1. A picnic in the garden of Eden
When you arrive at this magical garden you may think; “Did I die?” Because this place sure looks a lot like heaven if I ever did see one. At Aboretet, Milde you are surrounded by 5000 different plant species, and 500 types of roses, which is the biggest collection of roses in Norway. The purpose of the garden is to conserve endangered plants. So bring a basket full of food, a blanket and enjoy mother nature at her best.
2. Climb a mountain (and bring wine!)
Right before the sun sets, an hour before, pack your backpack with all the essentials; like wine, water, blanket and some chocolate. Put “Stoltzekleiven” in your GPS, and prepare yourself for 900 steps up the hill. Before you think “I am not climbing a mountain”, consider the reward, which is the view of a lifetime. And the pain is over in 30 minutes anyways, or maybe 40. Depends. Some crazy people walk up there in 12 minutes, but that is insanely impressive, so don't feel any pressure. When you finally get there, walk up to the tip of the mountain and enjoy the view of the sea while sipping some delicious wine. It will be worth it.
3. An overnight Island trip
Ok, so this is a getaway on your getaway. If you take a 20 minutes drive from the city center, you will arrive at an island called Askøy. Here you will take the ferry to Herdla, which is another island, only smaller. I would advise you to bring a tent, so you can enjoy the outdoors while you´re here. So here´s the plan: you start the day at the local museum and learn something new, and then you pack some lunch, rent a kajakk for free to explore the sea and find somewhere to eat your lunch. If you´re hungry when you get back, have dinner at Herdla Gjestegiveri, it's super cosy. Then you finish the night off looking up at the stars, before sleeping in your very fancy tent.
4. When you wish upon a well
Not a lot of people know about this, and I find that very strange, because my mother always brought me here when I was a child. I remember one time my mom asked me; “What will you wish for today sweetie?” And I said; “For grandmother to be alive, so grandad doesn't have to be alone anymore.” Yep, pretty sad. But this place is truly cute, especially if you have kids. They´ll love the magic. So you go to Bryggen, you know the old wood houses on a row that we are very famous for, and inside there you find the well and drop a coin and make a wish. If you´re wondering; “That's sweet, but what happens to the coins?!” They use them to help restore “Bryggen”. So you´re actually helping to conserve these historical buildings as well!
5. Steamy date near the sea
We have arrived at the final tip, and love this place. This is one where I don't want to tell you, because it might cause a waiting list from here to Tokyo, but at the same time I want them to succeed. The place is called “Heit Bergen Sauna”, and it's a small sauna located at Møllenpris. This is such a great date idea, if you´re a couple, group of friends or a family. And if you want to spice things up, you can actually BIO some bubbly. But that's up to you. The thing I really like is, in a sauna you usually get hot and done after 10 minutes, but since this is basically on the sea, you can jump in the water whenever you're too hot. It's so worth a visit!
Last but not least, welcome to Bergen traveller!
No matter the weather, I'm sure you will enjoy the city and all its cute little houses. But if the weather is really crappy, there are plenty of museums and cosy cafes to take shelter in. And let's look at the bright side, we've all dreamed about dancing in the rain. Chances are your dreams will come true.
xoxo
Martine Onstad | Author of Drømmemannen fra h*lvete