Best time to go: the summer is no doubt the best season to visit Bergen, as well as the Nordics in general. We went in November and it was nice but quite dark as there were only few hours of light and that makes tourism difficult.
General Advice: if you are planning on visiting the natural sites outside Bergen you definitely have to go in the summer. Most of the paths and walks are only open in the summer as the winds the rest of the seasons are too strong and for safety reasons are not open to the public. Also bear in mind that to take the wonderful, famous pictures of Norway at Hardangerfjord, you will have to walk around 5 hours each way to get there.
Renting a car to have more freedom it is actually a great way to experience the fiords so I would recommend to do so. However, if you are only going to be there Friday to Sunday you might not need it.
Given the fact that Norway is a very expensive country, I would recommend to stay in an apartment in this case. "Barfot Apartments" are beautiful and very well located. If you still prefer to stay in a hotel, I would recommend to go for "Bergen Børs Hotel."
Day 1: Arrival
After arrival if you have time before dinner, it would be nice to go for a walk around the port as it’s the most lively area of the city centre.
Recommended dinner at "Spisekroken" a very cosy and casual restaurant offering a menu that changes with the seasons focusing on good raw materials and very often from local farmers.
Day 2: Bergen On your first day I would suggest to wake up early in the morning as there are quite a few very interesting things to do:
First starting at the city centre….
Fløyen – this is definitely a must do! Take the funicular from the city centre to Fløyen, one of the 7 city mountains. Mount Fløyen has many nice hiking paths and amazing views of the city and the fjord.
Bryggen - a series of Hanseatic heritage commercial buildings lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour that has been on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites since 1979. Hidden behind the iconic Bryggen front you will find hidden passages, small shops, galleries and artist studios.
Bergen Fish Market - The Fish Market has a charming location in the heart of the city between the fjords and Bergen's 7 mountains. You can find fresh fish and seafood, local farm food like fruit, berries and vegetables as well as flowers and plants at the Fish Market. There are also several restaurants serving a large selection of seafood. The indoor Fish Market is open all year and the outdoor Fish Market is open during the summer.
I would recommend to have lunch at the market, the food is delicious and it’s a great chance to try the famous Norwegian salmon!
A bit further away from the city centre (around 30 min drive) you can visit another 2 interesting places:
Troldhaugen - Troldhaugen is the former home of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina Grieg. Troldhaugen is located in Bergen, Norway and consists of the Edvard Grieg Museum, Grieg's villa, the hut where he composed music, and his and his wife's gravesite.
Fantoft Stave Church – a very original old stave church at Fantoft.
Recommended dinner at "The Unicorn Fish Restaurant" a great place to have a nice seafood meal.
Day 3: Fjords
For your last day the best thing to do is to enjoy a fjord tour from Bergen! It is one of the most famous attractions in the world and you can do it a half or full day tour. You will enjoy the most magnificent fjord landscape, with narrow fjords, glaciers, steep mountain sides, beautiful islands and spectacular waterfalls.
If you are not travelling during the summer, your best option is to travel around the fjords by car as many of the touristic boats are not operating during the colder months.
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