Free things to do in Bergen

10 places in Bergen with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

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Bergen Museum – The Natural History Collections
Naturhistorisk museum
The Natural History Collections include botany, geology and zoology. The zoology exhibitions is preserved more or less as they were when they were put up almost a hundred years ago. Enormous whale skeletons suspended from the ceiling in the exhibition halls are visible through the windows from the outside. The geology exhibition is modern and varied and contains samples from most parts of the world, in addition to a nice local collection. Around the museum is a garden which is at its finest in spring and summer. There is also a green house where you can enjoy tropical plants.
Closed for renovationKr. 150. Senior citizens: kr. 110, children under 16, students: free. Ticket is also valid at the Cultural History Collections. Access to the garden and the green house is free of charge
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Bergenhus fortress
Bergenhus
Once the seat of the king, Bergenhus fortress is one of the oldest and best preserved forts of Norway. The oldest surviving buildings are from the mid 13'th century, but the area was a royal residence from the late 11'th century. The fortress is situated close to the international ferry terminal. The royal hall, Håkonshallen, (Håkon's Hall), named for King Håkon Håkonsson, was built some time between 1247 and 1261. It is used today for royal galas, as a banqueting hall for the city council, and other public events. The roof is reconstructed after a blast during World War II. The nearby Rosenkrantz tower has the same appearance as it had in the 16th century. The oldest part of the tower dates back to the 1270s, a few decades after Håkonshallen. It was expanded in the 1560s by the governor, Erik Rosenkrantz, to its present shape. The rest of the medieval buildings in the fortress have been replaced or demolished over the centuries, with some ruins still visible. Among these is the medieval cathedral, the Church of Christ, which was used for coronation and as a royal burial site in the 13th century. A memorial marks the site of the high altar. Guided tours of the royal hall and the tower start every hour between 10:00 and 16:00 every day from 15 May to 31 Aug in the royal hall. From 1 Sept to 14 May tours are only available between noon and 15:00 on Sundays. Entrance fee is kr. 170 for adults, 20 for students and free for children under 16. A small cafeteria with coffee, tea and basic snacks is open from June to August. The fortress grounds serve as a city park; you can hang out here and eat that fish you just bought at the nearby fish market - or just enjoy the sunshine and the view. The park is popular among locals and tourists, but usually not crowded. It is normally not a problem to find a good spot for your picnic or a round of Frisbee. There is a very good view of the bay. The use of open fire, including barbecues, and the drinking of alcoholic beverages are forb
Open now · closes 11 pmfree
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Fjellsiden neighbourhood
Traditional neighbourhood on the steep slopes behind Bryggen and around Fløibanen track.
Free
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Ladegården and upper Sandviken neighbourhood
An area with more regular and wider streets, highly characteristic style.
Free
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Marken
On the flatland just north of the railway station, pedestrian zone, and also in the hills above, around Skivebakken street.
Free
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Nygårdsparken
This is a very nicely landscaped park laid out in the late 1800s in English style. The park is a popular picnic place for families, and in the summer there's always several groups of students and young people having barbeques. You are very welcome to step on the grass and it's a nice place to play frisbee, kubb or croquet. If you want to save a few kroner on food and drink stop by a local grocery store to pick up some ingredients to a picnic, bring along a blanket and a few beers and spend a cheap and relaxing afternoon in this park. It's highly unlikely that the police will bother you for drinking in public in this park as long as you behave. It's also one of the places where it's rather easy to get in contact with the locals. There's no public toilet here, but pop over the road to Vilvite and use their facilities for free. The upper part of the park is now rejuvenated, with a nice play area for children, occasional outdoor exhibitions and – some weekends – a café with restroom in the new Pavillion.
Always openFree
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Sandviken neighbourhood
In Lower Sandviken near the small market square, there is a nice collection of traditional white wooden houses.
Free
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Skuteviken neighbourhood
A small traditional neighbourhood around a small bay just east of the fortress.
day timeFree
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Tippetue panorama point
Panorama point on the Tippetue footpath to Mt. Fløyen.
24 hrFree
Do Not mapped
Nye Sydnes Sjøbad
Public seawater "pool".
Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Bergen (CC BY-SA 4.0).