Bergen Holidays

Think of this as some friendly advice you'd get from someone who's been there, stood in the rain, and discovered that a wet day in Bergen is still better than a dry one almost anywhere else. Norway's second city is compact, walkable, and wonderfully straightforward - the real joy is in the discovery. 

Direct flights from Dublin or Cork to Bergen take just over two hours. You land at a compact, efficient airport, and a light rail or taxi gets you into the city centre in about 30 minutes.  

Irish passport holders enjoy visa-free travel for tourist stays within the Schengen Area, so no paperwork, and no fuss. The currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK) - cards are accepted absolutely everywhere, even at market stalls, so you really can manage with minimal cash.  

So, what time of year is it best to visit Bergen and Western Norway?  

May to September offers the warmest weather and the longest days. Summer in Bergen is when the city comes alive and the locals come out to play - outdoor cafes, fjord cruises, and the Bergen International Festival filling the streets with music. It's also peak season, so book accommodation and popular tours ahead.  

Winter is a different kind of magic: Christmas markets, the chance to see the Northern Lights on clear nights, and the cosy kos (Norway's answer to hygge) that makes you grateful for a warm café and a good book. Yes, it's cold and dark, but the city feels intimate and wonderfully calm.  

Getting around Bergen is simple; the city centre is compact and best explored on foot. For longer distances, the Bybanen light rail connects the airport to the city centre, and buses reach the suburbs and nearby hiking routes.  

For fjord adventures, the Bergen Card is excellent value - it covers the Fløibanen funicular, many museums, and offers discounts on fjord cruises and public transport.  

If you're planning to explore further afield - like the Nærøyfjord or Hardangerfjord - a rental car gives you freedom, but the region's ferry and train network is so good you probably won't need one.  

It has to be said, when it comes to spending, Norway is expensive, there's no of sugar-coating that. A meal out costs more than you're probably used to, and a pint of beer will make you wince. But the quality is exceptional, and there are still some ways to manage your budget.  

The Bergen Card saves on entry fees. Supermarket picnics can also help keep costs down (the bread, cheese, and smoked fish are excellent). Plus, many of the very best experiences - hiking Fløyen, wandering Bryggen, watching the boats in the harbour, and appreciating Norway's stunning beauty - cost absolutely nothing.  

You've probably heard that Bergen is one of Europe's rainiest cities, but the locals don't apologise for it; they just dress for it. Pack layers, a proper waterproof jacket, and good walking shoes (leave your trainers at home). If it rains you do what Bergen does: find a cosy café, explore the covered Fish Market, or visit one of the excellent museums. The sun will return, and when it does, the city shines in a kaleidoscope of colour.  

It's good to keep in mind that the forecast can change by the hour (we're well used to that in Ireland). If the sun is out, drop your plans and take the Fløibanen up Fløyen. If it's pouring, settle in for a long coffee at a Bryggen café or explore the KODE art museums. Bergen isn't a place you conquer; it's a place you settle into. And once you do, you'll understand why Norwegians call it den beste byen - the best city. 

You could spend your entire Bergen visit at Bryggen waterfrong, but to truly discover this adorable city follow the narrow alleyways between the buildings and you'll find artists' studios (what artist wouldn't want to live here?), tiny galleries with unique works of art, and hidden courtyards where the Hanseatic merchants once stored their fish. Bergen is a city that rewards getting lost.  

If you want to see the city from a totally unique viewpoint, the Fløibanen funicular is the obvious choice, and it's obvious for a reason.  

Eight minutes from the city centre and you're on Mount Fløyen, with walking trails that range from a gentle loop to a proper mountain hike. Families love the troll forest near the top, and the café does excellent waffles and snacks.  

For the more ambitious, the Ulriken cable car takes you to the highest of Bergen's seven mountains. From there, the Vidden trail connects Ulriken to Fløyen - a three-hour hike across a mountain plateau that feels a million miles away from the city below.  

In this part of the world, the fjords are the headline act, and they're all within easy reach. The 'Norway in a Nutshell' tour is the classic: a combination of the Flåm Railway, a fjord cruise through the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, and a bus journey that ties it all together. It's seamless, stunning, and can be done as a day trip from Bergen.  

For a more independent approach, the Bergen Card offers discounts on fjord cruises, and public ferries connect to islands and fjord villages at a fraction of the price of tourist boats.  

And when it rains, as it most probably will, the KODE Art Museums are a genuine treasure - four buildings housing one of Norway's finest collections of Edvard Munch, Nikolai Astrup, and contemporary Norwegian and world art.  

The Fish Market is an integral part of the city's rhythm; it's touristy, yes, but it's also where Bergen has traded seafood for centuries. Grab a paper cone of fresh shrimp, sit on a bench, and watch the boats come and go.  

For classical music lovers, a visit to Troldhaugen - composer Edvard Grieg's former home - is almost like a pilgrimage. The lakeside concert hall hosts summer recitals that still draw audiences decades after the composer's death.  

