Bergen
Nygårdshøyden
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The university quarter — University of Bergen main hill, bookshops, third-wave coffee and Bergen's student lifeblood.
Nygårdshøyden is the hill immediately south of the harbour with the University of Bergen's main campus and the city's densest concentration of bookshops, cafés and student bars. Nygårdsparken at the south edge is the city's biggest green space with cherry blossom in late April and Bergen's open-air summer concerts. The Bergen University Museum (natural history, cultural history) sits at the heart. Møhlenpris immediately to the west is the same district's creative-quarter extension with the best independent restaurants in the city.
Scores
Walkability
Transit
Price
Local feel
Nightlife
Family-friendly
Centrality
What you gain
- ↑University of Bergen campus — Norway's oldest, historic Muséplassen
- ↑Best independent bookshops and third-wave coffee in the city
- ↑Cheaper student-priced dining and bars than Bryggen quay
What you sacrifice
- ↓Steep walk back up the hill from Vågen — taxi or Bybanen tram
- ↓Quiet during semester breaks (June, July, December)
Best for
Avoid if
Other Bergen neighbourhoods
UNESCO Hanseatic wharf — coloured wooden warehouses and the absolute heart of the city, where everyone's photograph begins.
The quiet western peninsula — white-painted timber houses, Bergen Aquarium, Nordnes Sjøbad seawater pool — the locals' end of the city.
The medieval fortress on Vågen's north shore plus the suburban island of Askøy across the bridge — local family Bergen.
Know where to stay — now find when to go.
Best time to visit Bergen →