Why should I go? Because it’s a picturesque town in a
stunning fjordland setting, with heaps of history, plenty to do and a
surprisingly zestful nightlife.
Everything worth seeing is within brisk Scandinavian striding distance. You’ll
love the timber-floored alleys that creep between the warehouses of Bryggen,
the city’s medieval wharf district, and the animated downtown fish market.
And the views from the top of the funicular will repay the price of your
flight on their own.
Public transport is superefficient, too, so the encircling scenery is within
your grasp on even the shortest trip. You can sail far away into the fjords,
hike the high trails above town or even strike out to Norway’s adrenaline
capital, Voss. All in all, a novel variation on the autumn weekender.
Where do I stay? The Havnekontoret Hotel (Slottsgaten 1; 0800
444444, www.choicehotels.com), which opened just this June, occupies the
former HQ of Bergen’s port authority, a striking 1920s pile. Smart,
contemporary doubles start at £169, including breakfast and an afternoon
smorgasbord.
Overlooking a peaceful park pond is Steens Hotel (Parkveien; 00 47-5530 8888,
www.steenshotel.no; doubles from £89), a century-old mansion with an
oak-panelled breakfast room and a tranquil atmosphere. If that’s full, try
the Hotel Park Pension (5554 4400, www.parkhotel.no; doubles from £73), just
round the corner.
Super-budget is the new Citybox (Nygardsgaten 31; 5531 2500, www.citybox.no;
doubles from £41), with simple but serviceable rooms.
Where do I eat? Or should that be: how do I afford to eat?
It’s true that dining and drinking are expensive in Norway, but if frugality
forces you to graze from the colourful open-air fish market, that’s a bonus.
It is brilliant for piscine picnic snacks — smoked-salmon rolls go for
£2.50, a crab salad for £6.50.
Come late afternoon, stroll out to the former USF sardine-canning factory
(www.usf.no), beached on the Nordnes Peninsula. It’s great: the huge deck
area outside Kafé Kippers specialises in sunsets and good-value grub — from
£8 for a hearty main course.
Don’t let wallet-watching deprive you of the impeccably atmospheric
Enhjorningen restaurant (5532 7919, www.enhjorningen.no; about £50 a head).
Stowed away in one of those picture-book Bryggen wharf houses, it’s hung
with low beams and weighty oils. The floorboards creak so loudly that you’ll
hear the waiter coming from 30 paces.
What do I do? Built on 1,000-year-old foundations, the
Hanseatic trading offices of Bryggen are an 18th-century take on medieval
mercantilism, their slumping gables more photographed than anything else in
Norway. It’s fun to wander among the overhanging timber alleyways; for
context, visit the diverting Hanseatic museum (www.hanseatisk.museum.no).
Drag yourself away to explore the impressive bulk of the Rosenkrantz Tower, a
defensive post-cum-residence built in 1560. Further on lies the quaint Gamle
Bergen, a sort of open-air retirement home for historic buildings, which
line up on the hillside around a nice cafe. Then there’s Bergen’s Art
Museum, with a good collection of Munchs, and — wait for it — the Norwegian
Knitting Museum, 15 miles north of town. Don’t mock: if you like knitting,
it’s a pearl.
If you don’t like knitting, then you should be ready for the tiles by now.
Rather astonishingly, Bergen has a burgeoning open-air bar scene, centred on
pedestrianised Ole Bulls Plass and Torgallmenningen street. Its pavement
tables heave with revellers, who will later segue stylishly into Nordic-chic
bars such as Contra and Bocca.
To be stirred in a more sedate setting, attend one of the many concerts
devoted to Edvard Grieg, Bergen’s number-one son: consult
www.visitbergen.com for venues and times.
Should I leave town? Yes, for Troldhaugen, where the
composer’s waterside house is now a museum (www.troldhaugen.com; £5). You
see Grieg’s composing hut and his craggy tomb; there’s also a grass-roofed
auditorium for concerts. And for some of that wild white scenery?
Try “Norway in a nutshell”, an all-action day in the hinterlands: cruising
down the Naeroyfjord, the narrowest fjord in Europe; riding the delectable
Flam railway; and hanging on for dear life around the hairpin bends of the
Stalheimskleiva road. The tour costs £64 with Fjord Tours (8156 8222,
www.fjord-tours.com), which offers several itineraries. If it’s thrills you’re after, Voss is the place to seek them: www.visitvoss.no has the
details.
How do I get there? Norwegian Air Shuttle (00 47 21 49 0015,
www.norwegian.no) flies from Stansted and Manchester; SAS (0870 607 2772,
www.scandinavian.net) flies from Gatwick, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.
