Bergen, Norway.
Norway is said to be a beautiful country and Bergen definitely proves this. Located along the fjords and surrounded by mountains, it has all the fresh air and nature one needs for a long weekend break from London.
Stay here.
Bergen isn't huge but if you want to stay somewhere with fantastic views but to get them, you are OK with walking up a steep hill then Knut's place is fantastic. There were four of us and his place was the perfect size. It is about a 15 minute walk to the town centre/waterfront and is close to the hiking path up to Mount Fløyen.
Visit here.
Bryggen.
Perhaps the most iconic place to visit when you come to Bergen. The colourful old houses are part of the UNESCO for World Cultural Heritage sites. Walk through the alley-ways and sit out in the sun for a refreshment (or two).
The waterfront.
The main area for the city is the waterfront where the Fish Markets are. Stroll around here, grab some food and book your boat ride around the fjords (or don't as they were all sold out when we got there...).
Mount Fløyen.
The Norwegians are a fit bunch as walking up Mount Fløyen is apparently a daily workout for some of those in Bergen. It is a lovely walk up to the lookout which has beautiful views over the city. We were really lucky with the weather too as we could then explore the rest of the mountain range... proceeding to get a little lost, fearing we would turn into those tourists that needed a helicopter rescue. Thankfully, it wasn't too hard to find our way back onto the track and enjoy the rest of the hike.
Eat here.
Like any Scandi country, eating out is expensive so we bought groceries and ate at the apartment for most of the weekend. Below is where we ventured (and where was open as we went over on a public holiday - typical).
The Fish Market.
This small fresh seafood market is good to wander around where you can try the food before you buy. We bought fresh prawns which we ate back at the apartment with lemon and fresh bread. Almost like being back in Australia.
Fisketorget i Bergen.
Also on the waterfront is another fresh seafood market which is set up each day. They serve reasonably priced seafood. You really can't go to Bergen and not have seafood.
Zachariasbryggen.
This complex of sorts is decent for a drink as there are a number of bars you can go to. I'm not sure which one we ended up in but they played some classic 90’s tunes however note, booze isn't cheap (we pre-drank before heading out). There's a large outdoor area and a rooftop, perfect for when the sun is out.
We didn't really come here to drink so I can't comment on the nightlife.
I do wish we were organised enough to book a boat trip to the fjords as it looks stunning however, unfortunately, we visited on a public holiday so tours weren’t operating and we didn't pre-book for the other day we had the opportunity to go. The basic cruise costs around £50 so I would suggest to book before you head over just to be on the safe side.
Flights weren’t too expensive from London when we went but always best to check out Sky Scanner or other flight comparison websites for the best deal.
Accommodation was about £40 per night each at the time of booking. There are lots of options on Air BnB and Booking.com.
Food and booze is quite expensive so we bought groceries. This was still pricey but at least it kept costs down.
