Bergen (all images)

With 284000 inhabitants Bergen is the second largest city in Norway. It is located along the coast of southwestern Norway, 300 km west of Oslo (463km by road, a seven hours drive across the Norwegian mountains). With 195 days with rain per year Bergen is one of the rainiest cities in Europe.
Bergen was originally founded in the 11th century and became the capital of Norway in the 13th century. In the 14th century Bergen became part of the Hanseatic league and many German merchants settled in the city. The main export was dried cod (stockfish) from northern Norway, for which Bergen had a trade monopoly. Over the centuries Bergen was destroyed and rebuilt a number of times, but remained the largest city in Norway until the 1830s.
The main touristic highlight of Bergen is the Bryggen (or Tyskebryggen) area around the harbour in the old town. Here there are a number of Hanseatic heritage wooden commercial buildings. A number of these have been destroyed by fire over the centuries and rebuilt/restored after that. Bryggen in the past was the trading centre of the Hanseatic league in Bergen. It has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979.
A short walk along a trail leads up to the Fløyen mountain. There at an altitude of 320m there is a panoramic viewing platform with shops, cafes and restaurants and a nice view over Bergen. The Fløibanen, an electric cable funicular, connects this place with the harbour area in Bergen.
How to get to Bergen
Bergen has an international airport with flights to several European cities and a train station. It can also be reached by car and ferry.
Accommodation
There are hotels and pensions, all bookable via the international booking portals.