Bergen/Bryggen, Norway

Should I take a tour to the great hall and museums for $99 for 3.5 hours OR just walk around town myself??? I haven't been able to find a good website about cruise ships and what's most important to see/tour.

Thanks for any advice.

Karen

Should I take a tour to the great hall and museums for $99 for 3.5 hours OR just walk around town myself??? I haven't been able to find a good website about cruise ships and what's most important to see/tour. Thanks for any advice. Karen

Hi, Karen from Florida! Bergen is a great and varied city with many, many good options. Much depends on what you seek and like. Tell us more!! How much are you interested in history? Countryside vs. cities? Museums, food, art, music, shopping, architecture, etc.? What's your personal travel style and interests? Then, with more detailed information from you, we can make better, more specific suggestions on what best fits your needs and interests.

If your weather is good in Bergen, you can see lots just by walking around here, going up to the scenic overlook, etc. Lots of good shopping opportunities here. Below are some of my photos to illustrate those potentials in this super charming city.

MORE BERGEN DETAILS:

As the seat of Norway’s medieval kingdom of Norway for six centuries, Bergen is a former Viking stronghold encircled by deep fjords, towering mountains, and sweeping glaciers. Today's Bergen has much of the medieval flavor remaining around Bergen's harbor. We explored the cobblestone streets, saw its pastel-color wooden houses, bargained in some of the many artisans' workshops and visited the famous and always-entertaining Fish Market. You can watch the locals haggling over today's catch and enjoy a quayside lunch of freshly caught salmon or fish and chips.

Rated by Frommers as more scenic than Oslo, Bergen was the base of the medieval Hanseatic merchants. Those historic timbered houses are set around Bryggen or The Wharf, a center for crafts and workshops. Its prime row is mostly reconstructed 14th-century structures, some of which were originally destroyed by fire. Det Hansseatiske Museum depicts commercial life on the wharf in the early 18th century and is highly rates with well-preserved wooden structure. Its art museums are highly-rated with religious icon, local art, etc.

We did a special two-hour tour for our group of six with Anne Lien, the owner of Bergen Guide Service. You can reach Anne at http://www.bergenguideservice.no or by e-mail at anne@bergenguideservice.no.

Anne was great in giving us the details about the unique history of the Hanseatic merchants, how their building were built, what’s caused the crooked-look of today and what’s being done to preserve these unique structures.

In the afternoon, after some of the big crowds had lessened, we took the Floibanen funicular railway to the top of a 1050-foot high peak for scenic views. This cable car has been operating for over 80 years and was refurbished in 2002. The Funicular Lower Station is situated 150 meters from the Fish Market. At the top of the Mount Floyen, there are hiking trails and places for lunch or dinner. The trip takes seven minutes and both cars are on the same cable going up and down. Mariakirken or St. Mary’s Church is the most outstanding Romanesque church in Norway. Bergen is Norway’s largest port and has a population of 252,000. Scenic Bergen completed our voyage with its dramatic backdrop of seven rounded mountains and cobbled streets. It entices you to take memories and photos cherishing the land of the Norsemen.

Tourism Office: http://www.visitbergen.com/en

We docked at the fairly handy Skoltegrunskaien Pier. This put us within about a 10-15 minute walk of the main attractions at the market and warehouse area.

Reactions and questions?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 61,736 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Here’s a close look at these historic Bergen Hanseatic merchant warehouse building fronts, people taking pictures, etc. :

Right near the Hanseatic merchant warehouse area is the Bergen Fish Market with lots of options to buy food to eat on site or just watch, enjoying the “show” as people ask questions and buy the various fresh fish items.:

This picture shows the Bergen Floibanen funicular railway coming up the steep hill with the harbor, fish market, etc. in the background. On the top, somewhat right, the Silver Cloud and Costa ships can be seen in the harbor, plus nearby scenic areas, etc.

In the Bergen market area, here’s one of the sales tent offerings for local woolen products.

Bergenhus Festning Castle is located in the entrance to Bergen’s harbor and is one of the oldest, best-preserved castles in Norway. Shown is Rosenkrantz Tower, built in the mid 1500’s with dungeons on the ground floor, cannons on the top floor, etc. :

From the higher hill areas of Bergen, here is the view of the rooftops and other harbor area places.:

it was at our own pace.It stops right in front of terminal,,every 20 mins or so...even took a break in PM,,for ship lunch and rest,,then OFF again.

Can google hoho bus in bergen and will give you details..

