Bergen

Lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour is Bergen's most famous postcard, Bryggen. A series of colourful wooden buildings, which once housed the trading offices of the Hanseatic League. Over the years, Bryggen has been ravaged by many fires, and in 1702 the entire city was reduced to ashes. Its rebuilding followed the foundations that had been there since the 12th century, which means that Bryggen was able to retain its medieval architecture. In 1979, the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. And today, Bryggen is home to museums, shops, restaurants, and pubs.

This former sardine canning factory is now a unique cultural meeting place. It includes schools for dancers, filmmakers and scriptwriters, a design office, and artist studios, along with stages, exhibition halls, and one of the best cafés beside the sea.

Bergen is surrounded by seven mountains, the highest of which, at 643 metres, is Mount Ulriken. Take the cable car up to the top or if you're feeling adventurous, choose one of the routes to the summit and conquer the mountain on foot or by bike.

KODE is one of Scandinavia's largest museums for art, craft, design, and music. It features more than 43,000 art objects, ranging from paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations and videos to musical instruments, furniture, artisanal handcraft, and design. All can be experienced in four museum buildings in Bergen city centre and in the homes of the composers Ole Bull, Harald Saeverud, and Edvard Grieg.