Terraces at Bryggen
It is a city that lives the night like no other in the Nordic countries , which has a fish market with exorbitant prices but also with unique merchandise, whose beauty is inversely proportional to its size and with an old part that is a World Heritage Site (along with Røros they are the only 2 urban centers in the classification of the UNESCO). In addition, it is the gateway to the fjords , but it is also a perfect window through which to look at a magical corner in a country of powerful nature.
1) STROLL THROUGH BRYGGEN:
Bryggen has been undaunted for centuries by the passage of ships, sailors and passengers through the city of Bergen. Pasture of the flames on various occasions, the port that smells of wood and salmon and that seems to be painted in pencil , welcomes the traveler to Norway's second largest city. It held the top spot 400 years ago, when the Hanseatic League had its headquarters in these narrow-fronted but deep-length stables and from them dominated trade between Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. A walk through the narrow alleys and through the dark galleries transports the traveler to the past, to the shadows of history, from the Middle Ages to the present day. But Bryggen today is a very much alive vestige. Inside, bars, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops embody the heart of the city of Bergen.
Sunset at Bryggen
2) CLIMB THE FUNICULAR TO SEE THE SINUOUS FORMS OF THE PENINSULA
Bergen is a peninsula that can be seen perfectly from the Mount Floyen , about 320 meters high. Until there there are several ways to climb. The most advisable, especially if you are not in shape, do it riding the Fløibanen funicular . On a clear day there is a brutal vision that covers the city, l as 6 mountains that protect it (7 if we count the one we are on) and the fjords . From there you can walk along signposted routes through the mountains or enjoy an aperitif in its idyllic restaurant-cafeteria. It is also an option take the picnic and have it sitting quietly while we enjoy the scenery . The funicular runs every day of the year from early in the morning until 11:00 p.m.
Bergen from Mount Floyen
3) SAIL THE FJORDS
The fjords are the biggest attraction in southern Scandinavia. Fingers of sea that penetrate the land, in some cases up to 100 kilometers, creating sinuous aquatic paths dotted with small towns or buildings ignorant of the laws of physics and the stability of the plain. The vertiginous vertical drop hundreds of meters from its rocky shores are an example of the savage brutality of nature in these territories. From Bergen you can make one-day or half-day excursions as well as circuits . The best are the Sognefjord , the longest and deepest fjord in Norway, the Nærøyfjord , a World Heritage Site, and the Hardangerfjord , also known as the Queen of the Fjords. There are some trips that include spending one or several nights en route. The best place to reserve them is the Bergen tourist office, next to the Fish market for around 150 euros.
A ship crosses the Nærøyfjord
4) LEARN FROM THE HANSEATIC LEAGUE
The Hanseatic League was an association of German merchants who controlled the maritime trade of northern Europe between the 13th and 17th centuries. Its headquarters were in Bergen and its presence was decisive in promoting the development of this maritime town. If we move from Bryggen we have the Schotstuene Museum , in a perfectly preserved building, shows us the workplace of these rich merchants. Here we learn how boys were forbidden to associate with women or their initiation ceremonies into trade at the young age of 14. The Hanseatic teaches us where they stored the cod, the foreman's office, the bedrooms...and drank beer . All this in a building rebuilt a thousand times after suffering as many fires. For about 7 euros you can visit both.
The Hanseatic League did its business here
5) PAY TRIBUTE TO IBSEN
The most notable sons of this corner of Norway are the writer Henrik Ibsen and the musical composer Edward Grieg. To pay homage to the author of Casa de Muñecas or Peer Gynt, go to the statue of him, located just in front of the National Theater . Ibsen was not born in Bergen but his time in the city was engraved in his history. He arrived at the age of 20 to work at the theater where he premiered several of his works. The statue that reminds him is known in the city as “the Oculist”.
6) PAY OUR RESPECTS TO GRIEG
Contrary to Ibsen, Edward Grieg if he was born, raised and died in Bergen . His musical legacy is one of the treasures of which the Norwegians are most proud, who came to describe him as The Chopin of the North. Among his works, the piano concerto in A minor and the sonatas for piano and violin. In Troldhaugen there are his ashes together with those of his wife and his house museum in the form of a cozy cabin. You can attend one of the daily concerts that are held in his memory and that last no more than half an hour . There are buses that leave from the center of Bergen to there for about 25 euros.
The typical wooden buildings of the port of Bergen
7) TASTE FISH AT THE MARKET
This modern space with glass windows next to the recreational port is a mandatory stop for consumers avid for local products and for the curious who want to wander and gossip. **In it we find the best salmon in the world (or so they say) **. Judging by the price (80 euros per kilogram) it must be so. You can also taste some freshly caught prawns in the fjord to savor on the edge of the pier. And by the way, you will surely meet some of the Spaniards who work in the market and you will be able to find out a little more about their adventures to find work in this rich country.
A salmon fillet at the Bergen market
8)ENJOY ITS INTENSE NIGHTLIFE
Bergen loves to party. In a city in which it is rare to have a day that does not rain and in which the sun's rays are valued on the rise, its inhabitants populate the terraces whether the weather is good or bad. In winter and summer, the nightlife It has live performances (it is not in vain that it is the cradle of it), select bars with a relaxed atmosphere and a multitude of nightclubs . It is a pleasure, and a lot of envy, to walk along the pier and see the parties that they set up on their boats anchored in the port. In summer, above all, several festivals are held, among which the bergenfest , a display of music of varied styles among which you will find international stars and local groups. It also has an exclusive section for groups of Death Metal, a variant of heavy metal that was born in this city . In May there is the Bergen International Festival with dance and folk music, and the Jazz Night Festival.
Bergen with treachery