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Last month I travelled to Bergen in Norway for what was my third time in the country but first to the city which is known as the ‘Gateway to the Fjords’. I totally lucked out with the weather: the city encounters more rainfall annually than the UK but the three days of my visit offered up clear blue skies, crisp cold, snowy weather and bright winter sunshine. I first fell in love with Norway’s breathtaking nature on my visit to Oslo last year, so it was a treat to see another slice of this country’s outstanding natural beauty.

Bergen is a small city surrounded on one side by snow-capped mountains laden with dense forest, and calm-as-a-millpond waters on the other – it’s a combination that makes for a soothing experience, to say the least. The town itself is a quaint series of cobbled streets, pastel painted houses and wooden clad buildings. I enjoyed very tasty lunches at both Bastant Stølegaten and Da Stefanos, but as I rented an incredibly stylish and comfortable Air BnB apartment (full home tour coming soon!) I decided to enjoy taking time to cook and eat at the apartment in the evenings. One of my favourite things to do was hike up Mount Fløyen to take in amazing views over the city, as well as to take long walks through the forest and around beautiful ice-covered lakes – this really is a great city if you like a main course of countryside with a side order of city! The golden hour I experienced one afternoon in the forest was like nothing I have seen before – it was nothing short of magical. If you’re not keen on hiking up the mountain, you can also ride the Funicular up and down, too. Have you ever been to Bergen, Norway? What inspires you about these pictures?

// Photography by Will Taylor

Author

Will Taylor

Will lives in NYC and is an interior design author and content creator. He's been blogging about his love of design, style and travel since 2009. His #MakeYouSmileStyle approach to decorating and dressing has inspired over one million Instagram uploads to the hashtag from followers across the world.

32 Comments

  1. Great vista from the top of the mountain. Very tempted to book a trip here for the summer. Thanks for the idea.

  2. My mouth is open!! I can’t get over how beautiful it is everywhere in this city. Need to show my husband!

  3. I totally see you living there one day, Will. There is not one pic more inspiring than the others but the combination of all of them is fascinating. Thank you for another great travel post! xo

  4. Bergen and the surrounding areas are so beautiful. We visited Norway in 2012 during the Oslo Marathon & then flew to Bergen to see the fjords. So magnificent 😉 Thank you for sharing your photos

  5. andrew joseph Reply

    These colors are breath taking and send you to a fantasy land that I can stay at forever! Thanks so much for this post!

    • @Geraldine – That’s so kind of you to say, thank you. It was a magical city and it’s natural beauty made good shots quite easy to find! 😉 x

  6. Your Photography is always so beautiful Will. I really love how you started the collage of images with the colourful buildings and then took us into the frozen forest and lakes. I could stare at that last picture all night. xD

  7. I have never been to Bergen but I do hope I will visit it one day (hubby is Norway obsessed – he lived there when he was younger). Lucky you, getting such beautiful weather!

  8. Such a colourful place! Norway is firmly on my places to visit list – I’ll make it there one day!

  9. I love all the beautiful colour and the amazing landscapes myself. Plus I am dying to know how you put the text and other extras on your pictures. What tools do you use Will?
    Jo x

  10. Nice article!
    I invite you to read my blog in English on daily life in Bergen, with posts on restaurants, sights, leisure, etc.
    Hope you like it!

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Hey, I'm Will

Welcome to Bright.Bazaar, my make-you-smile style corner of the internet. I’ve been sharing my love of beautiful design, feel-good homes, everyday style, inspiring travel and, pretty much everything in between, since 2009. As well as working as a content creator, I write interior design books and edit a bi-weekly e-newsletter called Smile Mail. I live in New York City with my heartmate and can often be found listening to Madonna’s Confessions album and dreaming up my next home renovation project.