Bergen. Norway Tour Guide. Bergen is the Gateway to the Fjords of Norway. As a UNESCO World Heritage City and a European City of Culture, the Bergen region has the ideal combination of nature, culture and exciting urban life all year around. Bergen has long stood out as a bold and innovative city of culture. In Bergen, "local" does not equate to unimportant or amateurish. Here, local artists are one step ahead, both nationally and internationally. They are simply performing at world-class levels! Surrounded by seven hills and seven fjords, Bergen is a beguiling city. During the early Middle Ages, it was an important seaport and a member of the Hanseatic League, as well as Norway's capital a heritage that can still be glimpsed in the beautifully preserved wooden buildings of Bryggen, now protected as a Unesco World Heritage site. Chocolate-box, clapperboard houses creep up the hillsides, ferries flit around the fjords, and a cluster of excellent art museums provide a welcome detour, and not only in case Bergen's notoriously fickle weather sets in. Meanwhile, a large student population ensures the city has a buzzy bar scene and nightlife, and easy access to nature means you're minutes away from complete tranquillity.