Norway 3-Day Trip (3)

Bergen

Bergen is said to be Norway’s most beautiful city and is a World Heritage Site, with many lovely buildings and exhibition halls.

Here’s a bit of background:

Bergen is the capital of Norway’s Hordaland county and the country’s second-largest city, as well as the largest and most beautiful port on Norway’s west coast. It sits on the steep fjord line of the west coast, leaning against its harbor and seven hills. The city center borders the Byfjord, which opens straight onto the Atlantic, making it a scenic harbor city. Thanks to the warm winds brought by the Gulf Stream, Bergen has a mild, rainy climate and is known as a “city of rain.”

In 2000, Bergen was selected as one of nine European Cities of Culture. Its charm is on display in its theater, dance, music, art, food, and exhibitions. Bergen’s main sightseeing area is near the harbor. To the north, many old buildings from the medieval Hanseatic League era remain, while to the south lie modern shopping streets.

Beautiful buildings.

We took the funicular up to the mountaintop for a panoramic view of the entire city of Bergen.

Here we ran into Norway’s mascot, the troll. The troll has an ugly face, but it actually looks quite cute.

After coming down the mountain, we wandered around the wharf. This is Bergen’s iconic landmark, the colorful wooden houses. They were built by the Hanseatic League during the period of German rule and used to be the shops or warehouses of Hanseatic merchants.

The Hanseatic League ruins were once the warehouses of Hanseatic merchants and are now all kinds of shops. Because it was the weekend, the shops were closed, so we couldn’t see what they sell inside.

After leaving the wharf and having lunch, we headed to the Bergen museum, which holds a large collection of artworks. For art lovers it’s a feast you couldn’t get through in a whole day.

All sorts of artworks and furniture.

Oil paintings of every kind: portraits, landscapes, abstract works, and more. If you take your time, you couldn’t get through them all in a day.

After leaving the museum and walking down the street, even a few casual snapshots turned out really nicely.

Finally we wrapped up the day at a Chinese restaurant, “China Palace.” It was pretty good and worth recommending.