Things to do in Bergen
Cook up some festival vibes
Bergen has an abundance of festivals going on: Bergenfest, which focuses on folk and blues, plus BergArt and the International Film Festival. The two most famous, the Night Jazz festival and the Bergen International Festival (www.visitbergen.com/en/events/), run concurrently. The latter showcases music, dance, theatre, opera and the performing arts, and normally runs for two weeks at the end of May.
Fall down the rabbit hole at Tubakuba
Tubakuba (http://tubakuba.tumblr.com) is the result of a challenge presented to students at the Bergen School of Architecture, wherein they were tasked with enticing more children into their country's great woodland. The result, a cabin on the side of a mountain, looks on one side exactly like a rabbit hole. Inside there's a cabin that sleeps five and can be rented for one night free of charge.
Get a feel for the fjords
Hardanger is the second largest fjord in Norway, and you can see it on a one-day, 10-hour round-trip from Bergen. Cruise along glassy waters, see the Vøringsfossen waterfall and take in some of God's greatest work along the coastline. Speak to Norway Nutshell about getting you there (www.norwaynutshell.com/).
Get some perspective at the Leprosy Museum
Between 1850 and 1900 Bergen was the international capital of leprosy, with three hotels devoted exclusively to victims of the disease. One of those hospitals, St Georges, is now the Leprosy Museum (tel: +47 481 62 678; www.bymuseet.no). It exists to document to the people whose lives were shaped by this debilitating diseases, and of the astounding work that done to eradicate it.
Something fishy’s going on down the market
Fisketorget (www.visitbergen.com/en/Fisketorget/) is a market popular with restaurants and individuals alike, and ground zero for anyone that has a hankering for seafood. The market dates back to the 12th century, though originally it took place in a open square where fisherman haggled the morning away with merchants. Nowadays it's a magnet for anyone that's got a passion for fruits de la mer.
