🇳🇴 Bergen – Norway 🌍
🧡Day 1
🧡Day 1
From Dublin we took our flight to Oslo, stayed here for a day and from there took the train to Bergen. The original idea was a direct flight to Bergen and from there “down” to Oslo, but since the fare had increased considerably and the flight to Oslo was super low cost, we decided to make this somewhat strange move, keep in mind that we had a train pass which allowed us to move freely with this means of transport. Although the train journey was long, about 7 hours. Approximately, as we read and then verified, it is one of the most beautiful in the world. So it didn't sound so bad to do it twice (since we later returned to Oslo and from there “went down” to Denmark and then Germany). It seems a little complicated, but it really turned out very well for us.
We left early from Oslo (later we will tell about the experience in Oslo in a single post) and headed to the central station. There we took our direct train to Bergen. There are approximately 430km and the trip lasts six and a half hours or 7 hours more or less. Along the way you travel through towns, fjords, incredible rivers, mountains and other landscapes straight out of a story. Just to say that we saw frozen rivers and snowy peaks while we crossed mountains was truly crazy.
These trains, operated by NSB, are very well equipped and comfortable. Additionally, trains leave from the center of Oslo (Oslo S station) and reach the heart of Bergen (Bergen Central Station), making it very easy to get to both stations using public transport. It was truly a unique experience, there was also a coffee area in the first class that you could help yourself to for free. We don't know if it was exclusive to first class (we traveled in second class) but there didn't seem to be any impediment to accessing it, plus it's a considerable saving since it wasn't very economical in the food car (also keep in mind that Norway is expensive) and there's nothing nicer than enjoying a warm coffee while we look at those beautiful countries through the train windows.
As we said, the train trip was an experience in itself. We must have left around 7 am and arrived in Bergen after noon, that is, an ideal time. The Bergen train station, which is not very big, but very beautiful, is in the heart of the city, like most stations, which makes everything very practical, especially if the hotel is nearby, as was our case.
The first thing we see when leaving the station is an exceptional landscape. From the architecture of the surrounding houses, cobblestone streets and mountains on our sides. Furthermore, the day was ideal, a warm sun in full force and a blue sky like the best postcard. According to what they say in Bergen, of the 365 days of the year it rains 275, it is even said that it has rained 90 days in a row. Well obviously we had the luckiest thing in the world since we didn't see a drop of rain the 3 days we were there, the same thing happened to us in London. As a matter of fact, we arrived at the end of May. In any case, in these types of places the climates can be very changeable. In short, we took Marken Street, the most beautiful of all without a doubt, while we climbed a slight slope, we looked at the beautiful little houses and the order of the city, which showed that we were in Norway. The apartment we rented was just a few blocks away in the heart of the city. Below there was a pub, although the street was under construction there were no problems accessing it. After putting the code in a little box we took our “key” with a strange system since it was a metal square with some holes. In Europe, this type of system is very common where they do not have direct contact with any person, it happened to us in several cities. Leaving a key in a box in our country would be something unthinkable. We left our suitcases in the apartment, which was actually quite comfortable and had a kitchen which would save us the same amount on meals or breakfast, and we went out to explore the city.
The city of Bergen was founded in 1070 by King Olav Kyrre. Bergen, which means meadow in the mountains, is the second largest city in Norway. Located in the west of the country, it was part of the Hanseatic League which was a commercial and defensive federation of northern German cities and German merchant communities in the Baltic Sea, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Poland and Russia, as well as regions that are now in the Baltic republics. The lingua franca used throughout the Hanseatic League was Middle Low German. It was based in Lübeck. Among the Hanseatic cities were port cities in coastal regions, as well as cities located along important inland rivers. Through free trade and an entrepreneurial bourgeoisie, many of these cities achieved a high level of prosperity, some of which continue to display valuable cultural and architectural features.
The city is situated on the southwestern coast of Norway, near the North Sea, in a valley formed by a group of mountains known collectively as de syv fjell (the seven mountains). It is known as the entrance to the Norwegian fjords, which is why it receives the largest number of tourist cruises in Norway. During World War II the city was occupied on the first day of the German invasion on April 9, 1940, after a brief fight between German ships and Norwegian coastal artillery. On April 20, 1944, during the German occupation, a Dutch freighter, anchored next to the Bergenhus fortress and loaded with 120 tons of explosives, exploded, killing at least 150 people and causing significant material damage to historic buildings. It also suffered bombing by Allied forces, with the aim of damaging the German naval facilities in the port. These events caused around 100 deaths.
After this historical review we began walking the streets around us and taking photos of course since this city is beautiful. We approach the area of Bryggen (in Norwegian pier, wharf) is a historic neighborhood from the Hanseatic era around 1360 located to the northwest of the city, located on a pier on the eastern shore of the fjord where the city sits and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
But since the day was good and we were energized, we went to Mount Fløyen, from which we can see a general view of the city and the seven mountains. From this point it is possible to go on an excursion through a large natural area. You can go up by funicular for a fee or, like we did, go up little by little on foot. Although it is not very difficult, it is quite steep and exhausting in some sections, although the Norwegians move like a fish in water. If there is something that Norwegians like, it is doing outdoor sports and hiking is part of their DNA. The most important thing is that along the way there are some beautiful viewpoints and as you ascend in the middle of an area with many trees, you will enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the fjord. The truth is that the day could not have been better and once at the top we enjoyed wonderful views, with its viewpoint and everything.
From here you can take several walks and explore the 7 hills that surround this city. Since our time here was not long, we skipped that part, but if you like nature and hiking, don't hesitate to do it. If you like this type of activities, the ideal is to go for at least a week, since near Bergen there are fantastic hikes and viewpoints, some of the best in the world. Ours was only a glimpse of everything that Norway can offer, we almost included it on a whim, but surely at some point we will return to dedicate an exclusive tour to this beautiful country. In any case, the time we stayed was enough to get to know the essence of Norway and this wonderful city that is Bergen. I think it is a very common issue for travelers to want to do everything they can do, to know as much as possible and I think that part of the magic is that, that there are countless places to see and the most important thing are the experiences that each one takes away. Being in Norway for us who come from the other side of the world and without any money left over is more of a dream come true, a priceless experience. As a curious fact, there were some goats upstairs that live there with their little house and everything.
