The most beautiful places in Norway

Bergen is one of the largest Scandinavian cities and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Norway thanks to its proximity to the fjords. Like Rome, which is surrounded by 7 hills, locals claim that Bergen is surrounded by 7 mountains.

All these stories made me include the city in my Norwegian itinerary, and I booked a train ticket from Oslo to Bergen. Previously, I’ve read that this is one of the most panoramic train rides in the whole world. And I can really confirm it. The trip was very picturesque and enjoyable. We passed many lakes and rivers, hundreds of waterfalls and forests. But what impressed me the most were the signs at each station that showed the altitude of the train station. E.g. at Al station we were 436 meters above sea level, at the next station Geilo 794 m, at Ustaoset on 990 m, the landscape was already sinking in snow, followed by Finse at 1222 m, we passed a tunnel where it was the highest point of our journey at 1237 m above sea level – frozen lakes were revealed outside. The tunnel itself was 10.34 km long. I was also impressed by a dog sled that came down from the mountain and descended to a small town. The train was constantly passing by such small villages. The stops Myrdal (866 m), Voss (57 m), Arna (8 m) followed and I got off at the last stop Bergen at only 4 m altitude!

The incredible nature along the way impressed me, but no less picturesque turned out to be the town of Bergen, which is the second largest city in Norway. Bergen is located at the same latitude as Oslo, Stockholm and St. Petersburg. Although the city did not originate until 1040, it quickly became one of the most important cities in the country.

​I stayed at the Grand Terminus Hotel, which was located opposite the train station. I left my luggage there and went for a walking tour of the city, and my camera was overheated from the beginning with the many photos of beautiful fountains, old-fashioned houses and blooming parks.

I visited the famous aquarium, Akvariet, where penguins, otters and sea lions live outdoors, seals swim in a large open aquarium, and in other 70 other aquariums you can see different species of fish and shellfish mainly from the local area. On the rooftop terrace stands the best children’s playground in the city with magnificent sea views. Compared to the aquariums in Barcelona and Valencia that I had visited previously, this aquarium seemed small to me, but the animals here were very cheerful and my photos from there became numerous.

What impressed me the most in Bergen was the beautiful panorama that was revealed from the nearby hill. It can be reached by a small glazed electric train, and the view was truly amazing. You could see the whole city, the harbor and the sea. There were many benches and places for contemplation. It was a clear sunny day, which was pure luck, knowing that Bergen boasted over 230 cloudy and rainy days.

The long day, at the beginning of the White Nights, helped me walk around the city for a long time, but the fatigue in my legs led me back to the hotel. The bed was incredibly soft, with a very warm and lightweight blanket, I had an excellent night’s sleep. The next day I had a rich breakfast – there were six types of muesli, even more types of yellow cheese and meat, but the most numerous were specialties with fish that I had never had for breakfast before!

The name Bergen comes from Old Norse Bjǫrgvin, which means “meadow between the mountains / valley”, in German and Dutch the word Berg is a mountain and here it is as if the mountain kisses the sea and their love gives birth to the nearby fjords that I saw on the second day. Bergen was the capital of Norway in the 13th century, and today one of its greatest treasures for tourists.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BERGEN:

Location: Bergen is located in southwestern Norway, on the Norwegian Sea coast.
Area: 87.17 sq.km (this is the second largest city in Norway)

TRIP TIPS FOR BERGEN: