Bergen is surrounded by seven mountains, perfect for the hiking enthusiast as well as the first-time hiker. Hiking in Bergen and the area around Bergen is very popular, especially for locals and you’ll find hikes to suit all ages and levels of fitness.
But which hike should you choose? Well, these following suggestions might just put you on the right track!
A great place to start is hiking on one of Bergen's seven mountains. Mount Fløyen and Mount Ulriken are the most accessible and offer multiple trails to choose from.
Hiking near Bergen on the seven mountains:
1. Mountain hikes on Fløyen:
One of the great things about Bergen is that the seven mountains surrounding the city are so easily accessible. With Fløibanen funicular from the city center, it takes no more than 6 minutes to reach the top of Mount Fløyen. Fløibanen's lower station is just a few minutes' walk from the Fish Market.
At the top you will be greeted by a fantastic view, a restaurant, Fløystuen cafe, a playground, climbing park and a large selection of hiking trails. While many mountain hikes are more accessible during spring and summer, the hikes on Fløyen are great regardless of the season! The trails are easy to follow, well marked and a great place to start when visiting Bergen for the first time. On Fløyen there is a lot of nice gravel roads that are suitable for both prams and wheelchairs.
Mountain hike in Bergen. Photo: Sverre Hjørnevik
The most famous hiking trails are the walk to the lake called Skomakerdiket, to Brushytten, or simply the walk from Fløyen and down to the center.
- To Skomakerdiket: Less than 1 kilometer from the top of Fløyen is the beautiful lake Skomakerdiket. You can walk around the lake and there is also a charming café/cabin called Skomakerstuen. There is a gravel road surrounding the lake with several nice picnic areas.
- To Brushytten: If you want to walk a little further, you can take the hike to Brushytten. It takes about 1 hour from Fløyen to Brushytten.
- Walk up or down Fløyen: From the city center you can choose between taking the Fløibanen funicular or walk up to the top of Fløyen. Perhaps the most popular choice is to take the funicular up and walk back down. There are several different routes to choose from for the walk down. You can start behind the restaurant and follow the winding road or you can turn left on the gravel road behind Fløystuen, walk past a kindergarten and follow the gravel road down to the city center. It's about the same distance both ways. If you want to take a shorter trip, you can take the Fløibanen halfway down and then walk the last section. This is a a good alternative in the wintertime if it is slippery.
- Join Norway Mountain Guides on the 2-3 hour hike "On top of Bergen".
2. Hike from Fløyen to Ulriken across Vidden
A classic hike in Bergen is the hike across «Vidden». The hike takes approximately 5 hours and along the way you can experience beautiful views of both the city center and the islands and fjords outside of the city center. The hike between Fløyen and Ulriken is only recommended during the summer season. This hike is perhaps the most popular one amongst the locals in Bergen.
Mountain hike in Bergen - Vidden. Vidden. Photo: Gjertrud Coutinho
If you want a slightly longer trip, you can choose to start the trip on Mount Ulriken, but instead of taking the Ulriken Cable Car to the top, you can walk up. This will add about 1 hour to your hike.
3. Hiking up Mount Ulriken
One of the most popular mountain hikes in Bergen is to walk the many steps up to the top of Mount Ulriken from Montana. You can also start a bit further down where the Cable Car starts. If so, add another 30 minutes to your hike.
From Montana to the top it will take you between 30 minutes and 2 hours, depending on your level of fitness. It is very steep, but the track is easy to follow and even has great resting places along the route. There are always a lot of people doing this hike.
The Sherpa stairs up Ulriken. Photo: Visit Bergen / Casper Steinsland - visitBergen.com
While on Fløyen you will find many gravel roads suitable for both prams and bicycles, on Ulriken you will only find hiking trails. Ulriken is the highest of the seven mountains with its 643 meters above sea level. From the top you'll get a beautiful view of Bergen and the surroundings, as well as a restaurant, outdoor exercise equipment and Norway's fastest zipline! If you dare..!
4. Hike up Stoltzekleiven
If climbing stairs is your thing, then make sure you have a go at Stoltzekleiven, or “Stoltzen” as the locals would say. Stoltzen is a steep paved hiking trail and stairs with approx. 722 steps up towards Sandviksfjellet. (Mount Sandviken)
The stairs up are not that wide, so it is common practice to only walk up and take another route back down. From the top you can walk to Mount Fløyen (about 40 minutes) and take the Fløibanen funicular or walk down to the center.
