Bergen: yes
We wake up rocked by the midnight sun. Its dim yellowish light is an invitation to explore this port city that rest in the shelter of seven mountains . Start the day having breakfast in one of those corners that make you feel at home, transient homes with the smell of homemade pastries and fresh coffee . Facing the central octagonal lake Lille Lungegårdsvannet is Kafe Magnus _(Gulatingsplass, 1; opening hours: Mon-Thurs: 08:00-23:30; Closing: 08:00-1:00; Sat: 12:00-01am) _. Try the typical freshly baked Norwegian cinnamon rolls. Another option is the string: Godt Brod (means good bread), half organic pastry shop, half cafeteria. We stay with your organic yogurt with cereals, berries, strawberries and blueberries , its carrot cake and homemade jams on toasted organic bread (Vestre Torggaten, 2 or Vetrlidsallmenningen, 19) .
Godt Brød: you will want your breakfast to be eternal
Get lost in the Bryggen neighborhood (one of the most famous images in the country) to discover the life of those merchants who for more than four hundred years dominated the wharf, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea as part of the Hanseatic League . Its colorful wooden houses, faithfully rebuilt according to the original structures of the 12th century after numerous fires, its narrow alleys full of small shops and its sculpture of a large wooden fish are a perfect tourist epicenter full of high quality bars and restaurants. If you want to dive into the origins of this city founded in 1070, go to the Bryggen Museum (8 euros).
Delve into Bryggen, much more than a postcard photo
In addition to its idyllic little squares, its whitewashed houses and cobbled streets, Bergen is a vibrant canvas for graffiti artists and street artists . If you leave the fish market behind and head east (the area of Vågsbunnenn ) you will come across colorful murals or critical serigraphs of **Dolk** (a kind of norwegian banksy , considered its most consecrated urban creator).
'Laughter'. AFK artwork at Østre Skostredet, Bergen
Browse through murals and works that reflect on beauty, the role of the police, the place of migrants in Europe or the social relevance of consumerism. Do not miss the work of the local artist: AFK .
Map of urban art in Bergen:
Are you hungry? At this point we must give ourselves over to gastronomic pleasure at Bare Vestland _ (Fresco Hall, Vågsallmenningen 1) _, a restaurant that takes our “tapas” concept as an excuse to share (and that is the ties with Spain). Taste his homemade bread (something similar to the Galician bolo but flatter) with homemade garlic butter (4 euros), a simple and exquisite appetizer that defines the quality of a proposal that conquers the most intrepid gourmets. Don't leave without trying the smoked mackerel with carrot and spring onions (10 euros) , lamb with onion, leek and black currant (15 euros) or the fish of the day . You can also opt for their four (43 euros) or six course menu (49 euros). A contemporary and delicious Norwegian starter.
Bare Vestland: Let yourself be carried away by Norwegian creativity
Bergen breathes culture, you will notice it, for example, in that there are more sculptures of musicians than of politicians . Meander through the hundreds of thousands azaleas and r ododendrons color the city and the delicate bronze tributes to musicians and composers such as Edvard Hagerup Grieg (Although the name may not ring a bell, you will recognize the well-known chords of Suite No. 1 Op. 46 1. The Morning, which Grieg composed for the play Peer Gynt by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen ) .
Be captivated by the beauty of the octagonal lake Lille Lungegårdsvan
What better option to continue rising than to ascend to the best views of the city? We head to the top of the Mount Floyen in a cabin on the Fløibanen funicular. It is the perfect place to count the seven mountains (known as syv fjell) that embrace the city, watch the sunset or hike to the Lake Tarlebøvatnet . There is also free Wi-Fi (it's time to share the horizon with a video call).
Views from Mount Fløyen
If you are looking for a cultural plan you can explore one of the largest museum complexes in Scandinavia: KODE (a four in one). You will find your dose of music, design and art in front of the octagonal lake Lille Lungegardsvannet at the Museum of Decorative Arts of Western Norway ( KODE 1 ), the building dedicated to temporary exhibitions and contemporary art and with a shop where you can spend hours ( KODE 2 ), our favorite, the Bergen Art Museum (known as KODE 3 ) and KODE 4 , a space that unites children's activities, Norwegian and contemporary art with temporary exhibitions.
Edvard Munch awaits you in KODE 3
KODE 3 houses an excellent collection of paintings and sketches by Munch, as well as other Norwegian artists such as Harriet Baker, Harald Sohlberg either Christian Krohg . Furthermore, in KODE 4 we can find the first proposal for dinner: Lysverket _(Rasmus Meyers allé 9) _.
Make a reservation, because its bar (where you can order from the menu) and its restaurant area (which serves a four- and seven-course tasting menu) are filled with tourists and locals looking for traditional recipes with a contemporary touch in a minimalist setting. oh! Cocktails are taken very seriously here It will be hard for you to resist.
If you want something more adjusted, go to the small café-restaurant, specialized in organic products (with proposals for vegans): Pygmalion _(Nedre Korskirke allmenning, 4) _. Its homey atmosphere is completed with brick walls, exhibits by local artists, and a fireplace in winter.
Bergen is a city where happiness overflows the horizon and music accompanies your steps. From its station the train leaves for Myrdal where one of the most beautiful rail trips on the planet awaits you: the Flåm train. But that will be tomorrow.
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Lysverket: Norwegian elegance and simplicity