Who knew the Norwegian city of Bergen would make our favorite city list? It was completely off our travelers’ radar until we befriended Bergen natives Knut and Johanna Kristiansen on a cruise through the Suez Canal a few years back. They extolled the virtues of their hometown with an enthusiasm that piqued our interest. We promised to visit and stay in touch.
Two years later we finally made it, as our cruise ship pulled into Bergen’s beautiful bay. Knut and Johanna met us at the dock for a day of adventure and discovery. We had no idea what they had in store – but we knew we couldn’t have better tour guides. And boy, were we right.
We all toted umbrellas but never unfurled them. Bergen treated us to a perfect day for walking beneath sunny blue skies. From the start, there was no denying the postcard-perfect beauty of this city, rich with history, monuments, and gardens. Founded in 1070, Bergen is home to some 330,000 lucky and proud citizens, including over 30,000 students. Large by Norwegian standards, it still exudes a charming village ambiance, with an added youthful vibe from being a university town. Many times, as we moved through the city, Knut and Johanna greeted long-time friends. They seemed to know everyone in town.
Not surprisingly, Bergen’s foundations date to the Viking Age. But it wasn’t until the city became a key player in the historic Hanseatic League that it flourished. For several hundred years, it was a prosperous center of trade between Norway and Europe. The iconic “Hanseatic Wharf” is the most prominent remnant from this time, and now houses many restaurants, pubs, gift shops, and historical museums.
For most of its history, Bergen’s economy depended on fishing until the discovery of oil made Norway an economic powerhouse. The government wisely invested in its citizens through healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Now tourism is a major industry, fueled by inexpensive flights from America and Europe. It’s also a favorite stop for several cruise ship lines — there were two in port during our visit, swelling the city’s population for the day with over 6,000 passengers and crew.
Regardless of how you arrive in Bergen, a must-stop – and our first foodie destination – is the world-famous Fish Market. A civic gathering place since the 1200s, the old market is part of the harbor district with rows of semi-permanent stands selling fresh seafood, tinned fish and meats, local farm-fresh produce, and flowers and plants. Interspersed between the fish and fruit stands are small eateries offering a variety of fish and seafood dishes. The outdoor market opens in May and runs throughout the summer months.
A few yards away is the newish community-owned indoor fish market, Mathallen, open throughout the year. The large complex is filled with brightly lit seafood markets, shops, and restaurants with views of fishing boats, the town, and historic Hanseatic buildings across the bay.
Knut made the rounds greeting his fishmonger friends before leading us to a table at Fjellskaal Seafood Market, a family-owned market and restaurant complex with several aquariums filled with fish and shellfish of all sizes and shapes. There was also a dazzling array of fresh fish, shellfish, smoked fish, and caviar beautifully displayed under glass counters. We chatted with the genial proprietor, Dan Even Fjellskaal, and discovered that his company supplied many cruise ships that dock at the port, including ours.
We expected a little sample of smoked fish or a cup of chowder, but our tasting was an overflowing platter of just about everything fresh we saw in the market. This was heaven for seafood lovers like us. The plentiful shrimp were sweet and firm; so was the crab inside giant claws. Our friendly server added a delightful sauvignon blanc to wash it all down. Not a bad start to our tour and introduction to this marvelous city.
Before our next food foray, Knut wisely scheduled a little exercise that would take us to the top of Mount Fløyen, 320 meters above the town. It turned out to be a short walk from the fish market to another of Begen’s most popular attractions, the Fløibanen funicular that, in six minutes, would take us to the top of the mountain. Knut had pre-purchased tickets, so we didn’t have to stand in the funicular’s formidable lines.
Once at the top, we enjoyed the magnificent view of Bergen, the surrounding fjords, and the harbor with our cruise ship that dwarfed most of the buildings in town. A few steps from the funicular stop is a complex of shops, an ice cream parlor, and a large dining hall with a popular coffee bar. There, after introducing us to the owner, Knut ordered popular Bergen pastries and cappuccinos for all of us. He explained that locals view their favorite café as a second living room where they visit with friends and family over cups of coffee or tea.
Before leaving, we took a short walk in the woods beginning near a large children’s playground filled with laughing pink-cheeked youngsters. Many likely had walked up the steep mountain with their parents, who were also enjoying an outing on a sunny day. We walked on, into a magical forest where it’s said witches prowl. By the time we headed back to town, we were working up an appetite for another dining adventure.
But first, we stopped at the fascinating Hanseatic Museum that illustrated how Hanseatic merchants lived and traded in Bergen for 400 years. We could have spent a full day here, but we had an appointment with more real Norwegian food.
To our delight, our next and final culinary destination was inside one of the historic Hanseatic warehouses that flank the Quay. This ancient district is a big part of why Bergen is a UNESCO World Heritage Center. No city anywhere can boast even one Hanseatic period wooden house, yet Bergen managed to preserve more than 62 intricately constructed buildings.
We entered one of the main buildings next to the quay; above the entrance was the sign of the unicorn. One floor up, we arrived at The Unicorn or in Norwegian, the Enhjørningen restaurant, famous among the locals for excellent traditionally prepared fish, shellfish, and some sea oddities – at least to Americans. Owner Øyvind Thorsen graciously joined us for a tasty traditional light meal featuring perfectly cooked melt-in-your-mouth scallops and Swedish caviar served with chopped onion, toast, and sour cream. Our other dish was a plate of smoked Hval or whale carpaccio. Again, a nice light sauvignon blanc was a perfect pairing.
As dusk was falling, our perfect Bergen day came to an end. Johanna and Knut walked us back to the dock area where we said our goodbyes, knowing we would one day see them again. Perhaps our next gathering would be in our city, San Diego, where we would share the best spots for fish tacos. It wouldn’t be the same as our wonderful culinary journey on this day; eating Bergen would be a tough act to follow.