About Bergen
FAQ about Bergen
Will it be cold? No. Although not France or Spain, the Norwegian climate along the coast is similar to that of the British Isles. The average temperature for last February was 5.4 C. Temperatures can get below zero, but rarely below -5 C.
So no snow? Unlikely. Bergen will have snowfall that will stay on the ground 1 to 3 times a year, but this will usually disappear within a day or a couple of days. There are of course exceptions, but you should not expect snow during an average workshop in Bergen, even during winter. The mountains surrounding Bergen will have some snow, in particular the tallest Ulriken. See the "Touristic Options" page if you are interested in ski resorts close to Bergen.
Will it be dark? Yes
All the time? No. Only the very north of Norway experience total darkness during winter and conversely have the midnight sun during summer. For Bergen on February 13, the sun will rise at 8:25 am and set at 5:22 pm. So roughly the same length of day as Paris on January 1.
Will I see the northern lights (aurora borealis)? Almost surely not. Bergen is just not far enough north, and even if solar winds are favorable, Bergen city center is usually too bright to see anything. The locally organizer who has grown up in this city, has seen the northern lights exactly once during his entire childhood.
Will it rain? With high probability yes. The combination of being a costal city surrounded by mountains means that it rains 240 days a year on average (so roughly 2 out of 3 days).
About the city and historic information
Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway and located at the western coast of Norway. It is known as the city between seven mountains, though there is no universal agreement of which seven mountains one is talking about. It has a population of around 280 000 inhabitants with 420 000 people living in the metropolitan area. Bergen is a popular touristic city with a combination of old buildings, surrounding mountains and being the closest city to the largest Norwegian fjords.
The city was founded in 1070 by king Olav Kyrre and was named Bjørgvin, 'the green meadow among the mountains'. It served as Norway's capital in the 13th century. In the middle of the 14th century, North German merchants, who had already been present in substantial numbers since the 13th century, founded one of the four Kontore of the Hanseatic League at Bryggen in Bergen (hence the name Bergen, meaning `mountains' in German). What remains of the quays, Bryggen, is a World Heritage Site. The city was hit by numerous fires over the years. For example, in 1428 the city was plundered by the Victual Brothers (pirates), and in 1455, Hanseatic merchants were responsible for burning down Munkeliv Abbey. Until 1789, Bergen enjoyed exclusive rights to mediate trade between Northern Norway and abroad and it was the largest city in Norway until the 1830s when it was overtaken by the capital, Christiania (now known as Oslo).
Quick information about Norway
International relations: Norway is not a EU member, but is part of the EEA and the Schengen cooperation.
Currency: Norway has its own currency, Norwegian crowns (NOK). You cannot use euros, but you can pay almost everything with a VISA or MasterCard, so no real reason to use cash .... unless you want them for the design.
Language: Most Norwegians speak English well. For many bars, restaurants, hotels and ski resorts, much of the staff will not be Norwegian and will only communicate in English with foreigners and Norwegians alike. Most Norwegians should also understand other Scandinavian languages (Swedish and Danish).
Cost: A combination of high taxes and being an oil rich nation means that Norway is relatively expensive. In particular, taxis, restaurants and alcoholic beverages are quite expensive.
Alcohol: Norway has quite restrictive policies regarding alcohol. Only beer and ciders with less than 4,75 % alcohol can be sold in the supermarket. Supermarkets are only allowed to sell beer or cider before 8 pm on weekdays, before 6 pm on Saturdays and never on Sundays. Wine, spirits and other alcoholic beverages with more than 4,75 % alcohol can be bought at special government owned shops which close at 6 pm on weekdays and 3 pm on Saturdays. Alcohol bought at stores or restaurants are in general quite expensive. For example, it is not uncommon to find restaurants were the cheapest bottle of wine will cost you 50 or even 60 euros.