views from the top. There is also a small cafe and playground at the top. The cost of the ride was NOK 90,- for adults and NOK 45,- for children. In total, it was roughly $28 US for a return trip on the rail. A little pricey, but remember, everything in Norway is.
Click through the gallery below to see the ride!
In fact, we recently read a blog post that Norway has stopped advertising at travel conferences and is raising prices to deter tourism in their country. We aren't sure how true this is, and we doubt that any price will deter people from visiting now that amazing images of the country have been posted all over social media. But, if they are trying to do this, we didn't seem to notice.
After walking back to our hotel and checking out, we headed to Skutaviksbodene which is a small area along a bay on the opposite side of the fortress. It has old wooden buildings similar to Bryggen, but on the water. There's not much to DO here, but it makes for some pretty photos, so we stopped and took a few snaps before heading out of town to Gamle Bergen (Old Bergen). Similar to Gamla Stan in Stockholm, Gamla Bergen is a cluster of old buildings and alleys. Gamle Bergen is a paid-entry outdoor museum in spring through summer. Since we were here just before spring officially began, the area was open and, you guessed it, EMPTY! Had there been hordes of tourists, this small and charming cluster of history would have lost some of its appeal. We enjoyed strolling through leisurely and peeking into each of the quiet buildings. If you visit in off-season, this is a must see area of town.
Click through the gallery below to see photos of Gamle Bergen.
We left Bergen from here, and headed to a picnic lunch in a riverside hut, followed by two nights in Aurland at a little bed and breakfast - which we will share with you next week!
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