Bergen, great place to be for the New Years Eve!

Bergen, the former capital of medieval Norway, and the current second largest city, is a key location if you want to experience the Nordic country at its finest. Said to be the rainiest location in Europe (!!!), Bergen really has a lot to offer. When we chose to spend a third New Years Eve in a row in Norway, we decided to go to Bergen, without knowing of what to expect in particular, excepting the general Norwegian experience we are already very familiar with. One unusual point here, for a smaller city in Norway, is that the airport is quite far from the center. Well, Gardermoen is even further, but Oslo is at a different level. In any case, from the terminal, light rail / tram no. 1 takes us exactly in the downtown.

Heimen Hotel, the place to stay in Bergen!

The distance is under 20 kilometers, but because of 26 stops, the journey takes 44 minutes. It seems long, but it is really pleasant. The tram is clean, with quiet people – as Norwegians traditionally are – and it travels very smooth, with a quick interesting ad-hoc presentation of the surroundings and suburbs, then our arrival is a success from the start. Arriving in the center, with some snow with us, we follow the path to Heimen (Home) Hotel. It is not far from downtown, we arrive a bit earlier comparing to the scheduled check in, but there is no problem. We take a coffee – free very high quality coffee at all Norwegian hotels, we are aware of at least – and change to go for the first activity of our five days stay. I should add that this hotel is considered the old continuously operating from Bergen, as far as 1918!

Mission 1: catch Ulriken

It is 30th of December and we know that, if we want to take the red cable car to the top of Ulriken, the highest peak from the seven surrounding Bergen, its the only shoot. The last descending is at 17:00, so need to move fast. Taking tram no. 2 (only these two are available, mainly to connect the town with other surroundings, as the rest are busses – a lot of busses!) we arrive at a hub from where we have a 700 meters up walk to the bottom of the cable car. We climb alone, as nobody was eager to experience the current weather. However, for us there was no choice, because 31st of December the facility would be shut down, and the first two weeks of January, as well, ceased for annual maintenance.

The delicious Bergen fish soup

Up Ulriken, at only 643 meters high, we felt like on top of Aguille du Midi, in Chamonix, because of the snow and… fog. Having the sun setting at 15:30, of course it was also already pitch dark outside, apart from the violet – pink lights from the top of the mountain. We enjoy the fresh air, imagine how Bergen would look from the top, if it wouldn’t be fog and night, and then enter the restaurant for a traditional local fish soup – very delicious, info here! – after, prepared for going back, without wanting necessary to be such in a rush. We are consoled with a free portion of traditional pancakes with cream and jam offered by the restaurant staff, and then with a 4 kilometers walk back, among quiet streets, covered in snow, no cars, and so many beautiful houses. Exactly the typical Norway we are craving for so often.

Last day of the year, superb short fjord cruise

Very tired after a sleepless night, and a full day, we retire for a cup of hot tea at the hotel and then for a very good sleep. We know that the next day, after a delicious Norwegian breakfast, we will head for a 3.5 hours cruise to Mo, thru a succession of fjords, with narrow channels and charming houses and landscapes. Ray, our guide from… Costa Rica, thought us a lot not only about Bergen and surroundings, but also about the entire Norway. You always have things to learn! Fjordcharter AS is the organizer, and we picked it, of course, from GetYourGuide, as we always do. Back at 15:00 we can prepare for the New Years dinner, at Grand Terminus Hotel, near the main train station. But first: Troll Museum! The second in Norway, after the original from Tromsø.

Troll museum, the second in Norway: we checked both

By chance, we visited both, and after watching Troll movie between the two visits, we understood even better the history of these mystical creatures. The museum is behind Bryggen houses, easy accessible, and with a lot of information & interactivity available. Friendly for both adults and children, and the fact that it was opened until 17:00 on 31st of December (one hour earlier comparing to normal weekly schedule) was a great bonus, which helped us a lot in shaping our itinerary as best as possible in Bergen. Now, back to the preparation for the dinner, because we are curious how it tastes here, after enjoying it in Svalbard and Lofoten (Svolvær).

