Best Fjord Bergen Norway Cruise 2023

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Greetings Internet Stranger and welcome to the best fjord Bergen Norway cruise. Oslo has many claims to fame when it comes to Norwegian cities. After all, it is both the biggest city in Norway and the nation’s capital. But if you ask many people what Norway’s most attractive city is, they will tell you it’s Bergen.

Bergen’s picturesque wooden homes and glorious location on the water make it popular with travelers from all over the world. Spend 24 hours in Bergen with me and we’ll take a best fjord Bergen Norway cruise to Baroniet Rosendal, learn all about Bergen’s history, and dine on the finest rhubarb in Norway. Fjord we go!

Best fjord Bergen Norway cruise

Where to Stay

Bergen, like pretty much every Scandinavian city, can be an expensive place to stay. That’s why I suggest staying at Citybox Bergen. It’s very affordable, but the rooms are clean and comfortable and the staff is friendly. Citybox is one of the best budget-friendly hotel chains in Scandinavia. I pretty much always stay at Citybox when I am in this area.

If you’d like to stay in one of these rooms, just click here.

And if you are looking for great deals on tons of other hotels for your best fjord Bergen Norway cruise, just click here. This search engine will help you find the perfect place to stay during your best fjord Bergen Norway cruise. With plenty of options to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find something for your schedule and budget.

24 Hours: Bergen Fjord Cruise

Morning: Fjordcruise

The best fjord Bergen Norway cruise is a perfect way to experience the fjords while you are in Bergen.

You can book a fjord cruise easily by going here!

In warm weather month, you can also have a two course lunch and a guided tour of a historic home, but that’s not included with the price of the cruise. There’s no more delightful, relaxing, and scenic way to spend the early part of your day in Bergen.

The best fjord Bergen Norway cruise leaves promptly from the docks of Bergen early in the morning, which will leave you plenty of time to explore the city of Bergen in the afternoon. But first, the fjords!

approximately top 5: best fjord Bergen Norway cruise

1) Fjord Cruise

The first part of the tour is a two hour best fjord Bergen Norway cruise to the Hardanger fjord. According to the Baroniet Rosendal website, this is the queen of fjords. I think this is because the Hardanger fjord is the second largest fjord in Norway.

Before visiting the Hardanger fjord, I was expecting all the fjords to be ice blue. But in fact this area is green and mountainous. As you can see from my photos, I didn’t luck out with the weather. Most of the day was gray and rainy.

But even through the fog, you could see how sublime the setting was. I half expected to hear “In the Hall of the Mountain King” chime out from every rock.

2) Rosendal Town

Once you get off the Bergen fjord cruise, you’ll have a little over an hour before the house tour of the historic mansion begins. That will give you some time to explore the itty-bitty town of Rosendal. There’s no guide to take you from the boat to the mansion, but you won’t need one. There are signs everywhere. As I always say, “If I didn’t get lost, you can’t get lost.” (I have the worst sense of direction the world has ever known.)

The only can’t miss attraction in Rosendal is this statue of a horse. It is dedicated to the legendary fjord stallion Rosendalsborken. I feel like they’re messing with me because I watched The Muppet Show and I know “Bork” is a Swedish word, not a Norwegian word.

Apparently Rosendalsborken won lots of prizes and renown. Don’t think you’ll be able to meet the horsie himself though. He was winning awards in the 19th century, so he’s very dead now.

If you’re like me, not an early riser, you probably didn’t have a real breakfast befjore the Bergen fjord cruise. So stop in at a cafe along the road to Baroniet Rosendal and buy some school bread. (I couldn’t find the name of the cafe written anywhere, but there’s a sign outside the cafe shaped like a pretzel.)

School bread is a Norwegian childhood treat, hence the name. This magical bread is a fluffy bun filled with custard and dusted with coconut. I don’t know how long coconut has really been available in Norway, so not sure how far this dish goes back. But who cares about authenticity when the pastry tastes this good?

3) Baroniet Rosendal Gardens

Once you make your way to the Baroniet Rosendal manor house, you’ll still have at least 30 minutes to kill before the house tour begins. I think this is the tour’s way of forcing you to stop and smell the roses, literally.

If you are lucky enough to be there in the summer, like I was, you can see the Renaissance-style rose garden in full bloom. Even on a cloudy day, the blooms shine bright. And let’s face it, you’re probably not going to be taking this fjord cruise in the winter. I don’t even think the cruise is offered in the winter.

