EAM Pre-Program
Visit Bergen / Robin Strand – visitBergen.com
Visit Bergen / Robin Strand – visitBergen.com
Visit Bergen / Espen Haagensen – visitBergen.com
- WEDNESDAY May 17th/Our National Day:
– Early birds can join the crowd of locals who climb the steps of Stolzenkleiven to raise the Norwegian flag and sing “Nystemten” (the Anthem of Bergen) at the top of Sandviksfjellet at 7.00 am. You would have to leave the hotel around 5.45 am to manage to get to the top on time. This is a demanding hike (ca. 900 uneven steps, trail length 900 m, elevation 318 m plus 3,2 km from hotel to trail one way). If anyone wants to take on “Stolzen” we will find volunteers to meet you where the trail starts. Read more here.
This is a very well-known hike that can be done at any time. You can also make it a round-trip where you walk back to the city center via Mount Fløyen. Free of charge.
– After a good breakfast we walk from the hotel at 09.45 am to find a spot from where we can see the parades. In addition to the parades, you will enjoy a city center packed with people dressed in their national costumes, smiling faces and lots of activities. The official program from the municipality will be shared when available. Hilde and Eirik will join in on this activity and explain more about the history and traditions of May 17th. Follow this link to see some images from the 2022 celebration.
– In the afternoon we have different suggestions considering your interests and the weather:
- If the weather is ok it is very nice to hike in the mountains surrounding Bergen and end up at Fløyen in time for the fireworks at around 11 pm. If you want to take on “Stolzen”, but not at 5:45 am, you can do this round-trip in the afternoon. (No charge, unless you want to take the funicular to Mount Fløyen or the cable car to Mount Ulriken. Everyone pays for their own food/drinks).
- Wander around the different parts of the city and enjoy people and places. We will help book a place to eat in advanced as restaurants are very busy on this day. (No charge, but everyone pays for their own food/drinks).
- Take the bus to Hilde and Eirik to relax, play traditional games, eat shrimps (traditional spring/summer food), hamburgers and ice cream, enjoy drinks and just hang out. We will do the shopping beforehand as all stores are closed on the 17th and 18th of May. We can return to the city in time for the fireworks. Cost: 270 NOK + bus fare (80 NOK roundtrip). For drinks we will buy coffee, tea, soda, beer and wine with the food (ca. 3 units of wine or beer pr. person, we will have plenty of sodas and tap-water). You can all bring what you want to drink in addition to this.
If you know you are coming already register and pay through the web page. You can also decide and pay later, but we need to know by May 1st at the latest.
Note! All stores are closed on May 17th and 18th, so you will not be able to buy any alcoholic beverages except from in restaurants/bars. Non-alcoholic drinks can be bought in kiosks or from street vendors.
We will keep an open dialogue with everyone coming to Bergen for the 17 of May celebration.
Visit Bergen / Espen Bakketun – visitBergen.com
Visit Bergen / Karsten Madsen – visitBergen.com
THURSDAY May 18th: Feddie Ocean Distillery and coastal culture
We are excited to invite you to a trip to Fedje Island and the Feddie Ocean Distillery. This includes transport, a guided tour of the distillery, tasting of their products, an introduction of the coastal culture around Fedje with an emphasis on the role of the coastal women and time to wander a bit around the island. The focus on women is because they played an important role in coastal societies and because all investors in Feddie Ocean Distillery are women.
Price: 650 NOK
Timeframe: 10.00 from the Scandic City Bergen with return at around 18.00.
There will be different options to buy lunch at the island.
min:40 pax and max: 60 pax
Note: it is not possible to buy any alcohol products at the distillery due to Norwegian regulations. The products can be bought at Tax-Free up on arrival /departure.
Ask for Feddie distillery products like “Nine Sisters Ocean Gin” among others.
For more information, continue reading:
The coastal culture
The Norwegian coastline along the mainland, bays and fjords is ca. 29 000 km. Include the islands and our total coastline is ca. 103 000 km! A significant part of the population lives along the coast.
For thousands of years, the sea has provided us with plenty of its resources. From the first primitive fishing for own consumption, transport routes to conduct trade in near and far-a-way ports to having several main industries linked to water.
The sea route also became our door to the world. Bergen has always been an international city of trade. For more than 500 years members of the Hanseatic Leauge resided in Bergen. Their financial, political and cultural influence can hardly be underestimated. Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the hanseatic time and a Unesco World Heritage Centre. We will spend Friday evening in this area.
Coastal culture represents the everyday way of life along the coast. It is often about a life under marginal conditions, where adaptation, stamina, inventiveness and cooperation have been necessary qualities. It is amazing to see what people have managed to build up of lives and businesses in pretty harsh conditions. A few generations back the women especially really had to take charge as their husbands were at sea for long periods of time.
Once such place is Fedje island, a 1,5-hour drive and a ferry ride north-west of Bergen. There are less than 600 permanent residents (double in the summer) on the island. The island is rich in both culture and scenic nature. https://www.destinationfedje.org/english-home
In 2018 the idea of creating Feddie Ocean Distillery was born by three friends. In 2019 the idea turned into a reality. On their web page (https://www.feddiedistillery.com/) you can read the following:
Feddie Ocean Distillery
Fedje is the village in the ocean, and the island’s name was Feddie back in 1666. Feddie Ocean Distillery will capture the island’s history and identity. We are inspired by the ocean, the wild weather and the island’s distinct nature. Fedje’s character is in the wind eye between a poetic, beautiful calm landscape and the wild, rough waves of the ocean. And with an infinite horizon towards Scotland and Shetland.
Whisky is Feddie Ocean Distillery’s gold. And while we are waiting for our whisky to mature, we make gin, aquavit and other spirits.” The ideas, values and future plans of Feddie Ocean Disitillery is fascinating – way beyond the production of whisky, gin, aquavit, etc. They are very much contributing to building a society. A visit is highly recommended.
Visit Bergen / Casper Steinsland – visitBergen.com
FRIDAY May 19th:
The EAM program starts at 16.00 Friday afternoon. We suggest that you spend the first part of the day exploring the city or surrounding area according to your interests.
- There are endless trails in the mountains surrounding the city. Since we will start the EAM by taking the funicular to Mount Fløyen, you might want to take the cable car to Mount Ulriken or walk the Sherpa steps to the top. There are several trails around the top as well as café where you can eat lunch. Stolzen is also a demanding hike, like described earlier. There are also plenty of easy trails and walks. Fjellveien is a road half way up Mount Fløyen that stretches from the south to the north of the city. Nygårdsparken is also a nice park within the city center.
- Troldhaugen or the home of Edvard Grieg is situated on a beautiful spot a bit south of the city center. You will find a museum, his home, his composer hut and a concert hall. A visit to Troldhaugen can be combined with a visit to
- Fantoft Stavkirke – the only stave church within the municipality.
To these three locations you will need to use public transport – the light-rail or a bus.
- Explore Bergen by foot and visit the various museums (like arts, history, natural history) or places (like Bryggen, Church of Mary, the Rosenkrantz Tower and Haakonshall, Torget, Fish Market, Nordnes Sjøbad (swim in the heated outdoor pool or jump in the fjord) or just wander the streets of Nordnes and have lunch or a drink at Kippers café/USF verftet. You can easily walk around and about the city.
Visit Bergen / Casper Steinsland – visitBergen.com
Relevant links:
Mount Ulriken hikingtrails “vidden”
Fantoft Stavkirke (stave church)
Museums
For general information and suggestions try: