The historic student town of Bergen on the southwest coast of Norway is one of the country’s favourite tourist destinations, complete with picturesque harbour and numerous historic attractions. It is surrounded by deep fjords and lofty mountains, and boasts some of the country’s most stunning scenery.

Bergen’s location brings it Norway’s warmest weather although it tends to rain here from September to December. Major attractions in Bergen are the harbour and the nearby Fish Market, the UNESCO medieval quarter of Bryggen, the funicular railway to Mount Floien, and the cable car up the even higher Mount Ulriken.

Most tourists hover around the old quarter of Bryggen, with its beautiful old wooden houses, network of small lanes, and collection of cafés and interesting shops. The town is also dotted with old churches and significant houses, such as the Troldhaugen (Edvard Grieg’s house), which is now one of the city’s foremost museums.

Bergen has a great mix of attractions for kids to boot, of which the much ballyhooed Bergen Aquarium is a big hit. It has a massive collection of interesting fish and other sea creatures in its many tanks, as well as fun penguin and seal feeding. The Vilvitte Science Centre is also a must for kids.

There is also much in the way of activities in Bergen, with walking being the favourite pastime. Mounts Floien and Ulriken are accessed by funicular and cable car respectively and linked by footpaths at the top. There are many tracks up Mount Floien and you can also walk directly to its summit from town. Fishing and golf are also popular in Bergen, as is boating.

For sustenance, the city has a glut of cafés and restaurants where you can enjoy food of the world and local delicacies such as reindeer meat. Seafood is also popular, and Bryggen is the best place to eat it. Malls, department stores, souvenir shops and speciality outlets provide the shopping while theatres and numerous bars make up the nightly entertainment.

Accommodation options in Bergen are good and go from mid-range upwards, including popular chains like Radisson. If you have the budget, try and stay at the harbour for the fantastic views and close proximity to the city centre. Off season bargains can be had in spring and winter while booking online will generally net you a discount at any time of year.

You can get to Bergen by road, rail, sea and air. The small airport receives flights from all over Europe, including with budget carriers, and is just south of the city centre. Hamburg, Copenhagen and Oslo provide the connections when travelling to Bergen by rail, while Eurolines buses also run here, as do ferries from Newcastle in the UK and Hanstholm in Denmark.

With its North Sea positioning in southwest Norway, Bergen feels the full effect of the Gulf Stream and thus doesn’t get as cold as most other Norwegian climes. Summers are generally warm and pleasant while winters never get very cold. Unfortunately, however, Bergen does experience high amounts of rainfall.

The best time to be here weather wise is between the middle of June and the middle of August, when temperatures average more than 15°C. It gets rainier as the summer wears on so it may be best to head here in May or early summer, when crowds are less and hotels cheaper. September to December is the wettest time in this wettest of Norwegian cities while January is the coldest month with averages of 3°C.