Bergen, Norway

With temperatures up nearly 20 degrees, we very much enjoyed our day in Bergen, Norway – highs in the mid-50’s with intermittent & sporadic rain throughout. Such a beautiful city, though with winding, & extremely steep roadways, one built for the young or seniors in much better condition! Amazing to us, but every building in the city, regardless of age, appeared to have a fresh coat of paint or sculptured landscapes. Absolutely gorgeous!

Located on Norway’s southwest coast, Bergen serves as the country’s largest port and its second largest city. Bergen lies in the center of “the seven mountains” and offers a lush green landscape with water from the North Sea surrounding the land. The city’s rise to prominence in the region sprouted from its dried-cod trade with the north coast during the early 12^th century. The area’s old wharf section where trade began can be seen today along the eastern side of the coastal inlet coming into the city.  It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in the 70’s and features Hanseatic commercial  buildings as well as stone cellars dating back to the 15^th century.

A city that was once ravaged with pirate attacks, fires, disease & invasions, Bergen has revived itself into a bustling modern powerhouse, thanks to its thriving port.

Together with new friends Florence & Roy, we toured the city via Hop on/Hop off bus and by 10:55am, were standing outside of an Ice Bar – scheduled to open in 5 minutes. With none of us having prior  first- hand experience, we were joined by a few shipmates and we assumed local folks, and in we went. We were given parkas & warm gloves to wear, ordered drinks and took a few photos. While this was a great experience for us, we wouldn’t recommend it. Price was $50 U.S., (including 2 drinks). The frozen area was much smaller than we anticipated – probably 30’X20’ – floor was metal, ceilings were regular tile. Having said that, we have no idea if this is standard or not – just a heads-up! Employees were all very nice.

We were back on the ship by 1:30pm – showered and were at the bar by 3:15! On our way now to The Netherlands – Rotterdam, specifically. First visit! Last visit here was just over two years ago when we visited Amsterdam…about a 90-minute bus trip away.