Bergen

Many visitors fall in love with Bergen, Norway's second-largest city, at first sight. Seven rounded lush mountains, pastel wood houses, the historic wharf, winding cobblestone streets, and Hanseatic relics all make it a place of enchantment. Its many epithets include "Trebyen" (Wooden City), "Regnbyen" (Rainy City, due to its 260 days of rain a year), and "Fjordbyen" (gateway to the fjords).

Surrounded by forested hills and glittering fjords, it's only natural that most Bergensers feel at home either on the mountains (skiing, biking, walking, or at their cabins) or at sea (fishing and boating). On any sunny day you'll often see them taking the funicular to the top of the nearby mountain for a quick hike or just to sit in the sun. As for the rainy weather, most visitors quickly learn the necessity of rain jackets and umbrellas.

Residents take legendary pride in their city and its luminaries. The composer Edvard Grieg, the violinist Ole Bull, and Ludvig Holberg, Scandinavia's answer to Molière, all made great contributions to Norwegian culture. Today their legacy lives on in nationally acclaimed theater, music, film, dance, and art. The singer Sondre Lerche, pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, choreographer Jo Strømgren, and author Gunnar Staalesen all live in Bergen. Every year a host of exciting festivals attracts national and international artists.