Experience in Bergen, Norway by Alexander

What is it like to live in Bergen? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Bergen is a very walkable and fairly dense city, yet not overwhelmingly crowded or busy. (except during the tourist season) The weather is often rainy, but nature is never far away, and if you find the city life stressfull you can alway take a hike in one of the seven mountains. I'd totally recommend living or studying there, it's a place where it's easy to try new things. While much of it is expensive, there are student pubs and places which are more manegable.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Bergen?

A lot of students drink and party a lot, and there are plenty of venues and student pubs to cater to that. There are also a multitude of student organisations for you, whether you're into sports, music, theatre, political activism etc. Personally I made friends with a roleplaying group and the queer student society. I also discovered a (non-student) naturist swimming pool, as well as a couple of beaches further out.

How much does it cost to live in Bergen?

Living in Bergen can be rather expensive. Prices for housing have been on the rise while I was there, transport is expensive. In absolute terms, food is also expensive, but comparatively cheaper than other countries if we take the income of Norwegians into account.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Bergen? Is there any advice you can give?

Finding accommodation can be quite difficult. I would recommend applying through Sammen Bolig, Sammen being the student welfare organisation. Otherwise, there are Facebook groups and the open market, but there it can be harder to get fair deals as a student.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Bergen can offer a wide range of restaurants from fast food burger restaurants to fancy sushi bars, also the traditional “hangover kebab” after a night of partying from any of several independent kebab shops. But eating out is rather pricey, so it's recommended that you do your food shopping at the supermarkets and cook at home. Unfortunately the selection of food can be a bit small, due to the size of supermarkets and competitive market focusing on lowering prices rather than expand to more products.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Bergen?

I can honestly recommend several of the popular tourist destinations like “Fløyen” and “Ulriken”. If your up for it you can even get there for free if you're willing to walk up. Other places are the Aquarium, and there's a nice naturist, or “free”, beach at Askøy, which is about one hour by bus from the centre. If it's not summer, there's also a nice indoor naturist swimming pool open once a week.

Is it good to eat out in Bergen? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Eating out in Bergen is quite expensive. My favourite is “Peppes Pizza” which make a variety of American style pizzas. There are also some nice wee kebab shops scattered around town. I would recommend checking the app “TooGoodToGo” for a cheap takeaway meal from any of a variety of restaurants and cafés.

Is the nightlife good in Bergen? Where is good to go?

Bergen can offer a busy partying nightlife if you're into that sort of thing, but getting into clubs can be expensive, and so are the drinks. I've been to the gay bar a few times, which is relatively popular among women. If you get in before the party starts and sit in the bar or whatever you can even get in for free.

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What advice would you give future students heading to Bergen?

Check out second hand shops, both in person and online through facebook gropups and whatever. There is a national second hand webshop called “Finn.no”. Don't do what I did which was to get all my books at the university bookshop on the first day, that's the most expensive place to get them.