TRAVEL
Bergen:
A green city with its heart in the right place
April 20, 2019
The beautiful Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
IMAGE: Lars Korvald
“What do you know about Bergen?” I asked a friend recently, knowing I was due to write about the city and aware he sometimes travelled for business in Europe.
“Nothing, but I don’t go to Germany that much.”
If Bergen is the biggest city you’ve never heard of (or you thought it was in Germany too), let me put you right. Bergen is Norway’s second largest city and soon, everyone will have heard of it—and know where it is.
Bergen is the swiftly up-and-coming sustainable destination, both for business and pleasure.
Meet Bergen – and meet in Bergen
Bjørgvin, which means ‘the green meadow between the mountains’ was the original name of the city when it was founded in the 11th century. Today it’s still a green city, with a hospitable outlook and international flavour. It’s facilities, culture, heritage, environment and a commitment to sustainability are leaving many other cities floundering in its wake—often literally, as a cruise ship departs for the more impressive Bergen. The city is Norway's largest cruise port (and fourth largest in Northern Europe), and received 342 cruise calls in 2018.
Everyone knows Norway for its famous and beautiful fjords. Bergen is the gateway to those beautiful fjords and offers mountains and islands too, along with Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite its latitude, it’s a warmer city than you might expect: the Gulf Stream keeps the sea relatively warm, and the mountains protect the city from cold N/NE/E winds.
It’s also a city well versed in hosting meetings, as it’s been playing host since 1161 when Magnus Erlingsson was crowned the first king of Norway! Today, the facilities have become somewhat more sophisticated (Magnus didn’t ask to display a PowerPoint back then, but he was only 5). However, the warm welcome and high standards of Bergen haven’t changed.
The colourful and characteristic wooden buildings of Bryggen
IMAGE: Trude Remme / www.fjordnorway.com
So what kind of city is Bergen? It’s:
An accessible city
It’s easy to reach. There are direct flights from Bergen airport to all European hubs and Flybus, the airport service, collects passengers directly outside the hall. It shuttles frequently between the airport and five key locations in Bergen, and takes around half an hour.
Once in Bergen, it’s easy to travel around the city, and to do so in an environmentally-friendly way. It’s a compact city, so it’s easy to walk around if you’re able and inclined to do so. There are a lot of electric cars here; Norway has the largest share of the electric car market and 13% of Bergen’s cars are electric. That’s a figure set to rise swiftly, with electric cars accounting for a third of all new cars in Bergen last year. The city was the ‘Electric Car Capital of Norway’ in 2018.
Charming homes along the junction of Skottegaten & Strangebakken streets in the Nordnes district
IMAGE: Robin Strand
Most of Bergen’s (and Norway’s) transport is run by Skyss, an agency that’s Eco-Lighthouse certified and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The tram or Light Railway system (Bybanen) began operating in 2010 and there is still one remaining trolleybus service: the only one still in operation in Norway. These services, together with the local buses, cover Bergen thoroughly and there are also Express coaches and trains to take visitors to other towns and cities. Together with local authorities, Skyss is looking to the future, planning to trial driverless electric minuses and sensor-operated crossings that would give cyclists and pedestrians priority.
The Fløibanen funicular railway connects the city of Bergen with the mountain of Fløyen
IMAGE: Bergen Tourist Board
For something a little different, and spectacular views over Bergen and its islands, visitors can travel by funicular railway or cable car. A 6 minute scenic trip from the centre of Bergen on the Fløibanen (funicular railway) takes them to the top of Fløyen, 320 meters above sea level, where there are hiking trails (some suitable for people with limited mobility), playgrounds, a climbing relay, zipline park, bikes for rent, goats and guided tours, plus a restaurant, cafe and a shop that focuses on local sustainable products, gift and utility items as well as souvenirs. The Ulriken cable car travels up the highest of Bergen’s seven mountains, Mount Ulriken, 643 metres above the city streets, where a restaurant and zipline await.
The great value Bergen Card is valid for 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours and offers free, flexible travel on Skyss’s buses and the Bybanen, which serves the city centre and the Bergen area. It also offers discounts on car hire, parking, the Flybus and the harbour ferry. But the Bergen Card is more than a travel card; it also free or discounted admittance to most attractions and a selection of activities, as well as offering discounts at cultural events, shops, restaurants and bars.
The Ulriksbanen aerial cable car connects Mount Ulriken to Bergen
IMAGE: Bergen Tourist Board
A green city
Bergen was in 18th place in the GDS-Index last year (joint with Aalborg) and is the only city in Europe invited to become a member of the European Climate Forum. Its ambitious goal is to reduce CO2 by 20% by 2020 and become fossil-free by 2030—part of its commitment to be a ‘1.5 degree city’ (working to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels) by 2050.
