Make the most of one day in Bergen, Norway with these best things to do in the Gateway to the Western Fjords
Formerly the capital of Norway, beautiful Bergen is splendidly situated on a promontory, surrounded by seven hills. It’s a wonderful city
Bergen is a popular stop on Norwegian fjords cruise itineraries and your cruise company will gladly sell you a guided day trip. However, it is a very easy place to explore independently.
So what should you see if you only have one day in Bergen on a cruise stop?
To help you make the most of your day there, here are the best things to do in Bergen weaved around a one-day itinerary.
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Where is Bergen?
Bergen is Norway’s second-largest city and sits on the country’s southwestern coast, just over 300 kilometres west of Oslo as the bird flies. Surrounded by mountains and fjords (including the famous Sognefjord, the country’s biggest and best), it is spectacularly scenic.
What to See in Bergen in One Day
To help you make the most of your day in port, here are the best things to see and do in Bergen. I covered all of these comfortably in one day.
If you have longer in the city, I’ve also included a few bonus things to see in Bergen.
Ride the Fløibanen funicular
For panoramic views over Bergen and awesome nature trails
Start your day in Bergen by taking a ride on the Fløibanen funicular. This whisks you to the summit of Mount Floyen, 320 meters above sea level in less than seven minutes.
Treat yourself to panoramic views over Bergen and explore the abundance of clearly marked nature trails. But watch out for the witches!
Although the exact number is not known, it is believed that from 1560 until around 1700 there were up to 1400 witch trials in Norway. Favoured methods of torture and execution included the rack, boiling sulphur and burning.
Around this time, 350 witches were burnt in Bergen alone. But more about this later.
Before moving away from the summit, make sure that you say ‘hallo’ to the goats. Mount Floyen is home to nine Kashmir goats born in 2011. Elvis was particularly becoming.
Next, take the 1.6km loop to Skomakerdiket, with its crystal-clear lake.
After doing a circuit of this lake, wind your way through forest trails, to the soundtrack of birdsong, before descending a series of steps to the Bryggen neighbourhood and the funicular’s terminus.
- The funicular station is at Vetrlidsalmenning 23 A, right in the centre of town.
- Get there early, especially when there is a cruise ship in town. When I got there at 8.15 am there was only a short queue. By the time I got back at 11 am, it was around 100 people deep.
- A one-way ticket costs 85 NOK. A return ticket is 160 NOK (2023 prices). The funicular runs every 15 minutes. You can also purchase Fløibanen funicular tickets online.
- Tickets for same-day travel can also be purchased through the Fløibanen app
- The Bergen Card will gain you free admission and allow you to queue jump.
- If you are walking down, allow at least two hours for your visit. If you are feeling fit, you can walk up too. However, if you have only one day in Bergen I recommend taking the funicular to save you precious time. It’s a fun experience too!
After you have come down from Mount Floyen, why not grab a coffee at the delightful Det Lille Kaffe Kompaniet at Nedre Fjellsmauet 2?
Explore historic Bryggen
For a picture-perfect ensemble of stone and timber buildings.
With its closely packed, brightly painted wooden buildings sitting alongside stone warehouses, Bryggen is the historic trading centre of Bergen. In recognition of its historical importance, this has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
In the 14th Century, the city became one of the parts of the German Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northwestern Europe.
The Hansa merchants reigned supreme for 200 years and, as a result, Bryggen and Bergen flourished. Although Hansa power had evaporated by the 1550s, the last merchant did not leave Bergen until 1764.
A devastating fire in 1702 laid waste to many of Bryggen’s medieval buildings and the replacement wooden warehouses were subsequently demolished to make way for the brick and stone buildings we see today. However, these buildings are sympathetic to the Hansa period style and many of the 18th Century timber buildings have survived.
Today, many of these buildings are home to shops and restaurants. So, if you are in the market for that perfect Nordic Sweater, this is where to go.
Bryggen stretches down the eastern side of the harbour and finished at the Torget, Bergen’s main square.
Target the Torget
For something a bit fishy.
Although fish is the main order of the day in the market at Bergen’s Torget, it also sells fruit, vegetable and souvenirs. It is a great place to eat fish and seafood for a not-too-outrageous price.
