Cruise Diary: Bergen, Norway
Guest Elise is on board Rotterdam with her daughter and will be sharing her experience with us during their time on board. Enjoy!
We were told that today would be rainy, but the prediction did not deter us from enjoying this charming city. Bergen is a quintessential Norwegian call. The coast is dotted with houses in shades of pink, yellow and blue and the mountains reach high into the clouds. To get the most out of this stop, we decided to take the Bergen and Mt. Floien Tour that took us around by bus, then up to the lookout by funicular.
Our guide was excellent. His knowledge about Bergen was extensive, and he told us about the fires that have ravished the wooden buildings for centuries. There’s a lot of history in Bergen, and we were able to get a good glimpse with a ride through the city.
After the bus portion, we then boarded a funicular that took us to the top of Mt. Floien. It was a little rainy, but we still had good visibility and could see Bergen from high above. The guide told us that many times you can’t even see the city below due to the fog, so we were lucky today. We could even see Rotterdam and the AIDA ship that came in today.
Our ride to the top.
Rotterdam is the ship on the right.
Following the trip back down, we went walking to the old part of town that is still all wooden buildings. They used to store the cod in these buildings and make cod oil. Today, they are filled with shops selling wares to eager tourists.
The tour came to an end and we could either go back to the ship with the guide or walk back on our own. Despite the mist, we chose the latter as it was only a 20-minute walk back and we had souvenirs to buy. I ended up buying troll figurines for my grandchildren and my daughter bought a cute book about a troll for her boys. When you come to Norway, you’re certain to see a lot of trolls!
Tonight we have dinner at the Pinnacle Grill, and I am looking forward to dining in the alternative restaurant. Tomorrow is Geiranger, the port I have been most eager to see.
Tags: Bergen, Europe, ms Rotterdam, Norway, Shore Excursion
Stories from the sea, past and present
That was so wonderful experience in Bergen despite the prediction that it would be rainy. Bergen’s weather is relatively mild. In the winter, Bergen is one of the warmest cities in Norway. I look forward to reading your article on Geiranger.
We throughly enjoyed our visit to Bergen in 08 when we were doing the Transatlantic on the Eurodam. Look forward to returning there someday.