Bergen

Many fall in love at first sight with Bergen, Norway's second-largest city. Seven rounded lush mountains, pastel-color wooden houses, historic Bryggen, winding cobblestone streets, and Hanseatic relics all make it a place of enchantment. Its many epithets include "Trebyen" (Wooden City; it has many wooden houses), "Regnbyen" (Rainy City, due to its 200 days of rain a year), and "Fjordbyen" (Gateway to the fjords). Surrounded by forested mountains and Fjords, it's only natural that most Bergensers feel at home either on the mountains (skiing, hiking, walking, or at their cabins) or at sea (fishing and boating). As for the rainy weather, most visitors quickly learn the necessity of rain jackets and umbrellas. Bergen is even the site of the world's first umbrella vending machine. More »