Terrys pics really capture the town,,have thanked him before,,in above post,,but will AGAIN...his reviews convinced me to take the Norway cruise in first place.:)

it was at our own pace.It stops right in front of terminal,,every 20 mins or so...even took a break in PM,,for ship lunch and rest,,then OFF again. Can google hoho bus in bergen and will give you details.. Terrys pics really capture the town,,have thanked him before,,in above post,,but will AGAIN...his reviews convinced me to take the Norway cruise in first place.:)

Always appreciate the kind and nice comments from our super smart friend from Florida. Keep it coming!! Bergen is the "real deal". We just loved this town so super much. My pictures are good because it's ALL really there and so interesting and enjoyable. I love a town that makes and helps look like a good photographer. It's the subject that is so wonderful.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 61,914 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

$99 sounds like a lot for a guided tour of the great hall and museums. If you do want a guided tour, you can join a guided walk at the Bryggen Museum for 120 NOK/person (around $20 USD):

http://www.visitbergen.com/en/WHAT-TO-DO/Scheduled-guided-tours/?TLp=178407&Guided-Tours-of-Bryggen=

It includes admission to the Byrggen Museum, Hanseatic Museum, and Schøtstuene (great hall).

It's a small area, so it's simple to wander around on your own. If you want some additional background or historical information, you can pick up the "Meeting Point Bryggen" brochure at the Bryggen Museum, which includes suggested walking routes and descriptions of the buildings around the Bryggen area. It's also available online as a PDF file from the VisitBergen.com website:

http://www.visitbergen.com/Bergen/Dokumenter/*****%20oss/Publikasjoner/2005/Meeting_Point_Bryggen_ENG.pdf

(Note that the file is quite large: 9.5 MB)

If everything else fails, when you walk off the pier, there is a hop-on, hop-off bus, easy to use. We first made a full circle, after that continued to the stop we wanted.

We did this tour two years ago. If you like to look around yourself, take the bus or walk. The museum is not close to the pier, you will have to find your own transportation. We enjoyed the tour because you have a guide who fills you in on all the details. We had time to walk around the market after, not a lot of time, but they did give us the option of staying and finding our own transportation back.

I woulld not pay that for that tour, you can do it your self for about 1/5 of that. Bergen is very easy to see. If you walked, it would take about 15-20 minutes to the hall and museums. They are rather interesting.

We are cruising this summer to the fjords and artic circle. I have been searching the boards for all the information I can find to help make decisions prior to embarking. My question involves currency. Do you need NOK for travellling about the small towns in the fjords? I have read that people stop for a pastry and coffee and I am not sure they take Visa for that... Seems like a silly question but I don't know!

We are cruising this summer to the fjords and artic circle. I have been searching the boards for all the information I can find to help make decisions prior to embarking. My question involves currency. Do you need NOK for travellling about the small towns in the fjords? I have read that people stop for a pastry and coffee and I am not sure they take Visa for that... Seems like a silly question but I don't know!

Hi, to our fellow Midwesterner. If you are doing a variety of stops going up the Norway Coast, including above the Arctic Circle, then, YES, it would be good, easy and handy to have some local NOK currency. In many cases, whether in towns like Bergen or in smaller towns and areas, many places will take credit cards. BUT, that is not always what's most handy, quickest, easiest. Some places, especially for retail goods, might take euros, but the exchange rate might not be that favorable. You can use ATM's to get some local cash when you arrive in Norway.

What are all of the ports you will be visiting? Feel free to check out my live/blog noted below with lots of pictures and details for many of these areas, including Bergen, fjords, North Cape, etc. Happy to answer any added questions, post visuals of interest, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 65,296 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 72,716 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

I agree with Terry that you might want to hit up an ATM in port for a bit of pocket money. Don't worry about feeling silly using a card for a coffee and a pastry, because that's what the locals do! It's not uncommon to use a card for a $2 soda at the grocery here! However, the system is very much designed for chip-and-pin debit cards, so some places might not be able to take a foreign credit card. Or at least not as easily. So I would plan to carry a little bit of just-in-case cash.

thanks to you both for replying! i will definietely get some nok before venturing too far!! i have been seriously studying what to do on this trip as far as what we can do on our own vs what we need to do through the ship. terry, i have been through your blog so many times my head spins! it is amazingly beautiful, not to mention delicious looking! however, i do have some questions.

our itinerary is as follows:copenhagen, alesund, trondheim, honningsvag, tromso, leknes/lofoten, molde from 8 am to 4pm then andalsnes from 6pm to 8pm, hellesylt/geiranger, bergen, and lastly stockholm. most time frames are 9 to 5 pm; some 8 to 5, with honnigsvag noon to 10 pm.

