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You are here: What's On Christmas in Bergen
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The Gingerbread town, the Bergen Christmas market and the Festival of light are some of the events Bergen has to offer to put you in the right Christmas spirit.
The Gingerbread Town (Pepperkakebyen) is the World’s largest town of its kind. In November, half of Bergen’s citizens make their own contributions to this tasteful, magical town. Houses, churches, castles, rockets, and even oil platforms are some of the edible artwork you can find – the creativity is amazing. The result of it all is a mind-blowing fairytale town among mountains, fjords, snow and atmospheric light. You can also have a taste of Bergen’s own gingerbread hearts at the end of the tour. Every day from 14 November until 31 December you can visit the Gingerbread Town at Sentralbadet.
This year, Bergen Christmas Market will open for the fourth time this year. The exhibitors offer various handmade, homemade and edible Christmas gifts. You can also try interesting Christmas foods from all over the world. There will be fun activities indoors and outdoors, such as Ferris Wheel, a carousel, and the World’s Smallest Gingerbread Town. You’ll find the Christmas market at Festplassen, in the middle of the city center, from 26 November until 22 December 2020.
Take the opportunity to see the world famous fjords! On the tour called "Guided tour and fjord cruise to Nærøyfjorden, Flåm and Stegastein viewpoint" you get a full fjord experience in just one day! The tour is available weekends in December plus every day from December 26 to December 31! More days might be available as the tour gets full. (If you want to secure your ticket, we do advice to buy in advance as there are only 16 seats on each tour)
If you are short on time, there are several half-day tours available. See all options for half-day tours here.
Or view all winter tours and cruises here.
Bergen city center decorated for Christmas. Photo: Visit Bergen / Robin Strand - visitBergen.com
From 26 - 31 December 2020 you can experience great pianists play their Grieg favorites on Edvard Grieg's own Steinway grand piano from 1892 in his villa at the Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen. A unique opportunity to experience Grieg's music in the composer's own living room!
Inside Edvard Grieg's villa at Troldhaugen. Photo: Visit Bergen / Dag Fosse – visitBergen.com
Throughout December Bergen offers a large selection of Christmas concerts that are sure to get you in the right Christmas spirit! Check out What's on in Bergen here.
Bergen also marks Advent with the traditional lighting of candles on Mount Fløyen every Sunday leading up to Christmas. There are also Christmas workshops and other fun activities before and after the lighting. If there is enough snow, you can get down to the center of Bergen from Mount Fløyen with sledges. The Fløibanen funicular offers special sledging tickets, and you can sleigh down from Mount Fløyen all day. The road and the paths are lit during the evening.
Mount Fløyen. Photo: Robin Strand, Norphoto AS
In Norway, the most important celebration happens on Christmas Eve, 24 December. This is when Norwegian families come together for a big meal. After dinner, it is time to unwrap the presents.
Norwegian Christmas food traditions vary across the regions, but Christmas dinner in Bergen is usually mutton ribs (called Pinnekjøtt), fish, or pork ribs, with all the traditional trimmings, such as sauerkraut, swede, gravy and the ubiquitous boiled potatoes.
If you want to bring the Bergen Christmas feeling home, head to Julehuset at Bryggen to get nisser and other Christmas decorations. In November and December, the shop has two floors of Christmas products.
The last day of the year is usually spent in one of many restaurants, night clubs, pubs and bars or at home with family and friends. The city is buzzing with life and people in festive spirit! At midnight there is fireworks that can be seen from all over the city center. To get you safely home after the celebrations, there is an extensive public transport service if you are staying outside the city center. Night busses and Bergen Light Rail are running all night.
From Thursday December 6 to (and including) December 23, most shops in the city centre are open the following hours:
Monday to Friday: Open until 8PM (malls until 9PM)
Saturday: Open until 6PM
Sunday: Open until 2PM or 7PM
Christmas Eve: Open until 1PM (with some exceptions)
Christmas Day and Boxing Day: Closed
New Year’s Eve: Open until 4PM (with some exceptions)
Strandgaten decorated for Christmas. Photo: Visit Bergen / Robin Strand - visitBergen.com
Bergen domkirke (Bergen Cathedral):
24 December at 14:30.
24 December at 16:00
25 December at 11:00
26 December at 11:00
29 December at 11:00
1 January at 11:00
Johanneskirken (St. John's Church):
24 December at16:00
25 December at 11:00
31 December at 23:15
5 January at 11:00
Mariakirken (St. Mary's Church):
24 December at 14:30
24 December at 16:00
24 December at 23:00
29 December at 18:00
Nykirken:
24 December at 16:00
Other Sites
Visit Bergen / Bergen Tourist Board
Strandkaien 3 - Postboks 977 Sentrum
5808 Bergen, Norge
© Visit Bergen 2020
