A Scandinavian vacation
is incomplete without savoring the essence of Norwegian life – nothing
epitomizes that better than the historical city of Bergen.
Bergen means ‘a meadow in the mountains’ and is Norway’s second largest city.
It goes back about a 1000 years in recorded history. Everything in Bergen has a
historical flavor – be it the wharfs, the buildings, the museums – a town with
a rich historical culture which seems to have got embedded in the lifestyle of
the city.
Bryggen (wharf) area, right besides the city jetty still has the some of the 15th century wharf warehouses which have been
converted into museums, souvenir shops, cafes etc. This area is brimming with
activity and life, with hordes of tourists swarming around. The best way to
partake Norwegian culture is to sit outside one of the cafes here with a beer
or coffee mug and see life pass by – you have a good chance to see some state
of the art cruise liners docked right nearby.
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| The jetty |
There is so much to do
and explore in Bergen and I saw some wonderful places which will always remain
etched in my memory like - the Old Bergen Museum which is an open air
museum with wooden houses and is a perfect representation of Bergen
architecture as it was in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
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There is the Fantoft
Stave Church which was built in Fortun in Sogn in 1150 in a village near Sognefjord
and moved to Bergen in 1883. It was burnt down by arsonists in 1992 and
was later rebuilt just the way it was. What is unique about it is that in medieval
times when churches in other parts of Europe were made of stone these were made
of wood and showcase Norwegian architectural legacy.
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St Mary's Church is the
oldest building in Bergen from the 12th century; it’s a great Romanesque
church. Though, we could not see it from inside as it was closed for
restoration and will open in 2015.
We took a near vertical
ride on the Floibanen Funicular cable car from the city centre to the top of
the Floyen Mountains which is 1,050 feet above sea level.
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| Funicular ride |
The
journey up takes 5-8 minutes and here we got a bird's- eye view of the city
with the mountains on one side and a magnificent view of the islands nearby. At
the top there is a cafe, Floien Folkerrestaurant, which is an attraction in itself.
There are a lot of hiking trails here and on the way back we trekked down and it
was a picturesque walk passing through the wooded terrain.
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| Panoramic view of Bergen city |
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Old Bryggen is a UNESCO
heritage site with cobbled pathways and old harbor buildings and is a reminder
of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic Leagues trading empire from
the fourteenth to the mid sixteenth century. Its wooden wharf houses are a part
of nine hundred year old Norwegian tradition.
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| Wooden wharf houses |
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There
is a massive fish market right near the harbor which the foodies can't miss and
you get to select the choicest catch which is then cooked for you or you can
get it packed too. The market also has souvenir shops run by locals, selling
trinkets and clothes.
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| Fresh catch |
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Zachariasbryggen is a building on the
harbor front next to the Fish Market and is filled with bars, cafes and lounges,
in the heart of the city. It’s a nice place to relax and remains open till late
at night. A well known
restaurant here is Peppes Pizza; it’s a buzzing joint (though pricey but then
Norway is not called the most expensive country for nothing) with some great
tasting authentic Italian food. They have a great bar too where we chilled out in the evening with Norway's local beer- Hansa.
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Bergen has something of
interest for everyone, a great eclectic mix, clubs - for the party goers (Rick's, Banco Rotto), a
great cultural life and a thriving indie music scene and most definitely
deserves to be on everyone’s list of top places to visit in Europe.
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| Celebrations and Parades in Bergen |
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