i believe that renting a car in leknes and going to a, nusfjord, and vestvagoy is the way to go; also feel this the way in honnigsvag. the ship's excursions are v expensive and they don't travel to the places i would like to see. my biggest concern is getting lost. realize that would be hard in lofoten as there is only 1 road, but what about honnigsvag?

molde has the jazz festival going on when we arrive there. plan to hike to the varden viewpoint and come back down the forest? route. would like to hear some music and then take ferry to andalsnes. tried to find a bus from molde to andalsnes lasting 1.5 hrs but forgot to write down the details and can no longer find it. trying to figure out the raumarailway but do you just get off in dombas and turn around ? i haven't quite figured that out yet! if all else fails, there is an excursion over the trollstigveien from molde to andalsne but it is all day with no time for anything else. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

trondheim appears easy to navigate with museums, music concerts, tram ride, tour of city. also it is a green city so bike riding is an option if the weather is good.

alesund looks artsy and quaint! you can walk up to "the knife." i do however love birds and want to make sure i see the puffins! they are soooo cute! the ship wants $400 pp to visit runde; don't know about that one either.

tromso i think i have covered.

hellesylt/geiranger: what to do? ship excursion is 8 hrs and goes from hellesylt to stryn, glacier stop, flydal, mt dalsnibba. know that we will see the fjord on the journey out of geiranger, but do you think there is a better option?

thanks to everyone who can put in their 2 cents on this one!

it was at our own pace.It stops right in front of terminal,,every 20 mins or so...even took a break in PM,,for ship lunch and rest,,then OFF again.

 

Can google hoho bus in bergen and will give you details..

 

Terrys pics really capture the town,,have thanked him before,,in above post,,but will AGAIN...his reviews convinced me to take the Norway cruise in first place.:)

Hi there, I'm new to the board as we are cruising on RCL to Northern Europe and Norway. We've cruised about 9 times now and hate the high prices of the shore excursions. I read here about the Hop-on Hop-off bus IBM Bergen. Is it easy to catch from the pier? Will it go to all the "most see sites" in Bergen?

Hi there, I'm new to the board as we are cruising on RCL to Northern Europe and Norway. We've cruised about 9 times now and hate the high prices of the shore excursions. I read here about the Hop-on Hop-off bus IBM Bergen. Is it easy to catch from the pier? Will it go to all the "most see sites" in Bergen?

Welcome to these Cruise Critic boards!!! Lots of great ideas and people are here on these boards and they are happy to help and share. Don't be shy!! The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask. Keep researching and planning. It will be very helpful for when you do your actual trip and that experience.

On the Hop-on, Hop-off bus and for other options in Bergen, there are two big variables/factors to consider. What works on one day for one person, might not happen in the same way on another day. WHY?? Much depends on how many ships are in the port and the numbers of people there that day. For some, these buses can work great, but then others will not like the crowded nature on the bus and/or time wait to catch one. Then, there is the variable of weather in Bergen. As you can see from my earlier and below pictures, we had great, sunny skies in this charming and wonderful city. BUT, this town gets lots of rain. Most days, it is not an all-day rain, but you need to be prepared on your options and to be flexible, patient.

What are your interests for Bergen? Much can be seen on some of the highlights just by walking around. Tell us more on what you are seeking here? History, museums, shopping, culture, etc.?

Prices are high in Norway. The labor cost and taxes make it that way, whether through a ship tour or not. In many small ports, the options are limited. Don't expect to just walk off the cruise ship and have lots of people there ready to offer bargain rates and great options. You hate to spend too much when visiting, but if you try to pinch the pennies too much, you might miss many of the key places and super-stars in Norway. Many tours give you the "logistics" to get there, have someone explain what you are seeing and why it's important.

Below are a few more of my photo highlights and must-sees. More details are on my full live/blog about Norway and the scenic fjords and coasts.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 73,591 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

From water level across the Bergen harbor, this shows the Hanseatic merchant warehouses, other buildings and up to the station for the Floibanen funicular railway at the top of this 1050-foot high peak that overlooks the whole scenic area.:

This view from the Bergen hilltop shows the central downtown shopping area (Torgalmenningen, the major square) and many various building rooftops. The red brick church at the top is Johanneskirken (St. John's church), built of red brick in a neo-gothic style in 1894. The church tower at the left is Korskirken, dating back to the latter half of the 12th century and whose name means “True Cross”. Lots of interesting and historic architecture in Bergen.:

This closer angle of the Hanseatic merchant warehouses show more building and architecture details on these historic wooden structures used to store dried fish before export.:

This view shows an important central Bergen lake and park at Little Lungegårdsvann and Festplassen. At the park is its music pavilion dating from 1889. It is the site of many local festivals and activities. Several museums are nearby and you can see the fan-shaped, concrete roof of the Grieghallen cultural complex with its 1500-seat theater.:

Here is one of the glass Floibanen funicular railway getting ready to depart from the top of this 1050-foot high station.:

Where do you shop in Norway? Here is an example in Bergen in looking for woolen items in the charming area right near the Fish Market. As you can tell by the friendly smile, our friend, Sharon, was enjoying herself. :

 

hellesylt/geiranger: what to do? ship excursion is 8 hrs and goes from hellesylt to stryn, glacier stop, flydal, mt dalsnibba. know that we will see the fjord on the journey out of geiranger, but do you think there is a better option?

