Our Northern Europe and Baltic cruise stretched from the British Isles through Scandinavia, and the fjords of Norway. We made our way from Oslo on the eastern side of Norway around to Bergen, the second largest city in Norway, with a population of 252,051 as of 1 January 2009. Bergen is on the southwest coast of Norway and cruises or tours to the fjords of Norway often start in Bergen.

     The Baltic cruise ports generally have fewer ships sailing there because the cruise season is very short due to the cooler climate. Its season lasts from late May through August with long hours of daylight.

Bergen Norway -The Gateway to the Norwegian Fjords                           Bergen Norway is surrounded by 7 mountains and is the ideal starting point for fjord tours and fjord cruises as it is located midway between the main Sognefjord and the Hardangerfjord.

Map courtesy of IORR www.iorr.org.

 Getting Your Bearings: There are two major cruise terminals in Bergen: Skolten (full name Skoltegrunnskaien) is in the lower left of the above photo with 3 ships docked. Dokken (full name Dokkeskjaerskaien) cruise terminal handles the largest cruise ships like “Queen Mary 2.“  It is shown in lower right with ship docked. Vaagen is the name for the harbor between the cruise pier locations. Bryggen is the name of the world famous  medieval  waterfront in Bergen.  Passengers can easily walk into town from either the Skolten or Dokken cruise terminals to Vaagen Harbor, and ships run shuttles from Dokken into the old city.  Torget (market) on Fish Square is shown as "Fisketorget."

HISTORY

     Bergen was founded by king Olav Kyrre in AD 1070, and the city celebrated its 900th anniversary in 1970. Bergen's importance was the trade with dried cod from the northern Norwegian coast (started around 1100 CE). By the late 1300s, Bergen had established itself as the center of the trade in Norway.   

The Saxon Hanseatic merchants (an economic and defensive confederation of free towns in northern Germany and neighboring areas) lived in their own separate quarter of town, enjoying exclusive rights to trade with the northern fishermen that sailed to Bergen each summer. Today, this old quayside called Bryggen is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites.

 GEOGRAPHY

     Bergen is surrounded by 7 mountains, and Mount Ulriken is the highest point offering stunning views of the city and surrounding fjords and islands. Mount Floyen is located close to the city centre and offers marvelous views of the city below.  Both mountains are easily accessible by the Funicular (cable railway ) departing from its station close to the Fish market. Prices in 2009 to ride to the top of Mt. Floyen and return is Adult: NOK 70/Child NOK 35.   A Mountain Café is open when the cable-car is running serving dinner, beer and wine. During summer the outdoor restaurant serves grilled food and has occasional (free) outdoor concerts.  
     Because of the rain, we didn't ride the Floibanen Funicular to the top of Mount Floyen. But here is a photo of what we missed!

                                                                                               (archived photo of Floribanen Funicular)

POPULATION

     Today Bergen has approximately 250 000 inhabitants.  The rest of the population lives in relatively sparsely populated residential areas that have been built since the 1950s.

BERGEN ON YOUR OWN

      Most of the main attractions are within walking distance, as the city centre is quite small. The Fish market is located in the very heart of the city on the waterfront along with the old Bryggen wharf and its medieval row of wooden houses.

Bergen traditionally produces wet summers, but on this day just a light sprinkle of rain fell for a few minutes.  Not enough to stop us from visiting the little town with its attractive wooden buildings and markets on the wharf. Remember to pack rain gear with you so you don't let a few raindrops spoil this wonderful experience!                                                                              

Bryggen wharf with its medieval row of wooden houses.

 We got caught in a bit of it while visiting the markets.  Fragrant and beautiful berries, fruits and vegetables for sale here--but standing by the fresh fish...Wheww!!  Not so much!

  There was even a McDonalds...Norwegian style across the street. We walked around the lovely landscaped yards, pretty alleyways and parks in the neighborhood.

     Then, it was back to the dock and our ship The legend of the Seas. Hurrying, in order to gain a good vantage point to see the beautiful scenery and the tiny little houses clinging to the hillside as we made our way out of Bergen on our way to Flam and the fjords. 

Front Row in the Crown Viking was never so popular...