Bergen is the Gateway to the Fjords of Norway. As a UNESCO World Heritage City and a European City of Culture, the Bergen region has the ideal combination of nature, culture and exciting urban life all year around.
The heart of the fjords of Norway:
With its ideal location right in the heart of the Fjord Norway region, between the Hardangerfjord and the Sognefjord, it is the perfect starting point for day trips to one of the world’s biggest scenic attractions - the fjords. From Bergen you are real close to the spectacular fjord experiences, either you want to go on a fjord tour or dive into the experience with mountain and glacier hiking in the majestic mountain landscape, skiing in some of Norway’s best terrains, biking along the beautiful fjord arms or explore the wet element with white water rafting or fishing in the ocean along the beautiful coast line.
Bryggen - a World Heritage Site:
Bergen is today Norway’s most international city, packed with history and tradition. Ever since King Olav Kyrre sailed into the charming harbor and founded the city in the year of 1070, Bergen has attracted people from all over the world. Bergen became an important European city of trade in the 13th century, as the Hansas opened one of their four offices on the wharf, making Bergen a European hub of commerce, seafaring and craftsmanship.
Today Bryggen is a reminder of the city’s importance as a part of the Hanseatic League, and has a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. A stroll through the back streets of Bryggen brings you back to the Middle Ages, as a lot of the architecture is preserved or rebuilt as it was built. Several museums, like the Hanseatic Museum, Bryggens Museum and the Theta Museum provides a deeper sense of the history of Bryggen, what is has meant for the people of Bergen and Norway as a nation.
A European City of Culture
Bergen is a proud European City of Culture, and the city has had a strong cultural identity ever since the merchants brought life to the harbor around Bryggen at the 1300s. Today Bergen is a cultural melting pot, with a wide range of concerts, international festivals and museums of all kinds. Culture plays an important role of everyday life in Bergen – an important expression of Bergen’s variety of life.
UNESCO City of Gastronomy:
To top all this, Bergen has in recent years become known as an international culinary city, and in 2015 Bergen earned the UNESCO title City of Gastronomy. Good food and drink is important to the people in Bergen and seafood is perhaps what Bergen is most known for. The local Fish Market is a popular tourist attraction and place sample the delicacies.