Its city council leads the way, but recognises that the business sector, universities and university colleges, non-profit organisations and the people of Bergen all need to work together to meet their sustainability targets. The council and Bergen’s Chamber of Commerce are actively encouraging all sectors to do their part. The council is planning the introduction of fossil-free areas in the city where fossil fuel vehicles will be prohibited and road tolls have already been differentiated to make it more expensive to drive into town during rush-hours.
Some of the world's freshest and finest fish can be found at the Bergen Fish Market
IMAGE: Sirko Trentsch for NORDLANDBLOG
Bergen has also started a war on waste. An innovative waste management system called Bossnett (‘boss’ is the local word for rubbish) sucks waste underground to a network (‘nett’) of pipes, reducing the need for rubbish collection vehicles in the city centre. The waste is transported at high speed to a terminal on the outskirts of the city, where it’s automatically sorted into predefined containers. From there, waste either goes to a recycling plant or is taken to be converted into energy, which is pumped back into the city centre and used for heating purposes. By reducing waste containers outside homes and businesses, the system is also reducing fire, odour and pest risk, helping to keep the streets safer and cleaner.
Mount Fløyen provides breathtaking views of the city and beyond
IMAGE: Sverre Hjornevik Photography
Reducing food waste is also an important goal here. A food bank, opened in 2017, collects leftover food from grocery stores, fruit and vegetable stores and other food-based businesses and either redistributes it or passes it to local aid organisations. Mette Nygård Havre from the Green Values company started the ‘Eat up Your Food’ campaign to reduce food waste, which resulted in the Q Dairy changing the date stamp on their milk ‘best before, but not bad after’. Several other companies are set to follow suit.
Most hotels and conference venues in Bergen are doing their part too, making a positive effort to increase recycling and reduce waste, disposable products, energy use and water consumption. Energy-saving devices such as automatic light switches and wash basins with sensors, together with the use of environmentally-friendly cleaning chemicals, are now common, as is the practice of only changing linen and towels daily if requested by guests.
The Scandic hotels are among those that have replaced mineral water with bottled tap water and their menu is free from GM (genetically modified) foods. Their coffee is Fairtrade and their breakfast, organic. Some of their hotels feature local food specialties to align themselves closely with the local area and respect its traditions. Some conference centres and hotels offer their own transport options, walking maps and bike rental to decrease taxi trips, while tour operators offer a range of eco-friendly activities.
The Thon Hotel group, Scandic Hotels and Nordic Choice hotels, which between them own 13 hotels in Bergen, are part of the Norwegian hospitality sector’s Cut Food Waste campaign, which pledges to cut food waste by 20% before 2020. The Thon Hotel group has also signed an agreement with the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030 (one of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs)). The Nordic Choice hotel group reduced their food waste by 20% with an initiative to decrease their plate size and put up notices urging guests to finish their food.
The council’s plans for continuing sustainability include increased use of more sustainable, efficient land-use solutions such as passive houses, plus houses, green roofs, climate-friendly ventilation systems and the use of solar energy; greater efforts to remove toxic material in the sea and in the soil; prioritising pedestrians, cyclists, buses and light rail ahead of private cars; working to electrify the port and ensuring cruise ships can use clean energy while docked; and using its authority to turn away ships on days when the air pollution reaches harmful levels, limiting port use to a maximum of 8,000 passengers and 3 ships per day.
The Aurlandsfjorden has been described as one of the most picturesque fjords in the world
IMAGE: Robin Strand
A gateway city
Norway ‘s magnificent fjords have been voted the world’s best travel destination several times. Luckily, Bergen is on their doorstep. It lies between Hardangerfjord, one of the world's most beautiful fjords, and Sognefjord, the world's longest fjord at 200km, said to be one of the most beautiful places in the world and known as "King of Fjords". This means the city is ideally positioned as a base for a brief taster trip after a strenuous meeting or a longer cruise along these fjords and their neighbours.
You can visit both Nærøyfjord and Geirangerfjord, the two fjords on UNESCO's World Heritage List, from Bergen by taking the Norway in a Nutshell tour – a round trip that includes overnight stays in Ålesund and Oslo, and scenic railways trips through some of Norway’s most beautiful countryside.
The Stegastein scenic overlook with Aurlandsfjord looming in the background
IMAGE: Sverre Hjornevik Photography
“The two fjords, among the world’s longest and deepest, are considered as archetypical fjord landscapes and among the most scenically outstanding anywhere,” says UNESCO.
Think high crystalline rock walls, sun shining on snow, numerous waterfalls tumbling down rugged mountainsides, deciduous and coniferous forests, glacial lakes, glaciers, picturesque villages, small fishing farms, a variety of marine and land-based wildlife and, in the spring, fruit trees blossoming.
