Bergen

A beguiling blend of natural beauty and history, Bergen is the ideal combination of city, mountains and fjords. Get your bearings in time and place at the UNESCO World Heritage Wharf area of Bryggen, the ancient Hanseatic wharf with 900 years of history and still, today, where the city’s famous fish market is located. Wander from here along narrow alleyways past old timber houses. Visit the lakeside Kode Museum, which actually houses four separate museums for art, crafts, design and music. The city has a large student population, lending to its buzzing bar and nightlife scene. As you may expect in Norway, nature is always nearby, whether you’re heading south to the Hardangerfjord with its blossoming apple trees in the springtime and rolling mountains any time of year, the Edifjord and Voringsfossen waterfall, or the Folgefonna Glacier. From Bergen, you can also visit the Sognefjord as a long day trip or extend your stay and spend several days in the fjord area.