I visited Mount Floyen in collaboration with Visit Bergen via the Bergen Card. As always, all thoughts, opinions, photos and experiences are all my own!
On the first leg of my Scandinavian travels, I spent a couple of days exploring Norway’s second biggest city, Bergen. Since Bergen is known for having low clouds and rainy days, a trip up to Mount Floyen, Bergen’s most popular tourist activity, isn’t always a possibility. I took full advantage of the sunshine on the last full day in the city, opting for an early Sunday morning ride up to the top of the city.
Exploring Mount Fløyen with Visit Bergen:
About Mount Floyen and the Floibanen
Mount Floyen is one of the seven mountains that surround Bergen with an elevation of 1300 feet. The Fløibanen, built in 1918, is the funicular system that transports nearly 1.8 million visitors per year to the top of Mount Floyen. At nearly 2,800 feet long, it elevates 1,050 feet within the couple of minutes it takes to get to the top.
Getting to the Floibanen
The entrance to the Floibanen funicular is located about 500 feet from the Fish Market and Bryggen. If you’re at the corner by the Starbucks, the Floibanen is directly up the hill from there.
Roundtrip or one way tickets can be purchased at the booth before entrance. If you have the Bergen Card, you’re granted a roundtrip ticket to the top for free from October to April. From May until September, the Bergen Card gets you a 50% discount. Click here for current ticket prices for the Floibanen funicular.
For more information on purchasing a Bergen Card and what exactly it gets you, click here.
Getting to the Top of Mount Floyen
Get in line to ride the Floibanen funicular to the top of Mount Floyen, the trip taking around 3 minutes.
If you’re wanting to walk up to Mount Floyen instead, start at the trailhead to the left of the Floibanen’s entrance and work your way up the marked route. Take some time to stop along the way for beautiful aerial views of Bergen and the cute cobblestone streets with colorful homes. The walk should take just over an hour.
What to Do on Mount Floyen
With a multitude of trails and scenic views, you could spend hours up here at the top of Mount Fløyen.
First and foremost, admire the magnificent views of surrounding Bergen from every angle. The cityscape spanning out through the fjords is such a sight to see from this height of about 1000 feet above sea level.
Read More: 3 Days in Bergen – A Norwegian Fairytale
At the northeast side of the glass barrier, walk down the steps to the extended view point area for some more amazing panoramic scenery!
After soaking in those sights, head over to the Fløistuen Café for a cappuccino to warm-up. Be sure to try a traditional Norwegian cinnamon bun, or skillingsboller.
If you’re hungrier for more than a snack, stop in at the Fløien Folkerestaurant. This historic place has been in operation since 1925, offering a full menu and a beer/wine list.
Walk past the restaurant around the perimeter of the pathway to the small little cabin for some more sights of Bergen. Multiple benches dot the sidewalk so take a load off and soak in those views as long as possible!
If you’re blessed with a fresh snowfall like we were, play around in it and even partake in some sledding over by the playground.
Continue on down the pathway to the edge overlooking Bergen. Across the way to the south is Mount Ulriken, the tallest of Bergen’s mountains.
Hiking from Mount Floyen
Hiking over to Mount Ulriken from Mount Floyen is actually one of the most popular hikes in Bergen, called Vidden. The hike can take around 5 hours which you can read more about here.
There are a couple of different hikes you can start from up here at Mount Floyen. The first and easiest is a trek to the Skomakerdiket Lake. From the top of Mount Floyen, follow the marked trail for a half mile until you reach the lake.
Another popular hike from Floyen is an easy walk to the Brushytten cabin, taking about 2.5 – 3 hours total. We spent time strolling around the gorgeous forest of Mount Floyen. The playground area offers some sledding opportunities and the small footbridges running above the creek is a sight to see at this elevation.
Returning Back to Bergen
With a roundtrip ticket purchase, or possessing the Bergen Card, you can rescan the ticket to board the Floibanen again. Otherwise, purchase a single-way ticket at the kiosk before the exit. To save on money, walk the marked pathway back down to Bergen.
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