BERGEN
Weekender
Bounded by mountains and sea, Norway’s second city is arguably its
most picturesque and welcoming. Its timbered facades and medieval
harbour ooze old-world charm, its cuisine is creative, while the
surrounding wilderness is ripe for exploring. Words: Josephine PriceL
ife in Bergen has always been deined
by the sea. Lying on the southern part
of Norway’s jord-speckled western
coast, the city descends from the seven
mountains that frame it to meet a dramatic,
fractured coastline of inlets and islands.
It’s impossible to detach Bergen’s existence
from its seafaring past and present.
Today, visitors lock to see the medieval
harbourfront, Bryggen, which sprung up in
response to a lourishing codish industry
— one that saw Bergen become Scandinavia’s
largest city in the 1600s.
The iconic jords are another major draw.
The city pours out to the edge of every
peninsula, looking out to sea, and tourist
boats regularly dart in and out, takingcurious passengers to see the cragged
waterways that Norway is so well-known for.
Bergen knows its strengths and plays to
them. With the ebb and low of maritime
trade over the years, the city amassed a
rich, diverse heritage and a talent for
welcoming outsiders. The city entertains
visitors through both its art and history
and at its dining tables (it’s a UNESCO City
of Gastronomy). And for those looking to
escape into nature, there’s nowhere better:
Bergen is the perfect launchpad from which
to explore the wilderness that unfolds
beyond the city’s edge.
Constantly developing while also carefully
preserving, Bergen is a city that has stood the
test of time.44 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel