"You can go to Norway without going to the capital Oslo, but you must not miss to Bergen." The authoritative travel magazine "Monocle" has also voted Bergen as the best small city in the world. It is Norway's second largest city and the gateway to Norway's western fjords.
Bergen means "meadow in the mountains, settlement in the mountains" in Norwegian. Nestled in a charming harbour, it is surrounded by seven mountains and seven fjords, and the stars hold the moon, like colored crystals embedded in a long coastline. Follow this article to see how Bergen rivals the capital, Oslo, as a favorite city.
Bergen, with a history of more than 900 years, was built in the Viking Age and was once the capital of the Kingdom of Norway. As one of the main contact cities of the Hanseatic League, Bergen has been connecting Norway and the rest of Europe for hundreds of years, and it is a well-deserved and prosperous trading center. Bergen was Norway's largest and most important city until the rise of capital Oslo in the 19th century.
The Bryggen Area is the most famous World Heritage Site left in Bergen's glory days, and it is also a must-see for every visitor. This old medieval quay has many old wooden houses built in the early eighteenth century.
They are closely arranged on both sides of the street, with conical roofs and slender windows, painted in highly saturated colors such as red, yellow and blue, separated by deep and narrow lanes, extending to the depths of the lanes. These high and low colorful small houses form their own district.
They used to be an important business transaction location in the dock area, and now they have become a business card for travel in Bergen and even Norway. It can be seen in large and small travel albums, gathering travelers from all over the world.
The twisting and deep fjords are recognized as a geographical wonder in the world! Countless outdoor adventure enthusiasts go over mountains and mountains to go deep into no-man’s land in order to see the wonders of the fjord. And Bergen has 7 fjords in one city!
Among them, Sognefjord is not only the largest fjord in Norway, but also the longest and deepest fjord in the world, with a total length of 204 kilometers and a deepest point of 1308 meters.
There are not only cliffs and waterfalls, cliffs and rocks and unmelted snow on the peaks in the undulating greenery, but also quaint houses dotted in twos and threes, revealing vitality in the wild nature.
Bergen not only sits on seven fjords, but nature has generously gifted it with seven peaks. The altitude of the seven peaks is not high, and the highest Ulliken Mountain is only 643 meters, which is very suitable for hiking.
Every May in the local area, there is a traditional activity of "climbing seven mountains in Bergen in one day". The most not to be missed is the century-old cable car of Mount Freuen, which can drive from the city street to the "Bergen Roof" in just 6 minutes.
The scenery along the way is amazing, with a panoramic view of the harbour, the fjord, and the whole city's row upon row of wooden houses and the hills that surround Bergen.
The natural beauty, cultural arts, art museums and galleries are all over the place, and Bergen was once elected as the European City of Culture. Here was born the "father of Norwegian landscape painting" Johan Christian Dahl, the world-renowned composer Edward Grieg.
The famous dramatist Henrik Ibsen also worked here as a playwright and stage director, and paintings by Edvard Munch, the pioneer of modern expressionist painting, are also treasured in the Bergen Museum.
Bergen also played a symphony early. In 1765, the "Philharmonic Orchestra" held its first concert here. The world-renowned composer Edward Grieg was born here and has lived here ever since, and he has deep feelings for his hometown of Bergen in many of his musical creations. Today, the beautiful melodies he created still flow between the quiet forests and lakes.
Every summer, the world-class Bergen International Festival and Bergenfest are also held here, and in addition to attracting countless tourists and artists, members of the royal family also make special trips every year.