Outdoor life is woven into everyday life in Bergen. Locals don't wait for perfect weather, they walk the Vågen harbour in the rain, they take the Fløibanen up Fløyen on a cloudy afternoon, they swim in the fjord at Nordnes Sjøbad, a public seawater pool right in the city centre, with saunas and a heated pool for the brave. If you're visiting in winter, skiing at Ulriken is a city experience like no other - magically lit slopes, the city glittering below, and a warm, enticing café at the top.  

For a completely different experience, take the coastal ferry. The coast-hugging Hurtigruten ships stop in Bergen every day, but the local passenger ferries - like the one to Sognefjord or Osterøy - offer a glimpse of everyday life on the fjords. Farmers with groceries, students commuting from school or university, people going about their daily lives, and you, watching the landscape slide by from a window seat.  

And when the rain comes again, a visit to the Leprosy Museum is both unusual and fascinating, housed in the world's first leprosy hospital. Stop by the Bergen Maritime Museum that tells the story of a city built on the sea. Or, just simply find a café in the Bryggen backstreets, order a kanelbolle (cinnamon bun), and watch the rain streak the windows. Even for Irish tourists, tired of the rain, this can feel like a totally magical experience. 

Bergen's relationship with food begins right at the water's edge. For a thousand years, this city has been defined by what comes in on the tide - stockfish, cod, herring, and the shrimp that locals peel with a patience that borders on ritual.  

The Fish Market is the obvious starting point, but don't treat it as a tourist attraction. Watch the vendors shuck oysters, sample the smoked salmon, buy a paper cone of freshly boiled shrimp and find a bench by the harbour - that's breakfast, Bergen-style.  

Seafood is the story here, but the story has many layers. Klippfisk (dried, salted cod) was Bergen's currency for centuries, and was traded for wine and grain across Europe. You'll still find it on menus, often served with bacon, root vegetables, and a mustard sauce that cuts through the salt.  

For something more immediate, Torget near the Fish Market does excellent fish soup, creamy and generous, the kind of meal that makes a rainy afternoon feel like a treat. And if you're feeling adventurous, the local specialty smalahove (sheep's head) is a traditional farmhouse dish from the surrounding fjords - not for the faint-hearted, but a genuine taste of rural Norway.  

The café culture here is serious business. Bergen runs on coffee, and the coffee is excellent. Kaffemisjonen is the local favourite - tiny, unpretentious, serving some of the best espresso in the country.  

Det Lille Kaffekompaniet (the oldest and smallest coffee shop in Bergen) does pour-overs with single-origin beans, and the baristas treat coffee like a religion. For a slower pace, find a konditori (pastry shop) and order a kanelbolle - the cinnamon bun that Norwegians revere like a religion. The one at Godt Brød is exceptional, served warm with cardamom and a dusting of pearl sugar.  

Culture in Bergen is genuinely lived, and not just visited when the mood hits.  

The Bryggen waterfront is UNESCO-listed, but the real experience is walking the narrow passageways behind the facades, where the Hanseatic Museum shows how merchants lived and worked in the 18th century. The KODE Museums offer quiet afternoons of Edvard Munch and other works of contemporary art, housed in buildings that are themselves part of the city's architectural story.  

For a different kind of immersion, catch a concert at Grieghallen, the city's modernist concert hall, or a performance at the Bergen International Festival in late spring, when the city fills with music, theatre, and dance.  

For hikers and outdoor types, the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) runs cabins and trails across the surrounding mountains, and joining a local hike is a cultural experience in itself. Norwegians don't wait for perfect weather - they dress for it and go.  

In winter, the city's outdoor ice rinks and ski slopes at Ulriken are packed with families. In summer, the Nordnes Sjøbad offers swimming in the fjord, with saunas to warm you up afterwards. These aren't tourist activities; they're all part of the natural rhythm of the city.  

For a deeper taste of Norwegian hospitality, seek out kos. It's a concept that doesn't translate easily - cosiness, comfort, the deliberate slowing down to enjoy small pleasures - a bit like the Danish concept of hygge. It's a fire in a cabin after a day of skiing. It's waffles with brown cheese and strawberry jam, eaten in a café as the rain drums on the windows. It's sitting by the harbour with a pølse (hot dog) from a street stand, watching the light shift across the fjord. And the beautiful thing is, you don't need to book kos; you just need to let it happen.  

Bergen's culture is rooted in the sea, the mountains, and a resilience shaped by centuries of trade and weather. It's not flashy. It's not rushed. It's the slow pleasure of good food, warm rooms, and the knowledge that the sun will return - and when it does, Bergen and its citizens will be ready. 

There's a Norwegian word for what happens when you step from a wood-fired sauna into a the waters of a fjord: frisk. Invigorating. Alive. Bergen's wellness culture isn't about pampering - it's about a natural rhythm consisting of heat, cold, silence, and a repeat of the process.  

The city's floating saunas have become a local obsession, but you'll also find historic fjord-side spas, urban retreats with snow rooms, and modern biohacking centres (don't worry, it's new to us too).  

Here are ten places to warm up, cool down, and find that particular brand of Nordic calm and rhythm.  