In Norway, we don’t spend the passing between years eating

What we didn’t know, is that it lasts only until 23:30. The dinner profs to be very good, and the experience itself great, but not what we initially hoped for. It seems like Norwegians (apart from those in Svalbard, which is a bit of different Norway) don’t keep restaurants open for the passing in the New Year. Then we left and enjoyed a mild firework show opposite Bryggen UNESCO heritage. The fire was divested in the sides of the old historic neighborhood, because it being made of wood, so any spark can be a serious threat, so better to play it safe. The problem is that rain kicked in and the experience was a bit wet by this, but it couldn’t break our joy of being there and enjoy the moments in the most pure Norwegian style.

Fløyen, the gem of Bergen

We go then back, for rest, as on 1st of January we have around six hours of light, as this is the length of the day in this side of Norway – pretty long, comparing to Svalbard, Lofoten, or Tromsø. A walk on the historic streets, then we go a bit up on the very picturesque hills at the bottom of Fløyen, just to take the famous funicular, to 320 meters above. Here, we discover the true essence of Bergen: snow, snow, a lot of snow! And the most wonderful view over the town. You have everything you need here, as facility, but the most important, again, is the heavy snow which bends the trees even. We are enjoying the landscape, and spend as much time as possible. A perfect start of the year! With a promise that we will be back here, until our departure.

Penguins and seals in Bergen. At the aquarium

The thing is that this place is one of the most popular touristic hotspots of Norway, and the funicular capacity of transportation is around 1500 people / hour, and with 16 hours of opening all day, you can imagine how many NOK brings to the budget (145 for a round trip). Before we call the day, we visit also the aquarium, a perfect place for children, but not limited to them, as the penguins, seals or even many fish species can and is a great delight for adults as well. It is not a huge aquarium, but still the biggest in Norway, it is said. After another short quiet walk, in another part of the town, we retire for some more couple of hot tea mugs at the hotel, because 2nd of January is the most complex day we appointed in this trip.

Is the “Norway in a nutshell” experience a scam? NO!

At 08:00 the “Norway in a nutshell” tour is about to start and last up to 12 hours. Fjordrive Tours AS is the organizer. Before the trip, driven by the high price / person; more than 300 EUR, I did some research, and found mixed reactions, even from a local guy, who was stating that the activity is heavily overpriced. Is that so? Now, before drawing my own honest conclusion, let me break down the activity:

At 7:45 we are required to be at the meeting point, which we do, and being all gathered, the tour starts five minutes earlier, at 7:55.
Our guide, Geir, is Norwegian, has a great luggage of information, which is a good start.
The first stop, after one hour drive is a 15-20 minutes in Dale for coffee and toilet.
After another hour of drive, we reach the Tvindefossen, an impressive waterfall to see, even though frozen at this moment. It is still worth the 15 minutes new break.
Again, after this, 40 more minutes drive to Gudvangen, a Viking village, where we spend around one hour with a guide, to learn more about the Vikings, and to have a look on the houses replicas.
At the end, Geir pick us up, and drops us, giving our tickets, to the boat cruise that sails, for 1 hour and 45 minutes thru Nærøyfjord, Aurlandsfjord, and just a bit of huge Sognefjord, to admire the great landscape.
From here, after a 40 minutes break to briefly explore Flåm, we take, to Myrdal, one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. The ticket was already provided by the tour organizer.
After a hour scenery ride, we arrive at our last stop, 866 meters of altitude, comparing to only 2 meters in Flåm, we briefly enjoy the location, and prepare to embark, as night already is taken shape, the final ride, to Bergen train station.
An almost three hours ride, among Norwegians, many of them coming back from skiing, from… Voss. As well, this ticket was already included and supplied by Fjordrive Tours AS.

Then, now, let me draw the line: was it worth it?

It is true that our guide left as alone after less than halfway, but that is the whole point. To me, as a tourist, thirsty of learning as much as possible about Norway, this combination was ideal. The driver took us everywhere, guided our steps, and even enjoyed our ears with some Edvard Grieg, the Bergenese, music. Once we got to the ferry, I don’t see how the guide could have helped us more, because the only point was to enjoy the fjords while sailing thru them. Then, the only real charm was to have a train ride from Flåm to Myrdal, and, in the end, for us especially, to experience, a typical Norwegian means of transportation back to Bergen.