Some fjord tours take you to Flåm, a beautiful village that’s home to the Flåm Railway. This is one of the world's steepest railways on normal track and offers marvellous views as it climbs.
With a height difference of 866 metres, the 20km Flåm Railway is one of the world's steepest railway tracks
IMAGE: Bergen Tourist Board
A heritage city
Bryggen is one of Bergen's and Norway's main attractions and was the site of the city’s very first 12th century buildings, including the office of the Hanseatic League built there in 1350. The area suffered many fires and a particularly ferocious fire in 1702 reduced the city to ashes. The Bryggen we see today, with its colourful wooden buildings, was rebuilt after that fire and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while Bergen is a World Heritage City.
Only around a quarter of the original buildings remained after demolitions at the turn of the 19th century and several fires in the 1950s; the Heritage Site consists of 62 buildings that still demonstrate how Bryggen functioned. Offices and dwellings are at the front, warehouses in the midsection and assembly rooms (‘Schøtstuer’), kitchens and fireproof stone cellars at the back. Many of the buildings lie on narrow passageways running parallel to the docks. Visitors can admire the old buildings, such as the Fish Market and Bergenhus Fortress, browse the many shops selling traditional crafts or enjoy delicious food in one of the area’s numerous cafés and restaurants.
The Bryggen Foundation was established in 1962 with the objective of preserving Bryggen, and owns many of its buildings. The Bryggen Project was established formally in 2000. This is an extensive and long-term project for monitoring, safeguarding and restoring Bryggen, including both archaeological deposits and standing buildings.
For those keen to delve further into the city’s history, the Bryggens Museum houses finds from the Bryggen archaeological excavations, which lasted from 1955 until 1972, and walking tours will guide them around the must-see attractions. Bergen offers several museums, including the Hanseatic Museum (one of the oldest and best preserved buildings in Bergen), although this is currently undergoing long-term renovation. Its artefacts and presentations will be on display in Schøtstuene from 1st May 2019. A Museum Shuttle Bus serves the Hanseatic Museum, Schøtstuene and Norwegian Fisheries Museum.
The Edvard Grieg Museum is just 10km away and Grieg's home, composer cabin and burial ground are all open to visitors. A visit to the islands off Bergen’s coast also offer a chance to soak up centuries of history and tradition preserved in their farming and fishing communities, while keeping an eye open for sea eagles, seals and porpoise.
A music festival at the Tall Ships' Races Bergen
IMAGE: Eivind Senneset
An active and cultural city
Bergen offers all-year skiing, plus, rafting, hiking and climbing among mountains and glaciers, cycling on a rally track and fishing in the sea and rivers. Many tour operators offer environmentally friendly activities with little or no impact on local ecosystems, such as dog-sledding, hiking, kayaking, bird watching and wildlife safaris.
It also offers several water parks, pools and rocky beaches (although the beaches are only for the brave in the colder months!). Vannkanten Badeland has Norway's longest water slide and the Ado Arena has an Olympic-sized swimming pool, diving towers and thermal pools.
Bergen attracts big names from the music business such as Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler and the Foo Fighters, while art lovers can enjoy art from the Renaissance to the contemporary era in the four characteristic buildings of the KODE museum along the
idyllic Lille Lungegård lake in the city centre.
Overlooking enchanting Bergen during the first snow
IMAGE: Bergen Tourist Board
Competitive, international, hospitable, sustainable: a city for business and pleasure
Growing up around its old harbour area of Bryggen, Bergen has naturally had a great deal of contact with other peoples and places through the centuries and was so important in the 14th century that the Hanseatic League, the German merchant union, established a foreign office at Bryggen. That legacy makes it a city with an international outlook and a welcoming feel.
Today, it offers numerous opportunities for business, pleasure or both. The meeting and event department at Bergen Reiselivslag (Travel Association) offers free help to organisations arranging meetings, conferences or other events in Bergen, helping with maps, brochures, free passes for attractions and finding suitable venues, accommodation and companion activities.
Modern conference and meeting venues in Bergen offer top class facilities in beautiful settings at a highly competitive price, and despite the city’s small size, there are nearly 20 eco-certified hotels, convention centres and halls. With a wide range of meeting, conference, accommodation, activity and leisure options, there’s bound to be something suitable for anyone looking to ‘stay green’ for business or pleasure. With the history and culture of Bergen on the doorstep, the beauty of the fjords nearby and the city’s comfortable, convenient and green public transport making all its attractions easy to reach, it’s hard to imagine anywhere better for a holiday or business event.
To book your next perfect eco-friendly holiday or sustainable meeting and event then please visit:
en.visitbergen.com/meetings or en.visitbergen.com
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