Must-see attractions in Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

  • Sitting on Trolltunga rock overlooking the fjord.

    Trolltunga

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    A slender spur of rock projecting into the void above Lake Ringedalsvatnet, Trolltunga is one of Norway's most-photographed features, and – along with…

  • Villa of Norwegian violin virtuoso Ole Bull on Lysoen Island, 25 km south of Bergen.

    Ole Bull Museum

    Bergen

    This beautiful estate was built in 1873 as the summer residence of Norway’s first musical superstar, violinist Ole Bull. Languishing on its own private…

  • Bryggen

    Bergen

    Bergen's oldest quarter runs along the eastern shore of Vågen Harbour (bryggen translates as 'wharf') in long, parallel and often precariously leaning…

  • KODE

    Bergen

    A catch-all umbrella for Bergen's art museums, KODE showcases one of the largest art-and-design collections in Scandinavia. Each of the four buildings has…

  • Norsk Oljemuseum

    Stavanger

    Admittedly, the prospect of an 'oil museum' doesn't sound like the most promising option for an afternoon out, but this state-of-the-art place exploring…

  • Canning Museum

    Stavanger

    Don't miss this surprising museum housed in an old cannery: it's one of Stavanger's most entertaining. Before oil, there were sardines, and Stavanger was…

  • Gamle Stavanger

    Stavanger

    Gamle (Old) Stavanger, above the western shore of the harbour, is a delight. The Old Town's cobblestone walkways pass between rows of late-18th-century…

  • Edvard Grieg's Home, Troldhaugen

    Edvard Grieg Museum

    Bergen

    Composer Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina Hagerup spent summers at this charming Swiss-style wooden villa from 1885 until Grieg's death in 1907. Surrounded…

  • View above Vøringsfossen waterfalls during rainy weather.

    Vøringsfossen

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    At the summit after a steep 20km drive, and where Hardangervidda begins, is the stunning, 182m-high Vøringfoss Waterfall. There are actually numerous…

  • Baroniet Rosendal and the renaissance rose garden.

    Baroniet Rosendal

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    Norway's only baronial mansion dates back to 1665 and sits on a gentle rise above the town. The period interiors include a collection of tapestries, an…

  • Wooden Roldal stave church in Norway.

    Røldal Stave Church

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    This 13th-century stave church's wooden cross, according to local legend, sweats every midsummer's eve; the sweat is said to have healing powers. The…

  • KODE 3

    Bergen

    KODE 3 is all about Edvard Munch: overall, the collection here is arguably even better than Oslo's Munch Museum. The rooms are fabulously intimate:…

  • KODE 1

    Bergen

    Reopened in 2017 after two years of renovation works, this impressive museum makes a good place to start your explorations of KODE's collection. Two new…

  • Kjeåsen Farm

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    Perched 600m above Eidfjord are two farms that were, until 1974, completely inaccessible by road. Until then, residents had no choice but to lug all their…

  • KODE 4

    Bergen

    Modern-art aficionados will want to make a beeline to KODE 4, which is home to a large permanent collection of European Modernist works including the odd…

  • Hanseatic Museum

    Bergen

    This interesting museum provides a window into the world of Hanseatic traders. Housed in a rough-timber building dating from 1704, it starkly reveals the…

  • Utsira

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    Around 18km west of Haugesund, the tiny island of Utsira barely covers 6 sq km and is home to just 235 people, but its size belies its reputation in the…

  • Fisheries Museum

    Bergen

    Housed in a series of wonky wharfside warehouses dating from the 18th century, this museum delves into the industry that sustained Bergen (along with the…

  • St Olav's Church

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    This ancient stone church was built under the reign of King Håkon Håkonsson. Work began in 1250, although it's thought that a much earlier wooden chapel…

  • Stavanger Domkirke

    Stavanger

    This beautiful church is an impressive but understated medieval stone cathedral dating from approximately 1125; it was extensively renovated following a…

  • Kunsthuset Kabuso

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    The Kunsthuset Kabuso runs a fascinating program that features big-name contemporary artists (Damien Hirst, Matthew Barney and James Turrell have all…

  • Vangskyrkja

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    Voss' stone church occupies the site of an ancient pagan temple. A Gothic-style stone church was built here in the mid-13th century and although the…

  • King Håkons Hall

    Bergen

    Viking fans will feel right at home at this impressive ceremonial hall, built by King Håkon Håkonsson in 1247–61 and completed for his son's wedding and…

  • Viking Burial Mounds

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    The 350 Viking burial mounds found here make this the largest Iron Age site in western Norway, dating from AD 400 to 1000. The tourist office can point…

  • Norwegian Children's Museum

    Stavanger

    Dragging kids round a museum can be a tough proposition, but this is one place that's designed specifically with them in mind. It traces the changing…

  • Akvariet i Bergen

    Bergen

    At the end of the Nordnes Peninsula, this aquarium makes a worthwhile trip, especially for families. There are around 60 individual aquaria here, housing…

  • Hardanger Skyspace

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    US light artist James Turrell is known for his fascination with light, and has created a series of 'skyspaces' around the world, which are geometrical…

  • Ingebrigt Vik Museum

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    Under the direction of the Kunsthuset Kabuso, this permanent collection of the work of Ingebrigt Vik (1867–1927), one of Norway's best-loved sculptors, is…

  • Stavanger Museum

    Stavanger

    Stavanger's main museum was founded in the 19th century, and it's a typically wide-ranging affair, encompassing everything from Stavanger's history to…

  • Stavanger Kunstmuseum

    Stavanger

    This museum, 2.5km south of the town centre, displays Norwegian art from the 18th century to the present, including the haunting Gamle Furutrær and other…

  • Hardanger Folk Museum

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    This excellent open-air museum is a repository for the cultural heritage of the Hardanger region. Wander through its collection of historic homes, boats,…

  • Bergen Kunsthall

    Bergen

    Bergen’s major contemporary-art institution hosts significant exhibitions of international and Norwegian artists, often with a single artist's work…

  • Nordvegen Historiesenter

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    Down a short path from the car park for St Olav's Church, this history centre recreates the story of Harald Fairhair and other monarchs of the newly…

  • Skytjefossen

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    Plunging almost 300m off the Hardangervidda plateau to the valley floor below, these falls, 12km north of Eidfjord in the Simadalen valley, are among the…

  • KODE 2

    Bergen

    KODE 2 hosts several temporary exhibitions every year, as well as a contemporary art collection with a focus on Norwegian and Scandinavian artists from…

  • Kinsarvik Stone Church

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    Built in around 1180, this is one of Norway's oldest stone churches. It was restored in the 1960s; the walls still bear traces of lime-and-chalk paintings…

  • Jernaldergarden

    Stavanger

    Always wanted to experience life on an Iron Age farm c AD 350–550? Then this living exhibition 4km south of town is as close as you'll ever get. Staff in…

  • Skudeneshavn

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    The wonderful Skudeneshavn, 37km south of Haugesund, got very rich on the herring trade in the 19th century and is known for its 'Empire-style' wooden…

  • Bryggens Museum

    Bergen

    This archaeological museum was built on the site of Bergen's first settlement, and the 800-year-old foundations unearthed during its construction have…