Arriving by Ferry to the Historic Town of Bergen, Norway

Sunset colors light up some of Bergen's old quarter near the waterfront. A modern piece of art accentuates the scene, with the sunset colors wrapping around it. Our hotel, the Opus XVI, is in the building to the right.

Architecture from the Hanseatic German traders dating back centuries. This network of German traders spread all across Central and Northern Europe as far back as the 1100's. Bergen was one of their oversea offices in Norway.

There are several ways that travelers can get to Bergen, Norway. You can fly, or drive, but there is another way that is hands down the best, taking a scenic ferry ride through the fjords from Flam. It is a very relaxing five hour journey on mirrorlike water, past towering cliffs, rushing waterfalls, and tiny villages. The scenery is nonstop. It almost feels like entering a painters canvas. Not to mention we enjoyed a few glasses of wine from the onboard food shop and ended up sitting next to a famous movie actress, Jodi Foster.

Pulling up to Bergen, I realized that I had vastly underestimated the size of this town. It turns out that Bergen is the second largest city in Norway. It almost felt like pulling into the port of Oslo. I couldn't wait to step off and go check out the old town, where we were staying. Walking through the narrow alleys and passages between the buildings made me feel like I was walking back through time.

Our hotel is called the Opus XVI. It is named after the historic local composer Edvard Grieg's most famous work, Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16. The hotel is owned by descendants of Grieg. The hotel is located in a historic building that was once a bank. The bar was amazing, and the breakfast buffet was to die for. The one drawback is that it was unusually hot while we were there, and no one seems to believe in air conditioning in Norway. So it was a bit stuffy at night, but the comfy bed made up for it!

I found many museums, including the historic leper colony where Dr. Hansen did his research and found the cause for the mysterious disease. I often talk about him on my Hawaiian island tours, since there was a big leper colony there. Because of his research, medicine was used to treat the disease, which is now called Hansen's disease. I found lots of fun restaurants, although my favorite was an Italian place that we had our final dinner in, called Amici Miei. It can highly recommended and now I pass that recommendation on to others.

I already know that our time here in Bergen will pass too quickly. There is just too much to see and experience. But for now, its time to head for the hills. One of the most usual activities here in Bergen is to hike through the mountains. We've got a big hike lined up with a local guide from one mountain top to another. Wish us luck!

I'm not sure why this single railroad track was still here in the old town of Bergen, Norway. The old bank building to the right now contains the beautiful Opus XVI Hotel, listed as one of the Luxury Small Hotels of the World.

The entrance to our small hotel, the Opus XVI.

The rooms were very smartly done. The bed was quite comfortable, and I liked the sitting sofa at the foot of the bed.

Bergan was a delight to explore. There were beautiful squares and parks, with all kinds of art work, shops, and restaurants.

Another fun square with cool architecture around.

A little welcome treat, some fudge, awaited me in my room. I really liked the electronic key cards that were made out of wood.

The main floor is dominated by this beautiful central bar. The breakfast buffet was located right behind it.

Bergen, Norway.

There is a lot to see in this photogenic town.

Some parts of Bergen were destroyed in WWII, but you could find a lot of old architecture if you look a bit.

Cute little cafes lined the side streets.

We arrived in Bergen on a high speed ferry. It took us a little over five hours to drive through the Sognefjord and out through the outer islands to get here from Flam.

Stairs leading out of the Opus XVI.

I'm excited for our stay here at the Opus XVI, right in the heart of Bergen.

We passed by ancient towns and historic farms on our high speed ferry. I really liked this cute little boat house in one of the village stops.

The ferry even pulled over at one point to show us this cool waterfall, dumping into the fjord.

More scenery from the ferry ride.

This one on the outer coast, getting close to Bergen. We passed by so many little cabins and weekend homes on our travels.

There were little towns like this one, all through the Sognefjord. Most of these did not have road access until recently. Now there are tunnels through all the mountains, connecting these little villages, towns, and farms.

As always, keep traveling and keep posting!

• Dai Mar