Days 6-9: Bergen

View full slideshow

We arrived in Bergen around noon on the ferry from Balestrand. Mitch found us a great deal on a hotel - another hard to pronounce Clarion - the Havnekontoret, located next to Bryggen the old German wharf. We were lucky because the Tourist Info office said all rooms were booked due to high season and a John Fogerty concert that night. Doh! Anyway, we had an incredible time in Bergen. Highlights:

• Funicular to Mt. Floyen with incredible views of Bergen and surrounding fjords
• Bergen walking tour and museums
• Incredibly warm weather - 70s but very cool in the shade
• Great nightlife with almost midnight sun
• Picnicing and getting food from the Fish market
• Getting really goofy in a tacky souvenir shop (see photos)
• Meeting some nice locals and a sweet family from Spain
• *Private tour of the Oleana factory and saving 50% on our purchases in their outlet
• **Private tour of the Salhus historic knitwear industry factory & museum

We decided to change our itinerary to get to Denmark as the 17 hour overnight ferry from Stavenger had no sleeping cabins available. So, we got a cheap flight on Norwegian Airlines direct from Bergen to Copenhagen, saving us lots of time and kroners.



* Inspired by Norwegian folk costume tradition, the Oleana garments have their place in the long history of Nordic knitting traditions.

From the originally simple sweaters in black or in white made in the 18th century, more intricate patterns evolved over time, resulting in today's contemporary design, such as the richly patterned knitwear of the Norwegian company Oleana.

Designer Solveig Hisdal joined Oleana in 1992, and is responsible for many prize-winning designs. For her recent collection, she has found inspiration in Chinese ornamentation traditions, illustrating how patterns and materials know no borders.

Traditionally, knitting was an important task for young girls to know, and was also linked to love. The romantic aspect of knitting is still present today. Oleana is a company that has built it's creation on the belief that women need less, but more beautiful clothes, made in a sustainable way.



**The Salhus Knitwear Factory was established near Bergen in 1859 by a young entrepreneur from Slesvig. Knitted textiles were a product of the modern times, and Salhus was Norway’s first fully mechanised knitwear factory. Underwear, swimwear and socks bearing the Krone-Makko brand name were some of the products that were shipped out from the small fjord-side harbour. Salhus quickly grew to become a small commercial town, where the director’s residence had a prominent place. The owners exercised patriarchal authority over the small community, meting out equal measures of fear and care, and there were few labour conflicts. The factory withstood several crises, but by 1989 it had become unprofitable due to international competition. The Norwegian Knitting Industry Museum opened in 2001.