There has been a fish market in Bergen since the 13th Century.
In 1556, the Fish Market was moved from the Nikolaikirkeallmenning, in nearby Bryggen, to prevent the Hanseatics from gaining too much power over Bergen’s most important trading place. As Bergen’s Fish Market increased in size and importance, this precipitated a construction boom in the area, with a large number of buildings dating from the 1700s and 1800s.
- The Fish Market is located at Torget 5
- It is open daily in the summer months from 8 am until 11 pm (Sunday 11 am – 9 pm).
- It is at its liveliest in the mornings.
Bergen’s Tourist Information office is also located on Torget.
Check out Bergen’s street art along Kong Oscarsgate
For a funkier side to Bergen.
Heading east from the Torget, Kong Oscarsgate is a particularly unlovely main thoroughfare. However, it is home to the Domkirke, Bergen’s cathedral and an eclectic collection of street art.
- Head up Kong Oscarsgate’s side streets to seek out urban art
- Check out this resource to find Bergen’s best street art
Visit the Leprosy Museum
To learn about the story of Norway’s fight against leprosy.
On the face of it, this is an unlikely tourist destination, but visiting the Leprosy Museum is one of the best things to do during a cruise stop in Bergen.
Between 1850 and 1900, Bergen had the largest concentration of patients with leprosy in Europe. The museum is housed in St Jorgen’s Hospital, which specialised in the care of lepers until it shut its doors in 1946.
The patients’ living quarters have been left as they were, and you can also view their paintings and life stories. A moving memorial to this group of people marginalised by society.
- Bergen’s Leprosy Museum is located at Kong Oscarsgate 59
- It is open daily during the summer months (May to September), Check opening hours here. The admission fee is 140 NOK (25% reduction with the Bergen Card).
- Display information is mainly in Norwegian, but the helpful staff will give you English translation booklets.
Visit the Bergenhus Festning Museum
To discover the story behind the resistance in Bergen during World War II.
This friendly and free museum at the entrance to the harbour is dedicated to the resistance movement, both civilian and military, during the Second World War. Make your way to the first floor where the history of the resistance is explored through well-composed displays, which include photos, weapons and espionage equipment.
The resistance was particularly strong in Bergen and the German occupation forces fought against it with all of their might. This included torturing the city’s citizens before their execution or dispatch to concentration camps. Despite this, the movement continued to grow in strength, a testament to the fortitude of Bergen’s people.
- Admission is free. When I visited, water, tea and coffee were available there free of charge.
- The museum is open daily 11 am – 5 pm. It is closed for most of January.
Visit Bergen City Museum at the Rosenkrantz Tower
For a spot of medieval splendour.
Finish your 1-day Bergen itinerary with a visit to the Bergen City Museum (Bryggens Museum) and the Rosenkrantz Tower, one of the best-preserved fortresses in Norway. But perhaps more compelling is the adjacent Hakonshallen (King Hakon’s Hall), a medieval royal residence and feasting hall.
But the attractions of Ye Olde Medieval Times notwithstanding, my main reason for visiting the Bergen City Museum was to catch the exhibition on Anne Pedersdatter, Norway’s most famous witch.
Born in the northern city of Trondheim, Anne moved to Bergen in 1552 when she married a Lutheran clergyman living in the city. In 1575 she was cleared of charges of killing her husband’s uncle through sorcery through her connections. However rumours of her being a witch persisted, and she didn’t do herself any favours by her hostile reaction to these rumours.
Now a rich widow, in 1590 she was accused for the second time. This time the outcome was not so good for her and she was burnt at the stake in Bergen in April 1590.
Her case is considered to be the starting point of Norway’s witch trials.
Bergen City Museum is located at Dreggsalmenning. Opening hours here.
Entrance fee is 160 NOK. Reduction with the Bergen Card.
Opening times for Hakonshallen are limited. Check ahead.
So there you have my pick of things to do during a Bergen cruise stop. But what if you have more than one day in Bergen?
Here are a few bonus suggestions of what I would have liked to have seen if I had a second day in this beautiful city.
