Bergen Travel Guide - Norway Magical Time
Bergen Travel Guide - Norway Magical Time
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and the most popular gateway to the fjords of West Norway. The city is renowned for its beautiful nature and offers excellent hiking opportunities in its immediate surroundings. Having fostered many of Norway's greatest bands and artists, the city is also famous for its cultural life and underground/indie music scene.
Founded around 1070 AD, Bergen quickly evolved into one of the most important cities in Norway. It was the country's administrative capital from the early 1200s until 1299, and the largest city in Scandinavia. Bergen was one of the most important bureau cities of the Hanseatic League, interconnecting continental Europe with the northern and coastal parts of Norway, thus becoming a central spot for the vending of stockfish and the commercial hot spot in Norway. It was the largest city in Norway until the 1830's and has a long maritime history in shipping and finance.
The city still has relics of its Hanseatic heyday, most notably the old harbor of Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bergen has been ravaged by several fires; the most recent major fire took place in 1916, a fire which destroyed most of the buildings in what is today the central parts of the city center, centered around the large square Torgallmenningen.
Bergen is located far west in Norway, sheltered from the North Sea only by a number of islands. It is situated along latitude 60 degrees north (as are Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Saint Petersburg and Anchorage). The city is the most hilly and mountainous in Norway. The city center is surrounded by a group of mountains and peaks known as the Seven Mountains, a defining characteristic which has given the city its name (berg is an old Norse word for mountain). The geographic conditions of the city are very visible; limited space to build on made it necessary in the 19th century that new city blocks be built on the steep slopes of mount Fløyen.
Bergen is one of the most important cultural centers in Norway. The city is the home of the Bergen International Festival, Nattjazz and Bergenfest, festivals of international renown within their genres. The local symphony orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, was founded in 1786. It is one of the world's oldest orchestral institutions. Bergen was the home of Norway's great composer, Edvard Grieg. Henrik Ibsen, the famous playwright, started his career in Bergen as manager of Den Nationale Scene.
Within the city center, walking is the best way to get around. You can walk across the downtown in 20 minutes in any direction. A light rail line runs between the city centre and southwards to the airport. This is the primary means of public communication to southern parts of Bergen. The line passes the railway station, the bus station, Brann soccer stadium, the student homes at Fantoft and Nesttun along the route.
There is a great variety of restaurants and cafes in Bergen, but you should expect to spend some time looking for the best places. In the most central parts of the city, many of the restaurants are all the same. Move a block away from the most central parts of downtown to find lower prices and better food. Kitchens usually close at 11PM at the latest.
Outside the summer season, getting a hotel room is usually not a problem, although it can be quite expensive unless you have a reservation. In the summer season (from May to Sept) a reservation well in advance is required. Breakfast is normally included in the price except at hostels and camping sites.
A lot to see in Bergen such as :
Bryggen
Fløyen
Ulriken
Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene
Troldhaugen
Bergenhus Fortress
Akvariet i Bergen - Det Nasjonale Akvariet
Bryggen
Fantoft Stave Church
Bryggens Museum
Håkonshallen
St. Mary's Church
Fishmarket in Bergen
Grieghallen
Bergen Port
Gamlehaugen
Leprosy Museum St. Jørgen's Hospital
Stoltzekleiven
Vågen, Bergen
VilVite - Bergen Science Center
Gamle Bergen Museum - Bymuseet i Bergen
Bergen Cathedral
Byparken
Torget, Bergen
St. John's Church
Lille Lungegårdsvannet
LysøenVannkanten Waterworld
Ulriksbanen
Rosenkrantztårnet
West Norway Museum of Decorative Art
Damsgård Country Mansion
Bergen Kunsthall
Pepperkakebyen
Storfjellet
Bergen Maritime Museum
Fløyen
Løvstakken
Norway Fisheries Museum
Sandviksfjellet
Fjell Fortress
Hanseviertel Bryggen
Lyse Abbey
( Bergen - Norway ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Bergen . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Bergen - Norway
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