Bergen is the Gateway to the Fjords of Norway. An ideal combination of nature, culture and exciting urban life all year around, Bergen is surrounded by mountains and fjords, including Sognefjord, the country’s longest and deepest fjord.
Bergen is perfect for several activities. These include a fjord tour, diving into mountains and glacier, hiking, skiing in some of Norway’s best terrains, biking, white water rafting or fishing in the ocean.
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Norway’s most international city, Bergen is packed with history and traditions. It has some interesting facts that will surely insist you to book your Norwegian holidays immediately.
1. Bergen's original Norse name was Bjørgvin and is sometimes still referred as that.
2. King Olav Kyrre, son of Harald Hardrade traditionally founded the city of Bergen in 1070 AD.
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3. Ludvig Holberg, a play writer gave Bergen a nickname, calling it 'the city of the seven mountains'.
4. Bergen has dozens of banks, and the most visible is DnB Norske Bank.
5. With a municipality population over 2,80,000, Bergen is the second biggest city in Norway.
6. Bergen is politically split, and is divided into eight boroughs for administrative purposes.
7. Bergen was established as a municipality on 1 January, 1838.
8. Bergen is one of Europe's rainiest places, with September and October being the rainiest months.
9. Bergen is famous for its dialect ‘Bergensk’, which happens to be the most difficult Norwegian dialect for foreigners and Norwegian learners to understand.
10. Bergen is twinned with Seattle in the USA, Newcastle in the UK, Turku in Finland, Aarhus in Denmark, Gothenburg in Sweden, and Asmara in Eritrea.
11. The former Norwegian capital, Bergen is considered important than Oslo, the current capital, due to its ideal location for sea trade.
12. The 1986 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Bergen.
13. Bergen is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, in the category of Gastronomy since 2015.
14. One of Norway's largest shopping centres, Lagunen Storsenter, is in Fana in Bergen. The store has been functional ever since it opened in 1985.
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15. Bryggen, in Bergen, features colorful wooden houses on the old wharf. It was once a center of the Hanseatic League's trading empire.
We are sure these intriguing facts about the city might have excited you to book your tickets to Norway now!!