Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Gay Bergen – a charming, harborside city in Norway is quickly becoming the next ‘it’ destination on the tip of everyone’s tongue.
With mystical fjords, kaleidoscopic houses, copious museums, and creative gastronomy all served up alongside a heavy dose of Nordic design, Bergen might just have it all…except for being the rainiest city in Europe, that is.
Sure, Gay Bergen might be challenging to discern as queer folk here don’t feel the sequester themselves in ‘safe gay spaces,’ but LGBT travelers are instead rewarded with one of the most forward-looking and liberal cities in Scandinavia. And Gay Olso is also filled with beautiful Viking men (and women) who refreshingly don’t really care about what you – or anyone else – do in the bedroom!
What’s not to love?
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Norway since 2009 – while PreP is available free of charge – and in this peaceful and open-minded Nordic harbor town, queer travelers will find small rainbow flags on almost every store, club and restaurant window. Inclusivity is often just a buzzword, but we found in Gay Bergen sexuality was (generally speaking) a non-issue.
However, in this almost ‘post-gay’ society, since everyone mingled together freely, it did make it hard to pinpoint defined queer spaces beyond the obvious gay bar – though we have a similar problem in Gay Oslo.
For an idea of how ‘post-gay’ Norway really just take a look at the Norwegian teen drama.
Norwegians are famously shy and withdrawn, loving to brag about how withdrawn they are – but we have to disagree and found Norwegians in Bergen open, sincere and warm… despite their challenging weather. While on the long, beautiful summer days, it is easy to meet gay locals in parks, outdoor cafes and just around town, in the bitterly cold winters, you might want to turn to hookups to meet a friendly local.
Honestly, there is much specifically ‘gay’ about Bergen – and we loved it anyway! A refreshing destination with vibrant nightlife, intriguing architecture and a whole lot of nature at your doorstep!
