The Norwegian city known for DJs and the highest rainfall in Europe, is fast becoming the place to shop, eat and party
Norway’s second city Bergen is a hotbed of bars and cosy cafes, with pretty streets winding up the foot of Mount Fløyen and colourful wooden buildings along the quay. It’s also one of the rainiest cities in Europe - which might be one of the reasons why its music scene is so dynamic. My personal theory, is that the rainier the city, the better the music, because what else are you going to do when you’re stuck inside?
The hometown of Kurt Nilsen, Sigrid, Myra and Kings of Convenience is a student town with a palpable zeitgeisty energy. It’s also on the coast and surrounded by mountains, with dramatic fjords just a short boat trip away. You can be living it up in a bar in the evening, walking off that hangover on a mountain the next day, then taking a boat trip down a fjord for a wow-inducing look at Norway’s electrifying nature in the afternoon.
If you’re lucky enough to visit this charming city, these are the places to make a beeline for:
Hotel Bergen Børs
This luxury hotel in the heart of the city is in the former stock exchange building and is known as a hub for musicians and artists in the city (check their Instagram @bergenborshotel for a great playlist). Musician Sondre Lerche had his album launch party here, and is a regular guest. Along with sleek, modern Scandi-styled rooms, you’ll find Bare Restaurant in the building, Bergen’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, which sources up to 90 per cent of its ingredients from local farmers, fishermen and hunters.
To complete the appeal, coming soon is Bar Bareksten, a cocktail bar and tasting room from Bergen’s gin king, Stig Bareksten. We can’t wait to hear if the former bouncer-turned-multi award-winning gin distiller will also create tasting events pairing his gin with heavy metal here - we’ve heard they are a riot.