Bergen is a picturesque city located in the middle of Norway's fjords along the coastline. It's probably one of the most visited places in Norway due to it's beautiful old town and wonderful nature, consisting of mountains, forests and of course the Atlantic ocean. Getting there by train is an additional treat as you will pass into and over the often misty mountains which already felt like a tourist attraction!
Arriving in Bergen, one of the first things I did was to climb the local hills to get a better overview of the city. And this did not disappoint! Although a steep climb, you will eventually reach the top from which you can see all the details: the big harbor with the famous "Bryggen" houses, the lake and parks, or the museums just to name a few. Have a look for yourself:
Probably the most characteristic picture for Bergen are the former hanseatic commercial buildings lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour called "Bryggen". Today they house mostly tourist shops, although if you walk into the back area you still get a feel for how it must have been hundreds of years ago. While these buildings are not from the founding age (which was 1000 years ago!) they still transport you to a different time.
Right next to them you will find the fish market where you will find many different sea food delicacies. I can definitely recommend the fresh salmon sandwich although it is of course not cheap. But that is something one gets used to in Norway. Or not, and gets surprised by the Visa bill after the journey...
The old town still is largely in tact and it is fun exploring it. Sometimes it's not too easy as you will have to climb the streets a bit, but the unique architecture is always rewarding. Can you spot the pair of shoes up in the electricity lines?
I then went to the park with the lake I mentioned earlier when I looked at the city panorama. It is a nice little park and gives a completely different vantage point as you will now look to the hills above and see the beautiful houses located on its side. It is quickly apparent that this is a very wealthy town and many affluent people are living here.
However I was surprised when I also saw a different side to Bergen in the same park. In fact I was quite shocked to see dozens of people openly taking drugs here. And it seemed like it wasn't just marijuana, but heroin... I am not sure if this was some sort of an attempt by the city to decriminalize drugs, but it was disturbing to see needles on the floor and people sleeping out their drug comas...
You will also find a lot of archeological findings housed in the museums. In this case a viking boat. The details on it as well as the craftsmanship are truly astounding!
The port of Bergen was also where I continued my travel to the south of Norway. It is quite commonplace to travel by boat/ferry here and you once again get another perspective of the city.
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