Hei hei! This is where I jot down what's happening in and around Bergen between visits: festivals, football, cruise ships, and whatever else the city throws at me. Short posts, no fluff, written from experience.
Chris18 July 2026
Velkommen! The site is live
After years of typing the same recommendations into messages to friends ("get the reindeer sausage at Trekroneren", "buy the Fløibanen ticket in the app", "no, you really don't need a car"), I've finally put it all in one place. Visit Bergen Essentials is live.
The main page has my top tips for first-timers, and there's a where-to-stay guide if you're still choosing a neighbourhood. This blog is the looser corner of the site, where I'll post short notes on what's going on in the city. If there's something you'd like me to cover, send me a note.
Chris15 July 2026
A week in Bergen, 7 to 14 July
Just back from a week in the city, and it did the classic Bergen thing: three days of sideways rain followed by the kind of long, golden evenings that make you forget the rain ever happened. When the sun is out in July it barely bothers setting, and the whole city moves outdoors.
Highlights this time: walking down from Fløyen along Fjellveien in the late evening light, a reindeer sausage (obviously) from Trekroneren, and watching four cruise ships shuffle in and out of the harbour in a single morning. Bryggen at 8am, before the ships empty out, remains one of my favourite tricks in the book. If you're coming in July, book everything early and pack for all four seasons.
Chris10 June 2026
World Cup fever
Norway are at the World Cup. If you haven't spent time here, it's hard to explain how big that sentence is: the last time it happened was France 98, so an entire generation of Norwegians has grown up without ever seeing the flag at a World Cup. Now, with Haaland leading the line and Ødegaard pulling the strings, the wait is over, and the qualifying run (including taking Italy apart along the way) had the whole country believing.
Bergen in a football mood is a lot of fun. Expect big screens, packed pubs around Vågen, and half the city in red, white and blue whenever Norway play. If you're visiting during a match, grab a spot early and enjoy one of the best atmospheres you'll find anywhere. Heia Norge!
Chris17 May 2026
Gratulerer med dagen! 17th May in Bergen
Constitution Day, syttende mai, is Norway's biggest day of the year, and Bergen celebrates it like nowhere else. The whole city turns out in bunad, the traditional dress, and the processions run through the centre from early morning. No military parades here: it's children's parades, marching bands, and the buekorps, Bergen's own drum brigades, hammering their way through the streets. You'll hear them before you see them.
The unofficial rule of the day is that children eat as much ice cream and as many hot dogs as they can manage, and plenty of adults apply the same rule. If your trip ever lands on 17th May, cancel everything else, find a spot along the route, and just soak it in. It's the best free show in Norway.
Chris28 April 2026
Getting ready for cruise ship season
The first big ships of the season are already appearing in the harbour, which means summer is officially on its way. Bergen is one of Europe's busiest cruise ports, and on a peak July day three or four ships can be in at once, which lands thousands of extra people on Bryggen's doorstep between mid-morning and late afternoon.
It's easy to plan around once you know the rhythm. Do Bryggen and the Fløibanen early or in the evening, when the ships have gone quiet, and save museums and cafés for the middle of the day. The port publishes its arrivals list, so you can even check how busy a given day will be before you decide what to do with it. The ships are part of the summer scenery here; you just don't want to be queuing behind one.
