Online-Card - Bergen

What has made Bergen known around the world is its charm and atmosphere. It really has to be experienced! Bergen is worth exploring. Just to browse around the old streets and alleyways is an experience. Here, people have lived and worked for centuries. Small wooden houses lie higgledy-piggledy, cobblestoned stepways climb steeply, and a love of flowers spills over everything. Wander along the Fish Market and mingle with the masses as they go about their daily life. Stroll leisurely to the Aquarium to see the fish, the penguins, the seals. Walk the length of Bryggen to the old fortress of Bergenhus. Or drop in one of the many museums and galleries. Get to the top of Mount Fløyen (town centre funicular), or Ulriken, or any of the seven mountains that ring the city. There you have it - Bergen and its fjord at your feet - and, you must agree, “It’s beautiful!”

Olav Kyrre, King of Norway between 1066 and 1093, is credited with founding the City of Bergen, which became the capital of Norway in the 13th century and was the largest city in the country for the next 600 years. Because of its harbour setting and commercial importance, in the Middle Ages Bergen became a vital link in the Hanseatic League. Its harbour-front, Bryggen was a scene of thriving activity for “the Hansas” up to the 18th century. Bergen’s commerce still thrives, though nowadays much of its economic life is centred on the North Sea Oil Industry. Today, the city has expanded to an area of 465 sq. km and a population of approximately 250.000. We are a university city and have a major business and commerce college, as well as many other colleges for further education.

Bergen is surrounded by one of the world’s most spectacular tourist attractions – The Norwegian Fjords. Bergen is the gateway to the fjords – it’s the fjords’ “capital city”. The fjords around Bergen are many and varied. Whether you have only time for a short sightseeing trip, whether you want to see the area in more detail, there are plenty of tours in and around Bergen to provide you with unforgettable memories. This makes Bergen the ideal stepping stone to a Kingdom of Fjords.