Nothing in the Baroniet Rosendal garden gets wasted. The roses are used to make rose tea, and the produce is used to make the food for the guests at the restaurant and the bed and breakfast. We’ll be able to sample some of the fresh rhubarb later for lunch!

4) Baroniet Rosendal House Tour

If they are running when you visit Baroniet Rosendal, your house tour will begin. Picture taking is strictly forbidden inside the house, but I can give you some fun facts to whet your appetite.

Baroniet Rosendal was built in 1665. A noble Dane named Ludvig Rosencrantz built it for his wealthy Norwegian wife, Karen Mowat. The most spectacular room in the house is the library, which is the only preserved 17th century room left in Norway. (Ooh! Aah! Old rooms!)

My favorite fun fact is that the house was supposed to go to the University of Copenhagen when the Rosencrantz family died out. (Remember that Norway used to be part of Denmark.) However, by the time this actually happened, Norway was an independent country, and the home ended up being left to the University of Oslo.

Suck on that, Copenhagen! That will teach you to give the world fun things like amusement parks and mermaids!

5) Lunch!

After the house tour, you can get your two-course lunch in the shimmering greenhouse. The first course was salmon preparedtwo ways, both smoked and fresh. This fish dish was accompanied by a medley of fresh veggies from the garden.

I really wasn’t expecting anything so nice as the lunch in Rosendal! I mean, you’re stuck there, so they could just give you moldy lutefisk and you’d have to take it.

As good as the main course was, the dessert was even better. That’s because it was rhubarb cake made with fresh rhubarb from the garden. I always think of rhubarb as a spring-only thing, so it was exciting to have it fresh in the summertime.

Apparently rhubarb is so popular in Norway that children like to eat rhubarb dipped in sugar. That sounds a lot healthier than my beloved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

24 Hour Tip

Those are all the secrets of this cruise that I can share with you for now. You’ll have to go ahead and book the tour to find the rest for yourself.

Check rates and availability by going here

best fjord Bergen Norway cruise

Afternoon: Hanseatic Museum

Now that we’ve seen the fjords, it’s time to learn a little something about Bergen’s history. It’s extremely different from that of Oslo or any other city in Norway, largely due to its role in the Hanseatic trading league. And the best place to learn about this is in the Hanseatic Museum.

Now, if you’re thinking a museum dedicated to some boring old trading league sounds as much fun as watching paint dry, you couldn’t be more wrong! Allow me to prove it to you with…

three fun facts: Hanseatic Museum

1) Bringing in the clams

Bergen has long been one of the richest cities in Scandinavia, thanks to its role in the fish trade. Bergen exported its fine kettles o’ fish all over Northern Europe.

The Hanseatic Museum illustrates the importance of fish to Bergen’s wealth by…having fish skeletons hanging from the ceiling. I’m not sure why this was necessary. I know what fish look like. Do these fish date back to the 16th century or something? Are they historic fish? Are they, perhaps, fish mummies that have cursed Bergen to be a land of perpetual cuteness for all eternity.

If you’re interested in consuming some ahistorical fish, check out Bergen’s legendary Fish Market, which is right near the museum. You can buy anything from shrimp sandwiches to whale salami. I don’t think they sell flying fish carcasses from the 1500s though. You need to go to the Hanseatic Museum for that.

2) The Justice League

The Hanseatic League was an association of German and German-adjacent merchant cities along the Baltic Sea. It lasted from the 14th to the 17th century and made a lot of people in Northern Europe very rich. Some of the most famous Hanseatic cities include Hamburg, Riga, Bruges and of course, Bergen.

Each member city in the Hanseatic League had its own seal, some of which you can see pictured above. A lot of the seals seem to have angry faces on them. I guess they’re angry at the idea that you’re going to cheat them out of their money? Or maybe they’re angry that Bergen was trying to sell them a lot of old fish skeletons.

3) Old Wood

Sadly the Hanseatic Museum is temporarily in a different location because its original home is being restored. But that original home is so special, I’d like to share a bit of its history with you.

The Hanseatic Museum is set up in one of the oldest houses in Bergen. It is also the only wooden house in Bergen that kept its original interior. The stunning wooden paintings have been preserved behind glass for guests to look at.

