Bergen

Bergen: history & character

Bergen, founded in 1070 by King Olav Kyrre, was for five centuries the unofficial capital of Norway and Scandinavia's most important Hanseatic port. The Bryggen wharf, UNESCO-listed since 1979, bears witness to that mercantile golden age: colourful wooden houses, labyrinthine alleys, dried-fish warehouses. Today Bergen counts 285,000 inhabitants and is the Norwegian "gateway to the fjords" — entry point for the Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord. Wedged between seven mountains and the sea, it is one of Scandinavia's most dog-friendly cities: free public transport for dogs, off-leash mountains 7 minutes from the centre by funicular, a temperate oceanic climate (240+ rainy days a year), and a café culture that welcomes dogs indoors from October onwards. The Norwegian leash season (1 April-20 August) protects ground-nesting birds; the rest of the year, dogs run free on mountains with proper recall.