Bergen

Bergen was the last stop on our cruise, I had visited before and could remember lots of small islands as we flew into the airport, but then we headed off for Norheimsund on the Hardanger fjord and didn't get to see Bergen itself which I know now was such a pity. We were moored alongside other large cruise ships and disembarked straight onto a coach for a tour of Bergen. Our guide was exceptionally good and told us lots of facts and bits of information with some humour as well, sadly Bergen was wet but that is quite usual. As it is said to rain at least 219 days a year! It did clear after a while and we enjoyed the views. Bergen is built around the harbours and every ...  Read the complete review

Many moons ago, on a German language summer course in Mannheim, I became good pals with a Norwegian chap. We stayed in touch and a couple of years later back in 1994, I took up his offer to come and visit him in Bergen, where he was studying at University. Affectionately known as the Gateway to the Fjords, for centuries Norway's second largest city of Bergen has been an internationally renowned trading port. Its historic and breathtaking harbour front featuring the World Heritage listed "Bryggen" - in essence a unique collection of colourfully painted and beautifully preserved wooden houses - helps ensure its status as an extremely popular ...  Read the complete review

This summer (2008) me and my boyfriend decided to spend a month travelling around Europe, as he has just finished his last year at university and I've just left school after doing my A levels. We didn't specifically plan which route we were going to take through the continent or where we would go at all really, except for booking a ferry to Bergen in Norway on the first of July, and booking a ferry back from Amsterdam at the beginning of August, as it was one of the most conveniant and cheapest alternatives available to us. So, Bergen was our first town on our tour, and let me start of by saying that I am glad that we went. Bergen is a beautiful town on the ...  Read the complete review

A Jet 2 flight sale in the late spring of 2007 was the catalyst for an unexpected trip to Bergen on Norway's west coast. We did the minimum of research save for digging out a rather elderly copy of the Rough Guide to Scandinavia which informed us that we had chosen to visit at the time of the International Culture Festival which rather put a dampener on our plans to pick up some accommodation when we arrived. A quick look on the Internet proved that there was barely a bed left and those that were available were in the five star bracket. Fortunately a rather helpful lady at the Tourist Information Office found us some great digs and so we set off with high hopes for a ...  Read the complete review

Ankle deep in snow at the top of Mount Floyen, only the camera clicks and crunching footsteps punctuate the dead silence. Down through the crisp morning air, Bergen's icy fingers stretch westwards, pushing out around the murky harbour to the North Sea beyond. Fishing boats chug across the Vaagen and the occasional black dot shivers down long streets of gabled wooden buildings. It's three days after Christmas and Bergen is cold and stark, but 'The City Between the Seven Mountains' retains an air of serene magnificence. CITY ORIENTATION Fjord Line ferries (www.fjordline.com) from North Shields, via Stavanger and Haugesund, dock at the far ...  Read the complete review