Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rosenkrantz Tower, the Bryggen quarter, the Leprosy Museum, and Gamle
Bergen) become surprisingly interesting. For a busy day, you could do this
(enjoying tours at all but the last): 9:00—Stroll through the Fish Market;
10:00—Visit Håkon's Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower (joining a guided tour);
12:00—Take the Bryggen Walking Tour (June-Aug only); 14:00—Take a har-
bor cruise or check out the Leprosy Museum and cathedral; 16:00—Enjoy
some free time in town (consider returning to the Bryggens Museum using
your tour ticket), or catch the bus out to Gamle Bergen; 18:00—Ride up the
Fløibanen funicular.
Although Bergen has plenty of attractions and charms of its own, it's most
famous as the “Gateway to the Fjords.” If you plan to use Bergen as a spring-
board for fjord country, you have three options: Pick up a rental car here (fjord
wonder is a three-hour drive away); take the express boat down the Sognef-
jord (about four hours to Balestrand and Flåm/Aurland); or do the “Norway in
a Nutshell” as a scenic loop from Bergen. The “Nutshell” option also works
well as a detour midway between Bergen and Oslo (hop the train from either
city to Voss or Myrdal, then take a bus or spur train into the best of the Sogne-
fjord; scenic ferry rides depart from there). While there are a million ways to
enjoy the fjords, first-timers should start with this region (covered thoroughly
in the Norway in a Nutshell and More on the Sognefjord chapters).
Also note that Bergen, a geographic dead-end, is actually an efficient place
to begin or end your Scandinavian tour. Consider flying into Bergen and out
of another city, such as Helsinki (or vice versa).
