NBTD's Travels: Bergen, Norway ("The Gateway to the Fjords")

NBTD · #1 Posted **Aug 26, 2007, 12:54 AM**

Places already visited

Amsterdam - http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=135022
Copenhagen - http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=135176
Berlin - http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=136192
Oslo http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=136397

Bergen

Bergen is officially the wettest city in Norway; every Norweigian we spoke to said in an exasperated voice "uuuuuuhhh, it ALWAYS rains in Bergen" - and by god, where they right. Dreary, Dull, Depressing, Grey, Boring............Wrist Slashing are all words that could be used to describe the weather in Bergen.

I can imagine that during its allocated 2 hours of sunlight per year it's a glorious little town, there are lots of quaint little wooden buildings, winding alleys, spectacular natural scenery etc etc. But when when its constantly torrential rain and dullness it's very hard to enjoy these things - and i'm sorry to say that i was quite happy to leave for sunnier climes after just a few days.

To summarise, nice enough town...diabolically crap weather

1. To begin with some shots of the Unesco world Herritage site of the old fishing quater.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8. And some random shots from around the town

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21. A British Phone box...don't ask me why its there

22. We went on a boat trip of the surrounding Fjord

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33. A daytrip out of Bergen to Flam/Myrdal

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

Rambaldi · #2 Posted **Aug 26, 2007, 5:08 PM**

Great pictures, looks like a lovely place, I wouldn't mind living there, I like rain.

Swede · #3 Posted **Aug 26, 2007, 6:17 PM**

I've been there once! Long time ago on a family holiday, alot of driving around southern Norway those weeks. I remember sitting in a library in Bergen and reading a comic book and thinking the names were funny

but I could understand almost all of the Norwegian. And, oh yes, it was raining outside.

Really like your photography skills. Showing of the city at it's best (and quirkiest: the unicorn stallion...) and making the fjords look unbelieveably mystical (tho some of that credit of course goes to Slartibartfast).

FREKI · #4 Posted **Aug 26, 2007, 9:24 PM**

Great pics mate - rain or not that's one beautiful place!

ukw · #5 Posted **Sep 18, 2007, 9:31 PM**

those are great pics, but is it really such a small town?

The world map shows it as a city on par with Frankfurt for example, so why am i only seeing the suburban landscape?

LouisianaRush · #6 Posted **Sep 19, 2007, 3:03 AM**

Wow! Beautiful.

NBTD · #7 Posted **Sep 20, 2007, 3:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukw

those are great pics, but is it really such a small town?

The world map shows it as a city on par with Frankfurt for example, so why am i only seeing the suburban landscape?

The main town is absolutely tiny, you can walk across in about 10mins. But i think because of the geography of the area, the city as a whole is spread out around the hills and on various islands etc. So it's slightly bigger than you would think.

However, i would find it very hard to compare it to Frankfurt in terms of size.....i've never been to frankfurt, but from i've seen it is a decent size.

Oh, and most Norwegian towns and cities appear to have a very suburban feel to them, large houses with gardens appear to be the norm, even close to the city centres.

NBTD · #8 Posted **Sep 20, 2007, 4:46 PM**

A few more shots

Look at the top of the Mountain, the word BULA is written in the snow....weird....aliens????? :shifty:

Bergenser · #9 Posted **Sep 22, 2007, 8:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukw

those are great pics, but is it really such a small town?

The world map shows it as a city on par with Frankfurt for example, so why am i only seeing the suburban landscape?

Bergen has a small downtown, and the suburbs is hidden behind mountains and stuff. You really have to visit one of the mountains to get an idea of Bergen's size. The city size: 242,158 in city and 304,378 in metro

Swede · #10 Posted **Sep 23, 2007, 8:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukw

The world map shows it as a city on par with Frankfurt for example, so why am i only seeing the suburban landscape?

Either the map is wrong or shows something other than Metro or Continuous Urban Area sizes. Frankfurt am Main is far, far larger.
Also, only suburban? I see quite a few urban shots. Sure, no tall buildings, but old fashioned north European urbanity.