WORDS: AMANDA CANNING. PHOTOGRAPHS: LARS KORVALD/WWW.VISITBERGEN.COM
For a bite-sized sampling of the wonders of Norway, take a last-minute winter trip to Bergen on the west coast. Surrounded by seven hills and seven fjords, the coastal city has easy access to outdoor diversions, making it the perfect option for those who like to mix natural adventures with their cultural pursuits. Start your weekend by checking into the Bergen Børs Hotel, in the former stock exchange, a smart proposition with a suitably pared-back Nordic aesthetic. Its rooms have walk-in showers, parquet looring and marvellously comfortable beds (from £115; bergenbors.no); the generous bufet breakfast is a winning start to the day, and a cocktail in its mirror-lined bar the perfect end. There are plenty of museums and galleries in Bergen that relect on the city’s maritime past, particularly in the historic Bryggen district with its distinctive clapboard buildings (pictured), and restaurants that draw on the best of the maritime present. The ishmarket is a ine place to start your education in the latter. A popular weekend activity for locals is to take the funicular (cable car) from the city and be swept switly into the surrounding mountains for a day of wandering or cross-country skiing. If the experience has you pining for the fjords, consider the Norway in a Nutshell tour, a day-trip that takes you by train, boat and bus through some of the southwest’s most scenic areas (from £110; norwaynutshell.com).
Fly direct from London Gatwick (from £125;
norwegian.com). For more info and to purchase a Bergen Card, which gives city-wide discounts, seevisitbergen.com