More Than a Day in Bergen? Here are Other Things to Add to Your Itinerary
More than one day in Bergen? Here are some more things to see and do in this beautiful city.
Visit the Hanseatic Museum
Bergen’s Hanseatic Museum, newly rehoused in Schøtstuene, traces the life and history of the town’s Hanseatic merchants.
Adult ticket price is 120 NOK (150 NOK during the summer season) and includes a guided tour.
Visit KODE Art Museum and Composers’ Homes
This cluster of seven buildings houses 50,000 artefacts relating to art, craft, design and music. These objects are exhibited in the four buildings in the centre of Bergen (KODE 1,2,3,4) and in the three buildings which were the homes of the composers Ole Bull, Harald Saeverud and Edvard Grieg.
The museums are open for much of the year. Check the website for locations, opening times and ticket prices for KODE Art Museum and Composers’ Homes
Admission is free with Bergen Card between October and April. It gets you a 25% reduction on the ticket price during the summer months.
The final two things to see in Bergen are a short distance outside the centre of the city.
Visit Edvrad Grieg’s home (Troldhaugen)
Built in 1885, Troldhaugen was home to Nina and Edvard Grieg for the last 22 summers of the composer’s life. It became a museum in 1928 and is also where the Griegs are buried.
To reach Edvard Grieg’s home, take the light rail from Bergen city centre, direction “Bergen Lufthavn” and leave the train at the station “Hop”. From there, it’s around a 25-minute walk (follow the signs for “Troldhaugen”). On weekdays you can also take bus no. 53 or 67.
Visit the Fantoft Stave Church
Due to the light rail being out of action when I visited Bergen, I was not able to visit the Fantoft Stave Church. I was gutted. A stave church is a Norwegian must-see in my book, and this was the only accessible one from my fjords cruise.
Stave churches are medieval timber buildings with carvings combining Christan motifs with Viking themes. Although the Fantoft Stave Church is a replica of the 12th Century original that burnt down in 1992, I still feel that it is worth visiting.
To reach the Fantoft Stave Church, take the Light Rail from Bergen city centre and get off at “Fantoft” station. From there it’s around a 10-minute walk. It is open in the summer months only.
Plan Your Day in Bergen
What is the best time of year to visit Bergen?
The best time of year to visit Bergen is in its summer months, between May and September, which corresponds with the main Norway fjords cruise season.
Although the weather in Bergen can be difficult to predict, in mid-summer you can expect the average daily temperature to hover around 20 degrees.
How to get to Bergen
If you are not arriving in Bergen on a cruise ship, here are your options for reaching the city:
- By rail – Northern Europe’s highest railway journey between Bergen and Oslo is one of Norway’s most scenic.
- By air – Bergen’s airport is 18km south of the city centre. An airport bus makes the 15-20 journey every half an hour.
- By ferry – Bergen’s port serves many high-speed ferries and Hurtigruten.
How to get around Bergen
It is easy to get to and from the sights in central Bergen on foot.
The outlying sites are reachable using the city’s light rail system. Bergen also has an efficient bus network.
Is the Bergen Card worth It?
For ease of use, you might want to consider getting your hands on the Bergen Card, a golden ticket to the city’s cultural delights and free city transport. This is available for 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours.
Do the maths before you buy it. As I spent less than a day in Bergen, it was not a good buy for me. Compare its cost with what you are likely to pay on admission fees over the specified duration.
Visiting Bergen on a Cruise
How I visited Bergen on a cruise
- Cruise operator: P&O
- Cruise ship: HMV Britannia
- Time in port: 8 am – 5 pm
FIND OUT ABOUT THE OTHER STOPS ON THIS NORWAY FJORDS CRUISE
Getting to Bergen’s city centre from the cruise terminal
It is an easy and pleasant 15-minute walk from Bergen’s cruise terminal to the Torget, at the heart of the city centre.
GET HELP WITH BOOKING YOUR CRUISE!
Planning your Norway Fjords Cruise
Packing a guidebook to help you to explore the Norwegian ports of call independently is a wise move. I’m a big fan of Rick Steves and his guide to Scandinavian & Northern European cruise ports is packed with useful information.
