Curious Girls’ Guide to: Bergen, Norway
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Curious Girls’ Guide to: Bergen, Norway
Bergen has been on the list for a while: a city that is the gateway to the fjords, with jaw dropping nature, and tons of historic charm. We visited in Summer 2026 and were enamored by this soulful, quaint town. Its the perfect jumping off point for Norway nature, while also being a small but mighty city with tons to experience in town.
Here's what I've mapped out for exploring it.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Hotel Thon Bristol — central and great breakfast. The hotel sits at Torgallmenningen, 10min walking distance from the busiest part of town — very close to the action, but a quiet place to rest at night. This is not a “Design as Destination” hotel, but it was clean, comfortable, close proximity to where we wanted to be, and a fair price. The buffet breakfast is a standout, its a great way to fuel up on a budget in the AM, especially knowing the cost of food in Norway is going to run higher than typical US prices.
hon Bristol
Hotel Thon Bristol
Must See: Bryggen + Fløyen
Bryggen is the historic Hanseatic wharf itself — 62 wooden buildings along the eastern shore of Vågen harbor, on the site where Bergen was founded in 1070. The Hanseatic League ran a trading office here from the 14th to the mid-16th century, and though fire has taken the district down repeatedly (most recently in 1955), it's always been rebuilt on the same footprint using the same construction methods. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1979.
I found this area completely charming, but very overrun by tourists. Small shops operate out of the historic buildings, mostly selling mass-produced souvenirs. The way I most appreciated visiting was around dinnertime — the shops were all closed, so it was virtually empty, and I could take in the architecture without the crowds. I'd recommend doing the same; you won't miss much by skipping the stores while they're open. *Top recommendation
Fløyen is reached via the Fløibanen funicular. The funicular has run since 1918, climbs 302 meters in under ten minutes, and carries nearly two million passengers a year, making it one of Norway's most-visited attractions.
I'm not usually someone who prioritizes seeing a city from above — it's not typically a must-do for me. This funicular, though, is absolutely worth it. You get the cute little Bergen harbor, but also expansive fjords and mountains in the distance. My hot tip: come up after dinner, get an outdoor table at the restaurant, order a local beer or cider in my case, and watch the sunset. *Top recommendation
Fløyen views
Fløyen views
Bryggen
Bryggen
Coffe and cafes
Kardemomme i Marken is a bakery in the Marken area. An old blue house, very cute, with a good mix of locals and tourists. Great for sitting outside with a cardamom bun and coffee and people-watching.
Det Lille Kaffekompaniet sits right by the base of the Fløibanen funicular, its a coffee shop known for its cinnamon scrolls and cakes.
Kaffemisjonen focuses on single-origin coffee, weighed and brewed to the gram, with baristas who've placed in national competitions. This was our favorite cafe of the ones we tried.
Dromedar Kaffebar served us a quality cold brew, with friendly service, lots of locals as patrons.
Dromedar Kaffebar
Kardemomme i Marken
Kaffemisjonen
Det Lille Kaffekompaniet
Craft, Design & Shopping
Husfliden Bergen AS sells bunad accessories, everyday goods, yarn, and gifts, with its own sewing workshop on-site producing bunads for the whole of Vestland county. I loved seeing the bunad displays in person, and the quality and craftsmanship of each element, even down to the ribbons. There's a sale section on the second floor, where I scooped up some high-quality yarn for a good price.
Julehuset — a Christmas-themed shop; skippable, in my opinion. I mention it because it's on everyone's list.
Susan Fosse is a great choice if you want a Dale of Norway–style sweater, but smaller scale company and lower price point. Dale of Norway itself dates to 1879, based in the village of Dale about 50 km east of Bergen — it's been knitting the official Norwegian Olympic and World Championship ski team sweaters since 1956.
Modellstrikk AS is a knitting/wool shop. We got wonderfully warm service here from a hilarious local. I picked up some handmade knit items from their clearance section at incredible prices. This is a small shop, but it ended up being our favorite yarn shop we visited. Even non-knitters can appreciate this store - its neat to poke around it, and they have some ready-made knits for purchase. Its the oldest yarn shop in Bergen!
Blekk AS — a local art shop filled with work from a variety of local artists; you might even catch one of the artisits in person. My favorite in the shop was work by Victorija Illustration. I love her use of bright vibrant colors, depicting travel scenes with childlike wonder and abstraction.
Oleana is worth a browse even if you’re just window shopping. Fair warning, the sweater price tags may make you gasp, but the brand is a true leader in sustainability.
Husfliden Bergen AS
Blekk AS
Modellstrikk AS
Hidden pedestrian street
Don’t miss the charming pedestrian lane tucked behind the Blekk store. Lille Øvregaten is lined with sweet little homes whose front stoops overflow with plants, and the footpath running along its north side is just as lovely to wander.
