Seven mountains, one funicular, and the rain that comes between them

Bergen is surrounded by seven mountains — De syv fjell — which means the city has no unobstructed distant horizon, but it does have hills immediately accessible. Fløyen (320 meters) is reached by funicular from the city center in 8 minutes; from its terrace, you look south over Bryggen wharf, the harbor, and the opening fjords. Bryggen — the UNESCO-listed Hanseatic wooden wharf on the east side of the harbor — faces west, meaning afternoon and golden-hour light hits the colored facades directly. Bergen is one of the wettest cities in Europe (2,250mm annually), and the dramatic cloud formations that precede and follow fronts are often better photography than blue-sky days. The Fløibanen funicular is open year-round; in winter, the view of the city and fjord under snow is exceptional. At 60°N, golden hour runs close to 85 minutes in summer.