Lady’s Itinerary for 2 Days in Bergen, Norway

As my ferry from Stavanger pulled into Bergen harbor, the historic buildings of Bryggen wharf basked in the sunshine. The bustling fish market was abuzz with afternoon commerce, and Scandinavia’s only funicular glided gracefully up the wooded hill to Floyen. It was quite a welcome, and I was excited to spend 2 days in Bergen.

2 Days in Bergen

I traveled to Bergen with a friend on a press trip with the Norwegian Tourism Board, and we were excited to see one of southwestern Norway’s great coastal cities.

Bergen is an under-the-radar European city, but it’s worth a visit for its colorful waterfront area, great food, and world-class museums.

Where to Stay in Bergen

As soon as our ferry arrived, my friend and I walked to our accommodation, the Thon Hotel Orion. It was conveniently located right between the UNESCO World Heritage wharf and the city’s historic Bergenhus Fortress.

We checked into our room on the 8th floor and took in the views from the terrace. We could see over the harbor and across the fjords.

Back inside, we arranged our things around the twin beds, sofa, desk, and table. The room also had a bathroom with a power shower, although amenities were BYO except for soap.

Day 1 in Bergen

We wanted to take advantage of the sunny weather on our 2 days in Bergen, so we quickly went back outside and walked to the Floibanen Funicular.

Up, up, up the hill we went. When we arrived at the top, we were rewarded with views across all of Bergen and the surrounding area. Floyen was stunning.

Having sat on a ferry for four hours that day, we wanted to get some exercise. We decided to walk down from the top of the hill through the woods.

Along the way we passed through a forest full of gnomes, many of which were as large as we were. It was a truly unique sight.

Back in Bergen, we walked all through the city, passing through famous places like Torgallmenningen Square and the fish market.

We walked by the Lille Lungegardsvann pond and the row of art museums that flanked it, saw the beautiful red-brick Johanneskirken church, admired the natural history museum, and took in the 20th-century theater.

Later we continued our 2 days in Bergen by walking back to Bryggen to explore the colorful historic buildings and narrow passages between them.

The modern shops, restaurants, bars, and museums that filled the spaces didn’t diminish the feeling of awe the wharf inspired as we ducked into secret alleyways and forgotten spaces.

We worked up quite an appetite exploring the city, and soon took the advice of the Bergen Tourism Board to have dinner at a fish restaurant in Bryggen called Enhjorningen.

My starter of mussel soup in a creamy saffron broth was excellent, and the main of salmon was a generous portion of deliciousness.

The desserts were pricey, but the historic atmosphere of the upstairs dining room in the heritage building in Bryggen was enough of a sweet treat that I didn’t need more food.

Dinner ended at 10pm, and it was still light outside. As such, we decided to prolong the first of our 2 days in Bergen with a walk through the Bergenhus Fortress.

It was a large complex full of buildings that dated back centuries, and it provided a pleasant place to stroll and peruse the comings and goings of cruise ships and ferries as the evening drew to a close.

Day 2 in Bergen

The next morning we awoke to thick fog and driving rain that created shivering puddles on the pavement. Our luck with the weather had come to an end. We were glad we’d saved the museums for the second of our 2 days in Bergen.

Our first stop was the Hanseatic Museum in Bryggen. The museum housed a historic 18th-century replica of the living and working quarters of the merchants of the Hanseatic League.

The league was a trading body that prospered in Northern Europe for centuries. Bergen was an important base for the league, and Bryggen was home to the German office.

From there we ran through the rain to the museums along the Lille Lungegardsvann pond. First we visited an art museum where we saw an array of 19th and 20th-century art, including works by Picasso, Braque, and Klee.

The museum was also home to a restaurant that had a famous fish soup the tourism board recommended. Given it was pouring outside, it was a convenient place to stop for lunch.

I’m glad we did. The fish soup was every bit as good as we’d been told, from the spicy broth to the salmon and mussels. We also shared a plate French fries with aioli, which was a winner.

Sated, we ran next door to KODE 3 to see the Rasmus Meyer Collection. There we took in everything from famous paintings by Norway’s Edvard Munch to replicas of 18th-century Bergenian home interiors.

On our way back to the Thon Hotel Orion, we stopped for hot chocolate at a small cafe called Solbrod to fortify ourselves against the weather.

By the time we finished, the rain had magically stopped pouring down from the Nordic sky. We strolled back to our hotel, stopping by an irresistible design shop called Ting on the way.

Back at the Thon Hotel Orion, we picked up our bags, walked to the nearby airport bus stop, and took the 45-minute ride to Bergen Airport.

2 Days in Bergen

Our flight from Bergen to London departed on time, and we arrived back in the UK to find ourselves under clear skies in warm weather.

But even the sunshine in London didn’t stop me from missing Norway and my 2 days in Bergen. I’d had a great time in Scandinavia and couldn’t wait to go back and see more someday. I hope the sun comes with me.

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