This room contains records of various trades that happened in Bergen during the height of the Hanseatic League. My favorite story was about a man who wanted to make a trade for a large quantity of dried bats, but he refused to explain what he wanted them for. I assume it was because he was a wizard. A wizard always did it.

best fjord Bergen Norway cruise

Evening: Dinner at Marg and Bein

Marg and Bein, which means “Marrow and Bone”, is a cozy restaurant with a seasonal menu that changes on a regular basis. I think the best value is the four course dinner menu. You’ll get to try two appetizers, a main course, and a scrumptious dessert.

Of course, since the menu changes with the seasons, you won’t be able to have exactly what I ordered. But I should be able to give you some idea of what to expect.

24 Hour Treat: Steak Tartare

The first course was a steak tartare with pickled onions and cornichons. Steak tartare is my favorite preparation for a quality piece of beef. There’s nowhere for the meat to hide. If it’s less than perfect, you’ll taste it right away.

Apparently steak tartare was spread to Norway during the heyday Hanseatic League, so we’re getting a little history with our meat tonight.

The second appetizer was asparagus served with hazelnuts and goat cheese. Goat cheese is very popular in Norway, though you might be more likely to find it in the form of a sweet, brown cheese. Asparagus is another food, like rhubarb, that I associate with spring time.

But maybe the chilly weather in Norway tricks the plants into thinking that summer is spring? That wouldn’t be so bad if it keeps the rhubarb and asparagus coming.

My main course was redfish with cabbage and pickled onions. At first I thought there was some oddball translation on the menu because I have never heard of redfish. But apparently it is a specialty of the waters around Norway.

I personally prefer to have my fish cooked like this in some butter at Marg and Bein instead of hanging over my head in a museum with its bones hanging out. Are you listening, Hanseatic Museum?

24 Hour Treat: Chocolate Mousse

As you can clearly see in my photo, the dessert was a murderously good scoop of chocolate mousse served with meringue and raspberry. There’s nothing especially Norwegian about chocolate mousse, but who cares about cultural authenticity when something tastes this good?

And everything in Norway doesn’t have to be pickled onions and whale salami. (In fact, that sounds like the worst dessert ever.)

best fjord Bergen Norway cruise

What to Pack

• A cell charger so that you’ll be able to keep taking photos all during your best fjord Bergen Norway cruise
• The best international travel adapter because if you’re American like I am, or British like I am not, you’ll need one to be able to plug in electronics during your best fjord Bergen Norway cruise
• The most reliable travel umbrella that is small enough to fit in my purse, but strong enough to stand up to powerful winds during your best fjord Bergen Norway cruise
• These great TSA approved clear toiletries bags, so I can always keep spare toothpaste and travel sized toiletries in any carry-on.
• My book Get Lost, that I wrote myself with all my best travel tips. This book will show you how travel can take you on a journey of self-discovery.
• My favorite travel guide to Norway

best fjord Bergen Norway cruise

How to Get There

Now, I wish I knew where you lived, Internet Stranger, because I could send you a box of the finest Norwegian rosemaling. But sadly, I do not, and so I can’t tell you exactly how to get from your home to this best fjord Bergen Norway cruise

But I can tell you that you can use an airplane to get to a large city like Paris or London, and then take a shorter flight to Oslo. I recommend Expedia for the best way to find the cheapest flight to Oslo at the best time of day. Once you’re in Oslo, you can either take a short flight to Bergen, or you can take a train from Oslo to Bergen. (I opted to spend a few days in Oslo first and then head to Bergen.)

You can even use Expedia to rent a car so you’ll be all set when you arrive at your destination. (I can’t drive, but if you can, this must be helpful.)

Just click here to start looking for the best possible deals on your flight, so you can head out on your best fjord Bergen Norway cruise

That’s a Perfect best fjord Bergen Norway cruise

What would you do on a best fjord Bergen Norway cruise? Are you ready to start booking your hotel in Bergen? How is it possible to grow rhubarb and asparagus in the summer? And what is that flying fish skeleton doing hanging over your head? Please email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com and let me know!

Note: If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here. Keep in mind that while each article is about how to spend 24 hours in a place, that doesn’t mean you should ONLY spend 24 hours in Bergen, with or without a Bergen fjord cruise day trip.

Next, you can experience a 24 hours in Bergen itinerary. You can also try 24 hours in Oslo. Don’t forget to try a day with the best attractions in Oslo.