Exploring Bergen: A Perfect One-Day Itinerary and Map for the Best of the City
Updated: Mar 10
Eight years ago, I met a self-described 'viking descendant' from Norway while on a university exchange in the US. When he told me to visit him in his hometown of Bergen one day I remember telling him that my chances of reaching Bergen were almost nil. Alas, like with many things in my life I was provided wrong in March 2022 when I finally ended up in the beautiful seafaring city of Bergen.
I give most credit for this day plan to my local Bergenser friend, Sebastian.
1. Drop into St Paul's Church
Visit time: 30 minutes
Suggested start time: 9am
If you're interested Norwegian ecological bakery chain specialising in (you guessed it!) bread. It offers a variety of choices for a light meal or brunch and excitingly for me and my gluten intolerant husband, plenty of gluten free choices. If the weather is nice, enjoy your meal in the outside eating area people-watching the goings on of lille lungegårdsvann, the 5 acre lake in the centre of Bergen.
2. Grab Breakfast at Godt Brød Festplassen
Visit time: 30 minutes - 1 hour
Suggested start time: 10am
Godt Brød is a local Norwegian ecological bakery chain specialising in (you guessed it!) bread. It offers a variety of choices for a light meal or brunch and excitingly for me and my gluten intolerant husband, plenty of gluten free choices. If the weather is nice, enjoy your meal in the outside eating area people-watching the goings on of lille lungegårdsvann, the 5 acre lake in the centre of Bergen.
3. Pay a visit to Edvard Grieg
Visit time: 5 minutes
Suggested start time: 11am
Arguably the most famous Bergenser, Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in 1843. Grieg grew up to be one of the Romantic period's most famous composers and pianists and is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor and Peer Gynt (which includes Morning Mood and In the Hall of the Mountain King). Having grown up studying Grieg and playing his music, seeing his statue was disproportionately exciting for me. Regardless, it's in a park and on the way to your next destination so definitely worth a pause. If you are even more interested in Grieg, you can visit his home in Troldhaugen, outside Bergen city.
4. Wander Bergen's cobblestone streets
Visit time: 30 minutes
Suggested start time: 11.30am
Bergen is a quiet, peaceful city covered with charming, cobblestone streets. Take some time to wander the narrow streets and enjoy the colourful wooden houses that line them. You should see plenty of lovely lanes behind the Fløibanen funicular station.
5. See Bergen from the sky at Mount Fløyen
Visit time: 1.5 hours
Suggested start time: 12pm
Taking the Fløibanen funicular to the top of Mt. Fløyen is one of the highlights of Bergen. You can also opt to walk up and down (about 1 hour each way) - my local Bergenser friend told me he sometimes "does this in his lunch break to get some air". It's free to walk.
If you're feeling lazy however, the funicular ride is beautiful and will save you some time. A return ticket on the funicular costs 150 NOK and takes less than 15 minutes to climb 1,000 feet ot the top. When returning to the city I recommend getting to the station early to sit at the front of the funicular to enjoy a steep (and at times terrifying) view down towards the city and water.
Once at the top, take some time to enjoy the Fløytrappene, a large viewing area from where you get stunning bird’s eye views of the city. If you're feeliung hungry, visit the cafe where you can get a drink and a skillingsboler (a Norwegian speciality, similar to a cinnamon roll). If you visit between spring and summer you might come across the resident goats wandering around. These goats graze on the land and act as a sort of natural lawnmower. You will also see a number of local trolls hiding throughout the mountain, in an ode to the Trolls which originated in Norse mythology.
6. Have a snack at Fisketorget (the Fishmarket)
Visit time: 30 minutes
Suggested start time: 1.30pm
Once you're back at sea level in Bergen city, head back towards Bergen wharf and the fish market. Fun fact: A fish market has been operating in Bergen since the 1200s! Today the Fish Market is more of a tourist attraction but it's beautifully laid out and definitely worth a stop. Order a fish cake (15 NOK), take a seat and enjoy the views of Bergen wharf
7. Explore Bryggen
Visit time: 60 minutes
Suggested start time: 2pm
Having sampled Bergen's local produce, head towards the iconic buildings of Bryggen. You may not know about Bryggen but there's a good chance you've seen the UNESCO World Heritage Site on your Instagram feed.
The buildings you see today aren't the originals because the wooden structures of Bryggen have been destroyed by fires repeatedly. That said, the current buildings have been built to look exactly like the originals.
The Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf has a long and interesting history - it was a trading hub for Norway from the 10th century and from 1360 to 1750 it was a dominant force in trading.
Make sure you explore the alleys behind the houses to get a true sense of what life would have been like.
8. Head towards St Mary's church and Bergenhus Fortress
Visit time: 30 minutes
Suggested start time: 3pm
Down the road from Bryggen you'll find St Mary's church, the oldest building in Bergen, built somewhere between 1130 and 1170. It's been in continuous use since early medieval times. Unfortunately you're not allowed to photograph the inside, but it's a beautiful thing to see.
If you keep walking from here you'll find Bergenhus Fortress, one the oldest and best preserved fortresses in the country dating back as far as the 1240s. Only a medieval hall and a defensive tower remain today however the grounds are lovely to walk through on a sunny day.
9. Visit a museum
Since we were there on one of the very rare dry days in Bergen, we opted to stay outside, however there are a variety of fascinating museums to visit in Bergen. The most popular are the Hanseatic museum to learn more about Bryggen's history, the KODS Art Museum which contains extensive collections of Norwegian and international artists and the Leprosy museum, significant for a number of reasons including the fact that the leprosy bacterium was discovered by a Norwegian physician, Gerhard Hansen.
10. Dinner time at Egon
Egon is a restaurant chain serving up traditional Norweigan and international dishes. The restaurants are decorated in a typically rugged Norwegian style. I highly recommend it!
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