The price for the experience, more than fair at Norway level

It is said that hiring a car can be much more cheaper, but here you should consider two main things: you need to have expertise in driving here, and second, with a car, how can you experience the fjords and the train? There might be ways, but I don’t see a viable comparison. Now, myself, I have checked in detail the costs, doing a “should cost”, and I have discovered that from the 300 euro, around 180, if not more, was the real cost of the tickets, and entry fees. So then, the transportation itself, for around 110 kilometers, with drop off exactly where we needed and with three rounds of waiting, one of 1 hours, cost around 120 EUR / person. In Lofoten, for a taxi ride of 70 kilometers, we paid 170 EUR. This is Norway!

To conclude, the excursion is not cheap at all, but I would neither categorize it as expensive, because you get so much for this money, everything adapted to the Norwegian prices. I don’t consider it a scam. You might be able, in other ways, to cut around 100 EUR, but having all this comfort, for everything mentioned, I don’t see this as a overpricing. I highly recommend this company, thru GetYourGuide, and during summer, I guess it might be even more interesting, having a longer day. It might be a bit more expensive, as usually all places in Norway are, but still, I didn’t feel in any way this can be a scam!

Try Bergen made of ginger bread!

Arriving at the Bergen train station, our intention is to visit Pepperkakebyen, the biggest ginger bread city in the world, with a history from 1991! Close to the city center, the location is amazing. Initially, the aim was to replicate Bergen 100%, but the tradition briefly shifted during years, so the location welcomed foreign buildings, from all over the world. The smell and view are awesome, this is another unique experience in Bergen. Then a second and final Bergen traditional soup eaten at the famous fish market. A bit pricy, comparing to Ulriken, for example, but we can’t argue with that. We like it too much, to check the wallet now.

City Sauna, boost for immunity

One more full day left, and the aim is only one: go to Fløyen again. This time, in a different way: not by funicular, but by foot! The idea is great, as it is a 7-8 kilometers loop, with a lot of fresh air, and among many locals who are properly enjoying a Saturday, relaxing with their sleds, or skis. We drink another coffee and eat some cakes at the cafeteria, buy some souvenirs, and then head back to the town, for a last tour of the center, around the lake, admiring all the fat seagulls and crows. Bergen is really charming in winter, that is a statement! From here, only one more goal: City Sauna, where we booked two hours of pure relaxation, for my favorite cold plunge from the beginning of the year. Located next to Moxy hotel, if it is at shore, as we wanted, the initial alignment, since the sauna didn’t have a toilet, was quite hard, the sauna masters didn’t speak a great English, but at the end, we found our way thru, and for 90 minutes, sauna & cold plunges in the Northern Sea composed my menu. I like this so much!

Bergen, more welcoming than rainy

Four stations with the tram 1 back to city center, a last walk to the fortress, and then to Narvesen, our favorite spot for pølse (Norwegian for sausage), we head for a last night sleep, and a proper preparation for the long flight back on 4th of January. The experience is complete, and… successful! Our third New Years Eve in a row in Norway received us with a different and rich experience. The so called capital of rain of Europe – of better capital of fjords – was far more generous than we could ask for: snow, sun, and far below freezing temperatures which both cleared the air, and preserved the white landscape. The initial rain caused some discomfort, but it quickly stopped and allowed us to enjoy Bergen and surroundings at its fullest!

This is the sign you need to go in Bergen for New Years Eve!

The full experience can be told in many more words and rows, but I consider this resume ideal, with the proper links attached, for you to find some meaningful insights, and, maybe, curiosities, to explore it by yourself. Because, in the end, in spite of one’s impressions and feelings in a certain place, they can’t be replicated in the way another lives them, when there. We enjoy things different, and we can see different challenges. I just hope that, if you ever thought of a New Years Eve in Bergen, you will consider this article as your sign to actually go! 🙂 Oh! Not to forget, we took a return flight with Lufthansa, so we can “guarantee” for the company.