It is difficult to estimate the time it will take to hike up Stolzen. Once a year, there is a popular race to the top and the record is an impressive 7 minutes and 46 seconds! But unless you are Usain Bolt, you are likely to spend anything between 30 minutes to 2 hours on this hike.
5. Hiking Løvstakken
Just outside the city center in Solheimsviken, you will find the start of the hike up to Løvstakken, one of Bergen's seven mountains. If you are staying at Magic Hotel Solheimsviken this is a great option. This hike is most suitable in the summer, as it can be quite slippery during autumn and winter.
The walk to the top takes about 1 hour. It is not very well marked, but it is popular so just ask other hikers for directions along the way. There are several routes to the top and plenty of short cuts. From the top you get nice views towards the city center, out towards the airport and the many small islands west of Bergen.
Hiking around Bergen:
The Castle (Slottet):
A great 2 hour hike in Modalen north of Bergen up to the gigantic block formation called "The Castle". The view is fantastic and the hike is suitable for the whole family. Make sure you allocate enough time to visit the charming village of Mo as well. Read more about the hike to "The Castle" here.
Bruviknipa:
Bruviknipa is a nice mountain hike on Osterøy outside Bergen with fantastic fjord views. The trip takes about 1.5 hours one way and is quite steep. You can read more about the mountain trip to Bruviknipa here.
Tysnessåto:
On the island of Tysnes 1.5 hours south of Bergen you can hike up the tallest peak called Tysnessåto. During the summer you can combine the hike with a visit to Myrdal Farm, where you can buy award-winning cheese made on the farm or enjoy a well deserved meal at the restaurant.
North Sea Trail:
If you want to experience the beautiful coastal flora, take the North Sea Trail on Fedje. This is part of a trip that goes along the coast of Norway, Denmark and Great Britain. From Tresneset, the trip is about 3 km long south to Fyksesund. If you start at the quay in Fedje, the trip is about 4.7 km long. The terrain consists of hilly heather landscape.
Trolltunga hike:
Trolltunga in Hardanger is perhaps the most photographed and talked about trip in Western Norway. However, even for locals who are used to mountain climbing, this hike is very challenging.
Bergen is the nearest airport to Trolltunga even if the starting point of the trip is close to Odda, about 3 hours drive from Bergen. It is not recommended to do Trolltunga on a day trip from Bergen, as the trip itself is about 12 hours long. We also recommend you do this hike together with a guide. Trolltunga Adventures offers a two-day trip with a guide an overnight stay in a tent along route. Read more about the tour "Trolltunga guided overnight hike" here.
Enjoy a few days in Bergen before doing your hike, relax with easy sightseeing in the city, nice food and drink and really charge up your batteries before the big hike!
The Queens Trail (Dronningstien):
A good alternative to Trolltunga is the Queens Trail (Dronningstien) in Hardanger. The hike is about 6 hours and starts at Kinsarvik and finishes in Lofthus. The drive from Bergen to Kinsarvik takes about 2,5 hours. It is possible to do the hike on a day trip from Bergen if you have a car. However, we do recommend you start very early in the morning to avoid rush traffic and to make sure you get a place to park in Kinsarvik. Or even better; take a few days to enjoy the region of Hardanger, it is a beautiful place and you’ll find plenty of good hikes.
The mountain trip Dronningstien in Hardanger. Dronningstien from Kinsarvik to Lofthus. Photo: Gjertrud Coutinho
This trip is very popular, but not recommended for non-experienced hikers as it is very steep and quite long. However, if this hike is on your bucket list, then make sure you allow plenty of time to take pictures along the way! The view of the fjords is simply breath-taking.
Best hikes in Norway:
If you are travelling in Norway and visiting Bergen on a round trip, then check out the most popular hikes in Norway.
For an enjoyable and safe trip, check out our 10 practical tips for hiking in Norway.
Hiking with a local:
Hiking with someone who knows the area is always a plus and gives that extra feeling of safety. Norway Mountain Guides offer hikes in the seven mountains in Bergen as well as the mountains in the region and fjords near Bergen. You can join a scheduled tour or book a guide for yourself.
Learn more about hiking in Norway and Bergen on this podcast:
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