6 Best Sights in Bergen, Norway

A trip to this merchant city is incomplete without visiting the historic Hanseatic harborside, Bryggen. A row of mostly reconstructed 14th-century wooden buildings that face the harbor makes this one of the most charming walkways in Europe, especially on a sunny day. Several fires, the latest in 1955, destroyed some of the original structures, but you'd never know it now. Today the old houses hold boutiques and restaurants, and wandering through the wooden alleys here will be a highlight of your trip. Bryggen has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

Built in 1885, Troldhaugen was the home of Norway's most famous composer, Edvard Grieg. He composed many of his best-known works in a garden cottage by the lakeshore. In 1867, he married his cousin Nina, a Danish soprano, and they lived in the white clapboard house with green gingerbread trim for 22 years. A salon and gathering place for many Scandinavian artists then, it now houses mementos—a piano, paintings, prints—of the composer's life. The interior has been kept as it was during Grieg's time here. Concerts are held both at Troldhaugen and at the very modern Troldsalen next door.

In a strikingly modern building on the waterfront, and on the open market square by the harbor, the busy fish market is one of Bergen's most popular attractions. Turn-of-the-20th-century photographs of this pungent square show fishermen in Wellington boots and raincoats and women in long aprons. Now the fishmongers wear bright-orange rubber overalls as they look over the day's catch. You'll want to come at lunchtime, when you can enjoy the catch of the day while watching the boats in the harbor. Try a classic Bergen lunch of shrimp or salmon on a baguette with mayonnaise and cucumber. Fruits, vegetables, and flowers are also on offer, as are handicrafts. 

A magnificent view of Bergen and its suburbs can be taken in from the top of Mt. Fløyen, the most accessible of the city's seven mountains. The eight-minute ride on the funicular takes you to the top, 320 meters (1,050 feet) above the sea. A car departs at least every half hour. On the top is a restaurant and café, a shop, and a playground. Stroll along the path that goes back to downtown or explore the mountains that lead to Ulriken, the highest of the mountains surrounding Bergen.

This open-air museum transports you to the 19th century, when Bergen consisted mostly of wooden houses. Streets and narrow alleys are lined with more than 50 buildings, including a baker, dentist, photographer, and jeweler. Local artists often hold exhibitions here. The grounds and park are open free of charge year-round.

An important Bergen institution and one of the largest museums for art, crafts, design, and music in Scandinavia, KODE is housed in several buildings along Lake Lille Lungeårdsvann. The collection includes the work of such Norwegian artists as Edvard Munch, J. C. Dahl, and Nicolai Astrup.