For me, Oslo vs Bergen isn’t an particularly shut contest. Bergen is a much more stunning and attention-grabbing metropolis, and is nearer to extra worthwhile points of interest than Oslo is.
With this being stated, Oslo just isn’t a metropolis you’ll be able to write off completely. That is very true as a result of it’s nearly definitely the place your journey to Norway will start. Even when you really feel such as you’ve reached the identical conclusion I’ve, this put up remains to be price studying. (And, extra to the purpose, Oslo can be nonetheless price visiting, if just for a day.)
I’ll dive deeper into how to decide on Oslo or Bergen in only a bit, however first permit me to train some vainness. I visited each cities throughout my first sojourn round Norway over a decade in the past. After touchdown in Oslo on a chilly and dreary June day, I rode the practice over the glacier to Bergen which, regardless of being often known as Europe’s rainiest metropolis, was extraordinarily sunny (albeit not heat in any respect).
Whereas I understand climate just isn’t one thing you’ll be able to wholly decide a spot on, the truth is that climactic circumstances over each Bergen and Oslo matched each cityscapes, and the way my time in every made me really feel. Though I’ve warmed to Oslo on subsequent journeys to Norway, the truth is that it hasn’t even come near charming me like Bergen has, even when I prefer it much more now than I did in 2012.
Find out how to Evaluate Oslo and Bergen
Issues to do
Oslo could also be gray and dreary, however there’s a good bit to do, from the gorgeous Oslo Opera Home, to the traditional Akershus Fortress, to the provocative Vigelands Park. In truth, whereas Bergen’s cityscape is usually extra attention-grabbing (and definitely extra colourful), the variety of precise must-see points of interest is likely to be much less. Most of what there’s to do within the metropolis facilities on exploring the Bryggen space and having fun with the view from Fløyen mountain.
Surrounding nature
An attention-grabbing reality about Oslo, as boring because it appears to the bare eye, is that it technically sits inside a fjord. Sadly, a fjord is a geographical designation, which refers back to the form of the inlet, not the wonder or majesty of the surroundings round it. Whereas Bergen’s personal fjord just isn’t fairly as spectacular because the dramatic ones inside day-trip distance of it, its magnificence is a superb deal extra enchanting and…nicely, Norwegian.
Foods and drinks
Let’s be frank: Norwegian meals just isn’t something to jot down house about; alcohol is just too costly right here to drink at scale, except you’re cool with beer. With this being stated, in case you are searching for eclectic eating choices, I’d really say the array of eating places in Oslo’s Aker Brygge space will likely be rather more interesting than what you discover in central Bergen, as scrumptious because the seafood on supply in Bergen is, and as a lot character (comparatively talking) because the eateries have.
Day journeys
One other differentiator that can assist you select between Bergen or Oslo? Whilst you’ll have to journey removed from Oslo (i.e. midway to Bergen) to get wherever remotely stunning and attention-grabbing, lots of Norway’s finest locations are straightforward day excursions from Bergen. These embody, most notably, the well-known fjords of Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord, the latter of which hides the charming village of Flåm.
Onward excursions
From Oslo, you’ll be able to both take a practice throughout the nation to Bergen, or fly north to different locations like Trondheim and Tromsø—there actually aren’t loads of locations to simply proceed your journey in its common neighborhood. From Bergen, given its location on Norway’s west coast, there are extra choices. Head south to trek Trolltunga, or north through the fjords to picturesque Alesund, itself a gateway to gorgeous nature.
Robert Schrader is a journey author and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications resembling “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the way in which. His weblog, Depart Your Day by day Hell, offers a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays overlaying the extra esoteric facets of life as a traveler.