Thrifting & Secondhand
UFF has the best selection of secondhand Norwegian sweaters — I picked up a beautiful green and grey Norwegian sweater I'm obsessed with, plus another handmade knit. *Top recommendation
Episode is more curated vintage (largely 80s–2000s), a bit pricier, and not necessarily Norwegian. Not much was my style or my budget, but I appreciated the clog section (around $50 each).
Fretex Brukbutikk ended up being one of my favorite secondhand stores — unlike the other two, it carries hard goods alongside clothes. I found genuine vintage pieces at very good prices that make great Norway souvenirs: think traditional metal candlestick holders, traditional Norwegian ceramics.
Bryggen Vintage was the real find — so new it doesn't have a Google Maps listing or website, just an Instagram. Incredible Scandi vintage pieces at a curated but still really fair price (like $45 Norwegian woven wall hangings), there are real deal expensive antiques in the mix as well. Felt like walking around a museum. Holmedalsgården 6, 5003 Bergen, Norway. *Top recommendation
OY Kaffe & Vintage is a brand new vintage store x coffee shop, also featuring works by local artists, ceramicists. A curated and fashionable store, lots of young and cool locals milling about. Its still getting brushing off the moving dust, but it looks like it become a staple third place for the community soon.
Episode
Episode
UFF
Bryggen Vintage
Bryggen Vintage
OY Kaffe & Vintage
Wellness
Heit Måseskjæret was one of our favorite things we did — a floating waterfront sauna and one of the more popular urban sauna options in Bergen. We booked a private room for a double session, two hours total. The attendant was so friendly , and he let us start early but still end at our originally scheduled time. You get access to a traditional dry sauna, a shower, and a cold plunge tub — though the real ones skip the tub and cold plunge straight into the sea. A group of kayakers swam up to us while we were in the water and offered to share their popsicles. One of our favorite things we did in Bergen, but we are already big into sauna culture. *Top recommendation
Heit Måseskjæret
Heit Måseskjæret
Art Museums
Kode Art Museum – Lysverket, Rasmus Meyer (Kode), and Kode, West Norway Museum of Decorative Art make up Bergen's Kode museum group — four buildings facing Lake Lille Lungegårdsvann. One admission ticket covers all sites, and there are cafés inside the Permanenten, Stenersen, and Lysverket buildings.
Kode 3, Rasmus Meyer, was our favorite — an incredible collection and the world's third-largest of Edvard Munch's work (think of the famous Scream painting). Kode 1, Permanenten, was a close second, featuring an exhibit of Frits Thaulow paintings. Stenersen and Kunsthall lean far enough into contemporary art that I couldn't fully appreciate them, even as someone who loves modern art. If you're tight on time, I'd focus on the first two. We turned the art museum afternoon into a little café crawl — natural wine at Landmark, chocolate at Fjåk.
Kode Art Museum
Kode Art Museum
Kode Art Museum
Kode Art Museum
Kode Art Museum
Where We Ate & Drank
Pingvinen (meaning "penguin") serves traditional Norwegian dishes — meatballs, fish gratin, meat and vegetable stew — in a relaxed, retro setting. Don’t miss the raspeballer (potato dumplings) every Thursday. Great for lunch or dinner. I especially appreciated the curated interior, that was heavy on the penguin themed art. We enjoyed some traditional Norweigan soups + meatballs + local beers at the bar here. Getting a reservation is a good idea.
Daily Pot is casual and lighter, good for lunch with soups and bowls. A good place to try fish soup, or if you’re craving vegetables and a break from heavier restaurant fare.
Lysverket is the elevated dinner pick, with a creative seafood focus: set inside the Kode 4 museum overlooking Lille Lungegårdsvannet, it holds a Michelin star under chef-owner Christopher Haatuft, who runs a 10-course tasting menu built around Norwegian produce. The menu always including scallops from a friend's own boat. We had an excellent dinner here, opting for the more modest four-course option. It's a great pick if you want to dip your toes into Michelin dining: you get all the taste and execution that earned the star, but it's warm and approachable rather than stuffy. The Chef himself greeted us the door and took our coats, and led us to our table, chatting us up about his ties to the Southern US. *Top recommendation
Trekroneren is Bergen's well-known hot dog stand, serving since 1978 with 24 varieties of sausage, including reindeer with lingonberry and crispy onions. We ate at Dogtails Bergen instead, to skip the very long lines Trekroneren is known for. If your heart is set on Trekroneren, try off peak hours, or just before close.
Fishmarket in Bergen and Fish Me Fishmarket are the city's fish market options. Fish Me had excellent takeout sushi, which we enjoyed as a casual takeout meal at our hotel. Fishmarket itself is hectic but worth walking through — there are opportunities to sample cured meats here, including whale and bear (oh my!). Whale was very fatty and not for me, but a very unique thing to get to try.
