Bergen

Bergen is Norway’s second largest city. Its population of more than 290,000 lives along the shores of a scenic fjord, called Byfjorden, a 16km waterway carved into the country’s rugged North Sea coast. It served as the nation’s capital in the 13th Century, before becoming a flagship city of the Hanseatic League, a medieval commercial and defensive European network of merchant guilds, ports and market towns. These days, it’s home for Norway’s offshore petroleum industry and subsea technological giants.

Dean Keiller and I visited Bergen in August 1990 while backpacking in Europe. We added it to our itinerary after meeting one of its resident, a woman named Olga, while travelling in Eastern Europe. Olga insisted we visit her while regaling stories of Bergen’s natural beauty.

In hindsight, the city proved rather underwhelming. Knowing what I know now, I’d have skipped it and spent our time visiting more dramatic fjords further north, or touring sights elsewhere in Europe. In fact the most memorable aspect of Bergen was the journey there.

Unbeknownst to us, the Bergensbanen railway from Oslo to Bergen passes through one of the most breathtakingly scenic alpine landscapes in all of Europe - and that’s saying something! As you travel towards Bergen the train steadily rises from the coast towards Hardangervidda, an expansive alpine plateau 1,237 metres above sea level. Apparently, the polar explorers Nansen, Amundsen and Shackleton once used the region as training grounds, due to its extreme conditions.

On 16 August Dean and I caught an early morning train from Oslo. As we journeyed west, the landscape transformed from sun-speckled conifer forests to one characterised by barren, treeless moorland interrupted by numerous pools, lakes, rivers and streams. Dean and I were totally captivated by the experience. We ran from side to side in our carriage trying to soak in as much of its grandeur as we could before the train eventually entered a series of claustrophobic single track tunnels. The photo above, pulled from the web, gives you a taste of the spectacular Hardangervidda scenery. Sadly I have no photos of my own to share.

Olga met us at the station and offered to take us to our accommodation. We explained that we had nothing booked. We asked if we could stop with her for a few days? She apologised that tenancy by-laws in her building prevented her from hosting us. Apparently, habitation in her one bedroom property was limited to a single person and, as I recall, overnight guests were strictly prohibited. Instead, she invited us to join her for supper.

Olga lived in the attic of a typical Norwegian weatherboard clad apartment building. After enjoying a meal she took pity on us and agreed to let us sleep a night on her floor. However, the following night to avoid further inconvenience Dean and I trekked up the slopes of Fløyen, a hillside woodland overlooking the city, and surreptitiously pitched our tent in a discrete glade. 

It rained overnight so Olga took pity on us once again. She kindly let us sleep a final night on her apartment floor, although warned us more than once to be as quiet as possible. I must admit Olga’s paranoia about flouting her guest ban was a fascinating insights into the collegiate and law abiding nature of Scandinavian people. 

Our time in Bergen was spent exploring the city’s classic tourist sights and hanging out with Olga and her friends. Highlights included Bryggen, the city’s iconic waterfront district. It’s a protected, UNESCO World Heritage site, dominated by a dramatic row of colourfully restored timber warehouses and office buildings. These once housed wealthy members of the Hellenistic League and their commercial ventures. At its height this sea-faring league, consisting of around 200 cities and towns, dominated maritime trade in the North and Baltic Seas. The photo above was pulled from UNESCO’s website. 

Unfortunately I don’t recall anything more from our time in Bergen, beyond its rather inclement weather. The photo opening this post, of Dean enjoying lunch by the harbour, kind of says it all really. The city was rather damp and lacked much of real appeal for tourists passing through.

After three night in Bergen, Dean and I caught an overnight train back to Oslo on 19 August. We then transferred onto a train bound for Trondheim, arriving back on the North Sea Coast late afternoon. However, Trondheim was merely an intermediary stop on our way north to experience life above the Arctic Circle. You can read more about this backpacking adventure here.