• Heit Sauna at Måseskjæret - Three floating saunas with bathing ladders, a cold-water jacuzzi, and outdoor shower. Five minutes from the city centre by bus. A Bergen Card offers discounts.  
• Flabellina Floating Sauna - An artistic, slug-inspired floating sauna in historic Mjøsvågen, less than an hour from Bergen. Finnish wood-burning stove, outdoor shower, and fjord dips.  
• Skostredet Spa - A sensory journey through a snow room, steam sauna, Nordic sauna, and hot/cold plunges. Arrive for the Friday aufguss ritual - a sauna master's performance with essential oils.  
• Solstrand Hotel & Bad - This is a century-old fjord-side institution 30 minutes from Bergen. Heated indoor-outdoor pool, therapy pool with jets, saunas, and Michelin-starred dining.  
• Artesia Spa at Hotel Norge - Central city spa with heated pool, sauna, steam room, and cold shower. Hotel guests pay a reduced fee; massages and body treatments are also available.  
• Nordnes Sjøbad - A public seawater pool in the Nordnes park, with saunas, diving boards up to 7 metres, and a heated pool. Swim in the fjord, warm up in the sauna, then do it all again.  
• Flow State Optimization Centre - This modern wellness hub offers floating tanks, infrared sauna, cryotherapy, and personal training. Clean, calm, and focused on mental recovery and stress relief.  
• Bergen Sauna at Marineholmen - Another Heit location with floating saunas on the water. Rent privately or join a drop-in session. Absolutely perfect after a day of city wandering.  
• Fløyen Outdoor Sauna - A smaller, rustic sauna experience near the Fløibanen lower station. Combine with a hike up Mount Fløyen for the full Bergen outdoor sauna experience.  
• The Well Spa (Voss) - For the ultimate indulgence, venture an hour east to Voss. Thermal pools, saunas, and treatments set against a dramatic mountain backdrop. 

Bergen is wonderfully straightforward for Irish travellers, but a little planning goes a long way.  

It's good to know that Irish passport holders enjoy visa-free travel for tourist stays within the Schengen Area. Direct flights from Dublin or Cork to Bergen take just over two hours, before landing at a small, but superbly efficient airport. Plus, the Bybanen light rail system gets you from the airport into the city centre in about 30 minutes for a fraction of a taxi fare.  

Once you hit the ground you'll need to know that the local currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK) - not the Euro. But here's the thing: cards are accepted absolutely everywhere - even at market stalls and public toilets. This means that you can comfortably manage with minimal cash, though it's handy to have a few hundred kroner for emergencies.  

ATMs are widely available, but you'll get better rates by withdrawing once you arrive rather than exchanging at home.  

And just in case you hadn't heard: Norway is expensive; totally worth it for the quality and experiences you'll have. For example, a pint of beer will make you wish you had won the lottery, and a meal out costs quite a bit more than you're most likely used to. The quality is excellent, but budget accordingly.  

Purchasing a Bergen Card can save you considerably on museums and transport, and if you want to eat without having to take out a second mortgage, supermarket picnics are the way to go, (the bread, cheese, cold meats, and smoked fish are great).  

For getting around Bergen, the city centre is compact and best explored on foot (comfortable shoes or hiking boots). For longer distances, the Bybanen light rail connects the airport to the city centre, and local buses reach most of the major hiking routes and the suburbs.  

The Bergen Card includes free travel on the Bybanen and city buses, plus discounts on the Fløibanen funicular and fjord cruises. If you're planning to explore beyond the city - say, the Nærøyfjord or Hardangerfjord - consider renting a car for flexibility, but the region's ferry and train network is so good you probably won't need one.  

We Irish think we know everything about rain, but Bergen is one of Europe's rainiest cities. But, just like the locals, don't get depressed, just dress for the weather and you'll be fine. Plus, talking about clothes, the best idea for a trip to Bergen and Eastern Norway, pack layers (merino wool or synthetics that wick moisture), a proper waterproof jacket, and good walking shoes with a good grip.  

An umbrella can be useful but may not survive the wind. If it rains, join the locals: find a cosy café, explore the museums, or embrace the mist on a mountain trail. The sun will return, and when it does, the city is always waiting to shine again.  

For charging your electronic devices it's good to know that Ireland uses the three-pin Type G plug; Norway uses the two-pin Type F, the same as much of mainland Europe. You'll need a simple travel adaptor. Voltage is 230V, same as home, so your devices will work fine with just the plug adaptor.  

In restaurants and cafes, service is usually included in the bill, but rounding up or leaving a small extra (5-10%) for exceptional service is appreciated. Tipping in bars is less common - just round up if you like.  

Norwegians are famously direct but polite; a friendly hei (hello) and takk (thank you) go a long way. And when hiking, respect the allemannsretten (the Norwegian right to roam in nature): and you'll be welcome on most trails, but remember, leave no trace behind you.  

One final thought. Book popular fjord tours (like the Norway in a Nutshell) in advance, especially in summer. If you're visiting in June or July, expect long days and mild temperatures - perfect for hiking. In winter, daylight is short, but the city's Christmas markets and the chance of spotting the Northern Lights make it a magical and totally different world.