Daily Pot
Lysverket
Pingvinen
Pingvinen
Dogtails Bergen
Something Sweet
Fjåk Chocolate Shop & Café pairs specialty coffee with chocolate. Fjåk is Norway's first bean-to-bar chocolate maker, founded in 2015. It works local Nordic ingredients — sour cherries, reindeer lichen, lingonberries — into its bars and has picked up multiple Academy of Chocolate and International Chocolate Awards.
Hallaisen Ice Cream & Desserts — we enjoyed local flavors here, like brunost (Norwegian brown cheese).
You’ll find cardamom buns at just about any local bakery. I’ll admit I’m a cardamom bun snob and Sweden’s version still has my heart, but the Norwegian take is absolutely worth trying. It’s fluffier and less sweet than its Swedish cousin, with a classic swirl instead of an intricate knot.
Cardamom bun
Fjåk Chocolate Shop & Café
Hallaisen Ice Cream & Desserts
Hallaisen Ice Cream & Desserts
Day Trip
Bergen: Viking Village, Nærøyfjord Cruise & Flåm Railway — a full-day tour combining a stop at the Njardarheimr Viking village in Gudvangen, a cruise through the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, and a ride on the Flåm Railway, one of the steepest standard-gauge railways anywhere, passing the Kjosfossen waterfall on its way up. The Bergen Card gets you a discount on the ticket, which helps, because it's pricey — about $440 for the 10.5-hour tour.
I’ll be honest: I have mixed feelings about the tour. The fjords themselves are a must-see, easily the number one thing to do in Norway. But next time, I’d look for a smaller-group way to experience them, or rent a car and spend a night somewhere more rural and closer to the fjords than Bergen. I left wanting more time, and a quieter, easier pace.
The cruise views are breathtaking, but our boat wasn’t really designed for taking them in. With no outdoor seating, most people spent the entire ride standing on deck, crowding the railing for photos. There are seats inside, but the views from them aren’t great. I’m recently post-op from foot surgery, so standing for long stretches is tough for me, and standing was the only way to really see anything. Had I been on my feet more easily, I might not have minded the setup at all.
The Viking Village is a fun concept, something like 60% Renaissance faire and 40% historical site in the spirit of Colonial Williamsburg. It’s neat to visit, but we only had about 20 minutes there, and I would have happily stayed longer.
Flam railway
Fjords
Viking village
Viking village
For Next Time
History & Museums
Arven Silver is a silver shop — top of the list for next time, though it's worth double-checking their opening hours before you go; they run a bit unusual.
Hanseatic Museum — housed on Bryggen in a rough-timber building from 1704; currently closed for renovation.
Rosenkrantz Tower and Bergenhus Fortress — the medieval fortress complex guarding the harbor entrance, dating to the 1240s; Håkonshallen, the great hall within it, was completed in 1261.
Gamle Bergen Museum (Bymuseet i Bergen) — an open-air museum with around 50 original wooden buildings relocated from around Norway, arranged as a small town from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Leprosy Museum, St. Jørgen's Hospital — an 18th-century hospital complex where Dr. Gerhard Armauer Hansen identified the leprosy bacterium in 1873.
Norway Fisheries Museum — housed in 18th-century wharfside warehouses in Sandviken, covering cod fishing, sealing, and whaling, with a collection of over 100 historic boat models.
Fantoft Stave Church — originally built around 1150, moved to its current site in 1883, burned down in 1992, and rebuilt true to the original by 1997.
Troldhaugen — composer Edvard Grieg's home from 1885 until his death, still holding his own Steinway grand piano.
Views, Nature & Day Trips
Ulriken — Bergen's highest mountain at 643 meters, reached by the Ulriken643 cable car, with hiking trails leaving from the summit (including the trail over to Fløyen).
Stoltzekleiven — a steep hiking trail up from the city.
Akvariet i Bergen - The National Aquarium
Restaurants
Bryggen Tracteursted — classic Norwegian food in a historic setting near Bryggen.
Marg & Bein — modern Norwegian cooking built around local ingredients, on the more refined side.
The Unicorn Fish Restaurant — seafood by the harbor, geared toward a more atmospheric dinner.
The Dining Hook — a seafood-focused restaurant with strong ratings.
The Hagelin Sisters — casual seafood, well suited to lunch.
Bjerck Restaurant & Bar Bergen — central, near Torgallmenningen, easy for lunch.
Kafé & restaurant Spesial — a relaxed in-town lunch spot.
Fjellskål Seafood Restaurant — seafood with a market-style feel.
To Kokker — seafood near the harbor.
AS Bryggestuen – Bryggeloftet — a classic Bergen seafood spot, convenient for an evening at Bryggen.
Frescohallen — a café/restaurant space.
Vågal - a neat looking indie coffee shop.
