Hotels

If you know your Nordic languages, you might not be surprised to hear that the Bergen Børs Hotel occupies the building that once housed Bergen, Norway’s stock exchange. That famous Scandinavian minimalism you’re looking for is here, but it’s concealed within the 19th-century neo-Renaissance style of the historic building.

The interiors, by designers Claesson Koivisto Rune, are sparse but not severe, and as contemporary as they are, they pay subtle tribute to the era of the Børs’s foundation. The comforts are first-rate, but the style avoids needless opulence — though the suites do make use of some of the built-in ornamentation left behind by the stately building’s former offices.


BARE Restaurant is highly regarded for its locally sourced Nordic cuisine, and the bar is an elegant one, set in the old chamber of commerce hall. There are a handful of other restaurants in the market building, and the location places you steps from the fish market, the port, and the railway station, right in the heart of this compact and picturesque city — Bergen is known for its beauty, for its quality of life, and for its easy access to the wild outdoors of Norway.