In Norway, the city of Bergen is most known for the football team Brann, the Fish Market AND the seven mountain surrounding the city. Hiking on the seven mountains is very popular for both locals and visitors. In addition to hiking, you can hire a mountain bike, go canoeing or try Norway's fastest zipline.
The seven mountains in Bergen are Sandviksfjellet, Fløyfjellet, Rundemanen, Ulriken, Løvstakken, Damsgårdsfjellet and Lyderhorn.
Here are some popular mountain hikes on the seven mountains:
Get your heart rate up at Mount Ulriken:
In 2019, the new stairs up Ulriken were completed and these will definitely get your heart pumping! However, no need to race. Take your time and enjoy the nice view along route.
Mountain hike up Ulriken, one of the seven mountains. Photo: Visit Bergen / Casper Steinsland - visitBergen.com
Most hikers will start the hike up Mount Ulriken from Montana. There is no parking available at Montana, but there are frequent buses from the city center. You can also start further down by the Ulriken Cable car. (If so add an additional 30 minutes to your hike)
The estimated time for this hike, including a few stops to catch your breath, is perhaps around one hour. But this can vary from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on your level of fitness. Another option is to take the Ulriken Cable car up and walk the steps back down to Montana. However, many people find the walk down tougher, especially for your knees.
Walk from Ulriken to Fløyen across Vidden:
From the top of Ulriken you can walk all the way to the top of Fløyen. This mountain plateau is called Vidden. Or you can do the walk the other direction. Equally nice both ways, but since Ulriken is slightly higher than Fløyen, you will get more downhill if you start at Ulriken. If you do not want to walk up Ulriken, you can take the cable car to the top and start from there.
The mountain plateua at Vidden. Photo: Gjertrud Coutinho
The hike across the Vidden takes approximately 5 hours. Vidden in Norwegian means mountain plateau so this hike is fairly flat. You get a feeling of being far from anywhere and this feeling of pure nature and silence is perhaps why this walk is so popular amongst locals. A nice break from the buzzing city. Walking with a local gives you that extra bit of comfort and safety and with Norway Mountain Guides you get just that.
Walk down from Fløyen:
From Fløyen, you can choose to take the Fløibanen funicular (a steep train) down to the center or walk down. The trip down from Fløyen takes about 45 minutes and winds between nice wooden houses and parks.
Hiking Mount Fløyen:
Fløyen is the one out of the seven mountains that has the largest number of marked trails, so there is a large number of hikes to choose from. The hikes are very well marked and you can choose between a 10 minute walk to lake Skomakerdiket or longer walks lasting several hours. You can access these trails all year round, and in the winter there are ski slopes for cross country skiing.
Lots of trails to choose from at Fløyen! Photo: Gjertrud Coutinho
If you have a pram or wheelchair it’s no problem on Fløyen, if you follow the gravel roads. The funicular from the city center runs every day throughout the year and has easy access for both prams and wheelchairs.
Løvstakken - see Bergen from a different angle:
About a 30 minute walk from the city center you will find the start of the hike up Løvstakken, another of Bergens seven mountains. The trip up takes about 1.5 hours. There is several shortcuts and routes to the top, just ask a local to make sure you stay on the right track.
Mountain hike to Løvstakken. Photo: Gjertrud Coutinho
At the start of the hike there is a nice gravel road, which eventually turns into a more narrow trail before you have to walk on rocky ground the last bit towards the top. This hike is best during spring and summer as it can get a bit slippery on the rocks in autumn and winter. From the top of Løvstakken you get a beautiful view towards the city center, the Airport and the many islands west of Bergen.
Feel the lactic acid in Stoltzekleiven:
Did you enjoy the stairs up Ulriken? Then you might want to try the 908 steps up Stoltzekleiven as well. To get to the starting point, you can walk from the city center, or take the bus a couple of minutes from the city center and walk up to the start in Fjellveien.
Most people respect the unwritten rule of just walking upwards and taking another route back down. The path and stairs are narrow in some places and if hikers going up does not have to give way to hikers coming down, it is easier to keep a steady pace. And this is the key in Stolzen; the steady pace. It’s a fun a challenging hike and just as your legs starts shaking and you can feel the lactic acid, you will see this sign:
Stoltzekleiven. Photo: Gjertrud Coutinho
And yes, “Melkesyren” means lactic acid in Norwegian. But no need to despare, you will definitely not be the only one with shaky legs and short breath..!
Fortunately, you will be rewarded with stunning views of Bergen and the seven mountains when you reach the top! Then the pain is quickly forgotten, the heart rate slows down and you can pat yourself on the back and say well done!
View from the top of Stoltzekleiven. Photo: Gjertrud Coutinho
In Norway we tend to take the kids hiking from an early age and you will probably see many parents hiking with the baby in a backpack. As soon as the kids are old enough to walk, they're encouraged along by their parents or teachers.
If visiting Bergen is part of your round trip in Norway, then check out these suggestions for mountain hikes in Norway.
More hikes in the Bergen region is available on this page.
Read our 10 practical tips for hiking in Norway here.
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