Bergen: 48 Hours in the City That Stole My Heart

Some cities impress you. And then some cities immediately slow your pulse

Bergen was the latter.

Colorful wooden buildings lined the harbor, mountains disappeared into mist, and church bells echoed across the waterfront. Even before our hiking adventure through Norway’s fjords began, I knew this city deserved more than just a stopover.

Getting to Bergen was surprisingly easy. After an overnight flight into Copenhagen, a short SAS connection delivered us to one of Europe’s prettiest cities.

The first thing you see when leaving the Bergen airport is an art installation carved into the rock –

BERGEN?

In bright yellow letters.

It made me chuckle and say, “I’m going to like the vibe of this place.”

I learned later that it’s a permanent piece by Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson, titled This Must Be the Place.

Four women.

Four oversized suitcases.

European-sized car trunks. We quickly learned that an XL Uber in Norway means: order the minivan.

The beautiful boutique hotel, Opus XVI, would be our home for the next two nights while we adjusted to the time change. After dropping our bags, we headed straight for the harbor.

I was told it rains an average of 239 days per year in Bergen, so the moody skies were not exactly a plot twist. Bergen is a UNESCO World Heritage City on Norway’s west coast, and it serves as the gateway to the fjords we will soon be hiking through.

As we wandered, we began hearing drums from every direction. A parade? A festival? A very aggressive marching band rehearsal?

Men were marching through the streets carrying flags and beating drums. It just so happened to be Buekorpsenes Day, a Bergen tradition dating back to the 1800s.

Charming? Yes.

Historic? Absolutely.

But after an overnight flight, my main thought was: please be done by bedtime.

We popped into The Daily Pot on Vaskerelven 21 for a quick bite. The creamy fish stew was exactly what Bergen ordered after a damp afternoon: rich, comforting, and perfect with a steaming cup of tea while rain dotted the windows.

And yes, those drums continued to beat in the distance.

Cocktails that evening started at the beautiful bar inside Opus XVI. Without a dinner reservation, we wandered the cobblestone alleyways. We stumbled upon MatBaren, a popular neighborhood restaurant where a bowl of mussels, French fries, and a glass of red wine put me right back on my feet.

One more drink before bed led us to Last Monkey, a lively local bar with friendly Norwegians who were happy to chat with a table of Americans. By then, Bergen had officially won me over: rain, drums, mussels, mist, and all.

Day two began with breakfast at Opus XVI, and calling it a breakfast buffet hardly does it justice. One simple visit isn’t enough to sample everything. There was salmon done 3 different ways, an impressive selection of cheeses – including Norway’s famous brown cheese, which I had to try – and even pickled herring. (Yuk. Cousin Deb loved it. I’ll leave that one to her).

We were fueling up for a full day of exploring Bergen on foot.

Our first stop was the Fløibanen Funicular, which carries visitors up Mount Fløyen, one of Bergen’s famous Seven Mountains. The quick six-minute ride offers spectacular views over the harbor as the city slowly unfolds beneath you. By the time we reached the top, the fog had begun rolling in, giving the landscape an almost mystical feel. Thankfully, it held off just long enough for us to soak in the views and capture a few photos.

A short walk from the overlook brought us into the whimsical Troll Forest, where carved wooden trolls, gnomes, and other wooded creatures hide among towering moss-covered trees. It felt like stepping into a Grimm’s fairy tale.

Before heading back down the mountain, we wandered through the gift shop, filled with beautifully hand-knit Norwegian sweaters, gloves, and hats. Of course, we all convinced ourselves we needed something. Whether we actually did is another story. If you’re making the trip, the Fløistuen Café, just across from the gift shop, is the perfect place for a coffee break – or perhaps one last restroom stop before heading back into town.

Back at the harbor, we spent the afternoon wandering the colorful wharf, ducking into local boutiques and galleries before making our way to Bergenhus Fortress, one of the oldest stone fortifications dating back to the 1200s.

That’s old!

The fortress is well worth exploring, especially if you enjoy a little history mixed into your travels like I do.

Lunch took us to Brasserie Chérie in Bergen’s lively Skostredet district. The restaurant had a charming Paris-meets-Bergen atmosphere with bold decor and an excellent French menu. I ordered the Tarte Flambée aux Champignons and paired it with a crisp Chablis, which turned out to be the perfect excuse to linger just a little longer before our next stop.

That next stop was the KODE Museums, one of Scandinavia’s largest collections of art, design, and music. Spread across four separate buildings, it’s easy to spend several hours here.

The highlight for me was seeing Edvard Munch's works beyond The Scream. His paintings from the years following his hospitalization reveal a noticeable shift in both mood and style, making the collection especially fascinating. I was equally excited to visit the permanent gallery of one of my favorite landscape painters, Johan Christian Dahl, who was born in Bergen. KODE houses one of the world’s most significant collections of his work, making it a must for art lovers.

That evening, it was finally time to meet the rest of our hiking group. We gathered at Siderbar Bergen, where the owner guided us through a tasting of four ciders made from apples grown in the orchards of Western Norway. It was a fun introduction not only to our fellow travelers but also to another local specialty.

Dinner was at Pingvinen, a beloved neighborhood gastropub known for hearty Norwegian comfort food.

Since the menu was designed for sharing, we sampled several dishes, but the clear winner was the reindeer stew.

Sorry Rudolph.

Bergen surprised me.

I expected a beautiful gateway to Norway’s famous fjords. Instead, I found a destination worthy of its own vacation. Between the colorful harbor, mountain views, fascinating history, outstanding food, world-class art, and genuinely warm people, two days barely scratched the surface.

Tomorrow, the hiking boots come on.

Five days through Norway’s fjords await… and this is where the real adventure begins.

See you somewhere delicious.

Stamped By Tracey