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What To Do In Bergen: City’s Most Popular Points of Interest

Carefully nestled between gorgeous mountains and captivating fjords in the western part of Norway, the fabulous city of Bergen has played a key role in the formation of Norway. Once, this city was even a capital of this Scandinavian land. There are also many notable landmarks in the vicinity of this marvelous city, and a ride on Flåmsbana is a nice opportunity to enjoy fantastic views of the authentic Scandinavian nature. This article will serve as a good piece for you in case if you truly want to get to know what to do in Bergen upon your visit there.

Sightseeing in Bergen

things to do in Bergen

When it comes to answering the question of “what to do in Bergen,” the first thing that may come to mind is strolling across Bryggen, the oldest district of this city. It does not come as a surprise that Bryggen runs along the seashore – its name in translation means “wharf.” This place became Bergen’s top tourist attraction with its rows of gabled buildings, beautifully and cozily placed near each other. The pattern of those buildings has remained since the 12th century, though the majority of them were built later than in 1702 – a huge fire had significantly damaged the city in that year.

The city, indeed, abounds with historical buildings. For instance, Håkonshallen, a huge ceremonial hall, was built in the period between 1247 and 1261 by the Norwegian King Håkon Håkonsson. Even though the building was heavily damaged during the World War II and required extensive renovations, it has been preserved in the way it had been built. This building is adjacent to Rosenkrantztårnet, a tower that was built by Erik Rosenkrantz, a governor of Bergen, in the 1560s. The tower was built with the defensive purposes, as well as it had served as a residence.
If you are pondering about what to do in Bergen, consider travelling to Damsgård, a mansion located some 3 kilometers west from the city. This mansion is a great example of the Norwegian rococo architecture of the 18th century, and you can easily reach it by taking the bus No. 19.

Mariakirken, an ancient stone church, is also worth a visit. It was built at the beginning of the 12th century and appears to be Bergen’s oldest building. The church’s interior features frescoes that date back to the 15th century and a majestic pulpit created in the Baroque style, money for which were donated by the Hanseatic merchants. After all, Bergen’s aquarium can also be a nice place to visit, whereas it features a large outdoor tank with penguins and seals as well as over 70 indoor tanks.

What to do in Bergen: City’s Museums

Are you yearning for something more to visit than popular tourist attractions? If yes, then the answer to “what to do in Bergen?” would be pretty simple: visit the city’s numerous galleries and museums. Indeed, the only Norwegian city that can beat Bergen in terms of a number of museums is Oslo.

best places to visit in Bergen

A gallery you can start with may be KODE, which represents a number of art museums that have been turned into one institution, making this institution to be the largest within Scandinavia to house arts and objects of art. Four its museums are lined up along Lille Lungegård and are really good examples of the Scandinavian art. Its collections include the works of Dahl, Munch, and Picasso, and purchasing a ticket allows you to visit all those museums in two days.

Edvard Grieg Museum is housed in an exquisite villa built in the Swiss architectural style, where the renowned Norwegian composer lived in summer seasons from 1885 up to his death in 1907. Yet, it is not only the composer’s home that attracts thousands and thousands of tourists, but also a concert hall with 200 seats and a modern exhibition center.

In case of questioning what to do in Bergen still, you may opt to pay a visit to one of the following museums: Bergen Kunsthall (a major Norwegian gallery of contemporary art), Bryggens Museum (an archaeological museum), Hanseatik Museum (narrates the story of the Hanseatic merchants and features an original hall for their assemblies), and Bergen Museum (contains a large collection of extremely varying artifacts – up to Egyptian sculptures).

Takeaway Tips

At the end of this article, you may find some tips and useful places for a visit. For example, fanciers of jazz may love visiting the Bergen Night Jazz Festival and Kafe Kippers. Grieghallen, on the contrary, can boast fantastic opera performances.

In case if you are one of gourmets and rejoice at high-quality food, it is worth for you to visit the city’s market called Kjøttbasarell – there, you can find jam, meat, cheese, and many sorts of other gourmet products. There are also other typical things people think of when usually think about what to do in Bergen. For instance, Aksdal i Muren is a popular clothing store that sells rainwear, and one of the items sold there may be a good choice for a gift or a souvenir.

Torget Fish Market is an amazing place for buying great fish, something that has always been an inherent part of this city. Bergen’s Hulen is the oldest rock club in northern Europe, offering outstanding live musical performances. Bergen’s boutique called Røst is a perfect place for purchasing souvenirs for all your friends.

best things to do in Bergen

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