All About World Heritage Sites
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Travel on board a Northern Europe Cruise is the best and easiest way to explore Denmark, Norway, Sweden & UK, visit many cities and attractions in one trip.
Source: 5 Reasons to board on a Northern Europe Cruise this year – Love & Road
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Encompassing mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords, Norway offers some of the most impressive natural beauty in the world – making it a dream destination…
Source: The perfect Norway itinerary for first-time visitors
ASK ME any day of the week, and I’ll tell you that Bergen, Norway, is the most beautiful city on the planet. It’s a metropolis squeezed into a glacial valley; a Viking-age port with the humble roots of fishermen; it is the gateway to the country’s iconic fjords. It’s been said that there is a completeness to where the mountains meet the sea, and if that’s true, then Bergen lacks nothing.
When I first visited a year ago, I felt an intense sense of home. These streets I had never walked, these smells my nose shouldn’t recognize, this terra incognita — it all seemed strangely familiar and comforting. But how is that possible? I have Norwegian heritage, sure, but generations back. What makes a foreign place feel like home?
And then I found my answer. I was futzing around Bryggen, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, scoping out the 14th-century merchant houses along the harbor.
Read more from source: Why visiting your ancestral home feels so familiar: It’s literally in your bones.
Bergen is my favorite kind of city, small and beautiful in the center, on the coast, and surrounded by nature. It has everything you need – mountains, ocean, atmosphere, history, beautiful streets and friendly people. A small, hidden place burrowed within the epic nature of Norway.
At times, the nature of Norway seems never-ending. And that’s from the perspective of just one small city in the southwest. The country’s scale is incredible. It becomes truly remote in the north, and yet the south is still almost uninhabitable. For 323,802 km² of land, only 5 million people live in Norway, half the population of London. Due to the sheer and jagged layers of the landscape, with its high mountains and steep fjords, it was always difficult to build large settlements.
The result is almost untouched scenery, raw and wild, and dotted with small villages of red wooden houses beside frozen lakes.
Basic Hotel
When I was in Bergen, I stayed at Basic Hotel. It was the perfect location in the center of the city. A wonderfully comfortable break from hostel travel, the hotel was an affordable luxury.
Read more from source: Bergen: voyaged through the world-famous fjords of Norway
Norway’s second city in size after Oslo, Bergen is known above all for its UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Bryggen, the quayside warehouses, offices and dwellings where for centuries Hanseatic League merchants enriched themselves through the stockfish and grain trades. Today, Bergen is a popular summer cruise stop and launching point for the country’s famous western fjords.
What a surprise it is then to discover that Bergen in winter is practically tropical compared to what you expected, with the Gulf Stream bringing warmth and the city’s seven surrounding mountains blocking winds. All of which makes winter not only doable, but a great time for a visit without crowds. Here are some tips to plan ahead already for next winter.
On a stroll down the passageways between Bryggen’s handsome wooden warehouses—now mostly occupied by clothing boutiques, craft and gift shops and restaurants—the fragility of the structures is readily apparent. As a result of oxidation of the soil, they lean precipitously, and are thus continuously monitored, while their matchbox nature has historically led to numerous destructive fires.
Read more from source: Bergen: Norway’s Summer Gateway To The Fjords Is Welcoming All Winter Too
Headed to Bergen, Norway for the first time? If so, here are all the things to do in Bergen on your first trip, along with some suggested Bergen day trips.
Surrounded by mountains and fjords and filled with colorful wooden buildings, it’s not difficult to understand why the city of Bergen is such a favorite among visitors to Norway. I mean, let’s face it: this city is pretty stunning!
Nevermind that Bergen’s weather is usually pretty wet, or that it boasts the famously high prices of Scandinavia – there’s still something undeniably charming about Bergen.
It took me three visits to Norway to finally visit Bergen, but when I did I finally understood what all the fuss was about.
If you’re visiting Bergen for the first time, here are all the things you won’t want to miss:
Things to do in Bergen on your first trip
Bryggen
The colorful wooden houses along Bergen’s old Hanseatic Wharf are by far the most iconic sight in the city. And it just so happens that this is the most historic part of the city, too.
Bergen is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage City and a European City of Culture so you’ll find tiny gems of museums and architecture dating as far back as the middle ages as you stroll around the streets.
After 6 days of cruising along the beautiful and rugged coasts of Norway with Hurtigruten, we finally arrived in the very beautiful City of Bergen! It was raining and cold when we arrived but the coldness was tolerable that I noticed that my hands weren’t shaking. Haha.
It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to and I am not exaggerating at all. It is unique and is blessed by such beauty that I really couldn’t fathom how wonderful and amazing our creator is. I’m being dramatic here because the world we live in is just amazing.
We take a look at the best things to see and do in Norway from city breaks to breathtaking landmarks for a European break to remember
With its vast landscapes and vibrant cities, it’s no surprise that Norway has long been a favourite with all types of holidaymakers.
After all, adventurers can go exploring the spectacular scenery, while culture vultures have plenty of landmarks to choose from across the bustling cities and charming towns.
Not to mention it’s home to natural phenomenons from the Northern Lights to the breathtaking Norwegian Fjords.
And with Prince William and Kate Middleton set to visit the European hotspot on a royal tour later this year, no doubt it’s about to enjoy a further boost of tourism.
But what exactly are the best things to see and do in Norway if you’re short on time?