 

thanks to everyone who can put in their 2 cents on this one!

I am going to Fjords in 1 week and have also been looking hard into Bergen and Geiranger.

I agree with the advise every one has offered for Bergen, we are just going to explore ourselves when we get there I decided the tours were too expensive.

As for Geiranger , the ship travels all the way up the fjord to the top so you will get to see the whole thing on your travels.

We are going to take the hop on hop off bus there and go to eagle bend and the view point above the town, stopping off at the Fjord centre on the way. I thought about going on the tour up the mountain but just couldnt bring myself to pay out the huge amount our ship wants for the pleasure. However this link might help you to decide what you want to do there are some great ideas on it.

http://www.geirangerfjord.no/

Enjoy your trip :)

TLCOhio, Thanks for the good advice. I think we"ll chance it with the Hop on Hop off bus. But the funicular looks wonderful. The view from the hilltop is awesome and we definitely don't want to miss that.

We just came back from a wonderful 12-night cruise to Norwegian fjords and Arctic on Brilliance of the Seas. We did everything on our own apart from taking the ship's transfer to North Cape. We're a party of 7 aged 55-62 and we enjoyed hiking in all the ports tremendously. It's easy to follow the trails in Geiranger. Go to http://www.visitalesund-geiranger.com/en/BROCHURESMAPS/Hiking-routes-in-Geiranger/ and download the brochure showing 18 different hiking routes. We did routes A (Vesteras Gard), B (Vesterasfjettet), and C (Losta) and then went back to A and crossed the river to follow part of route G on highway RV 63 and reached Hotel Utsikten and then Flydal viewpoint with ample time to go back to the tender pier. Start on 63 from the tender pier to the Union Hotel and you will see the clearly-marked trail head on the left. The views from the trails were spectacular. We could have done route D (Storsetterfossen) as well, but we decided to take it easy in our first port. Coming down from Flydal viewpoint, we followed 63and there're clear trail signs along the road showing short-cuts to avoid the bends of the road. Great experience and truly enjoyable.

TLCOhio, Thanks for the good advice. I think we"ll chance it with the Hop on Hop off bus. But the funicular looks wonderful. The view from the hilltop is awesome and we definitely don't want to miss that.

Good luck on your Bergen visit and using these hop-on buses. YES, the funicular is wonderful. You can buy your ticket in advance at the tourism office and avoid the long line. When you get to the lower level station, don't waste time in the long line to get a ticket. Go direct to the right in this station for boarding. Many times in the afternoons, they morning crowds will lessen somewhat.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 73,804 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

In Bergen, first here is an example for how nice and open are one of the Hop on, hop off buses in the main downtown near the Fish Market. Lots of glass, looking very new and modern. This bus is not a double-decker, but on their website (http://www.citysightseeingbergen.com) it shows that they have and use these twin level, open on the top buses. Second is a type of trolley-train tour provider. We saw these vehicles around, but I don’t know how they operate. They are, however, very cute-looking, especially in a charming town like Bergen!!:

Without wanting to usurp Terry, who is so generous with his advice and great pictures, I just wanted to say that I am finishing off a detailed review of my RCI Brilliance of the Seas Norwegian fjord cruise out of Amsterdam (2nd June this year). We visited Geiranger, Ålesund, Molde and Bergen, so hopefully it will be useful too :)

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1653948

David

Without wanting to usurp Terry, who is so generous with his advice and great pictures, I just wanted to say that I am finishing off a detailed review of my RCI Brilliance of the Seas Norwegian fjord cruise out of Amsterdam (2nd June this year). We visited Geiranger, Ålesund, Molde and Bergen, so hopefully it will be useful too :)

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1653948

David

Appreciate, David, sharing and all of your postings. Lots of nice pictures to bring back great memories from these many wonderful areas of Norway. Super love the Cotswolds from visiting there a couple times in England.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 73,804 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Thanks to all for great information, now I need to know what to do and not break the bank, I am active open to all the suggestions for an itinerary.