BERGEN: Top 10 activities for a fun filled family break with autistic kids.
- sunshinelayla
- Jan 11
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 16
Bergen is often called the Gateway to the Fjords.
Surrounded by mountains and waterways, including Sognefjord - Norway's longest and deepest fjord - Bergen is a truly beautiful harbour town and a great place for autistic kids.
Read on to discover the top 10 things we most loved about our 5 night stay in this captivating city.
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WHY DID WE CHOOSE TO TAKE OUR AUTISTIC CHILDREN TO BERGEN IN NORWAY?
Bergen is often called the Gateway to the Fjords, and surrounded by mountains and waterways, including Norway's longest and deepest fjord - Sognefjord - Bergen is truly beautiful harbour town.
Although the fjords were our reason for planning the trip (seeing the Norwegian Fjords has been an item on my bucket list for absolutely ages) we quickly discovered it has lots more to offer. Its Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf has UNESCO World Heritage City status and in 1999 it was the European Capital of Culture - a legacy which lives on in its annual International Festival. It's small scale and proximity to the mountains also promised accessible adventures and exciting excursions into nature.
Our Top 10 Favourite Things to do in Bergen for Autistic Families
1) SEEING THE FJORDS
As you can imagine, there is a huge range of fjord cruises to choose from in Bergen, including ones that combine a boat trip with a rail journey and visit to places like the picturesque town of Flam.
As great as it sounded, a 10 hour round trip was clearly beyond the boys, so with them in mind we settled on a 4 hr trip that left from Bergen's harbour, literally 50 m from our apartment!
The cruise navigated through the long Osterfjord and the narrow Mostrauman strait.
The boat was spacious, the scenery was stunning, we got up close to a Norwegian waterfall and the boys were invited up to the bridge to meet the captain - it was absolutely our dream trip.
2) BUGGY FRIENDLY CITY CENTRE
We found Bergen to be extremely easy to navigate, with wide footpaths that made pushing our youngest in his buggy quite easy. There were a number of pedestrianised areas which also made getting around with the boys without the buggy feel pretty safe. It didn't seem like there was a lot of traffic on the road either, particularly around the main touristy areas.
3) NOT TOO CROWDED
Despite visiting during the May half term week, which was also when the Bergen International festival was on, it did not feel busy or overcrowded. There were a few other people and some cruise tour groups around but it was not overwhelming. Even on our fjord tour there was plenty of space to move around the boat and take some amazing family photos.
4) PLAYTIME IN NATURE
There was a great playground near our accommodation which gave our autistic / adhd boys the opportunity to play and be outside in the afternoon. This is often the most challenging time of the day as they are getting tired - having somewhere to go where they could let off steam helped them meet their sensory need for movement and also stay emotionally regulated.
It was an added bonus that the playground also had the most incredible views of sea and mountains, just standing there and looking at it while the boys played turned out to be a very peaceful and calming experience for J and I.
5) THE FLOIBANEN FUNICULAR
Our eldest child adores everything to do with transport, and this was to be his first time on a funicular. As soon as he looked out from our apartment window and saw the carriages moving up the mountain he was desperate to go. We didnt make him wait long!
It was very easy to get to the Floibanen funicular, it is a few minutes walk from the centre of the town, and you can buy tickets from the office to the top of Mt Floyen. At the top we discovered fantastic views of Bergen and the surrounding fjords, along with some excellent woodland playgrounds and walking trails through beautiful Norwegian forests. We did the shortest walk to the lake and it was so peaceful and serene. The boys also loved meeting the resident Mt Floyen mountain goats! It was one of our favourite activities and if we had been staying longer we would definitely have gone a second and maybe a third time!
For more information on Mt Floyen and what it offer families you can visit the main booking website. We turned up on the day, but in the summer and other busier times they recommend booking in advance.
6) BERGEN'S HARBOUR
Bergen is situated on a large harbour, the boys enjoyed watching the boats on the water and going for walks along the promenade.
Alongside the harbour is a lively fish market and a range of cafes / restaurants to suit all budgets. It was a vibrant and fun place to look around, the boys particularly liked the stalls that had tanks of live sea creatures. There was also lots of outdoor seating for alfresco dining, which is always easier and more relaxed than inside a restaurant when you have two bouncy boys that find it hard to sit through a meal.
J and I even had the chance to enjoy a really delicious meal one evening while my mum sat with the boys. We had a table overlooking the harbour with all its twinkly romantic lights - awww.
7) NORDNES SEAWATER POOL
The boys really love spending time in the water (even though they can't swim yet) so we made a point of booking a session at the Nordnes Seawater pool and it was absolutely brilliant - we all loved it. Swimming right by the sea and looking out across the harbour at the beautiful wooded mountains was a special experience.
In fact you can go from the outside heated pool into a sauna and then down into the seawater but we weren't brave enough for that! Going on a weekday morning meant there were few visitors and it felt as if we had the place to ourselves, indeed we were the only ones in the kid's pool.
The Nordnes website tells you the pool and sea temperature and also has a handy counter on it which shows you how many people are there swimming at any given time, which is helpful if you want to avoid the crowds.
8) THE BERGEN FESTIVAL
It was just by chance that we were in Bergen at the same time as their International Festival - which runs variously throughout May and June each year.
While we didnt buy tickets for any of the programmed events, the boys totally loved the children's activities in the main square - particularly the fascinating hands on wooden puzzle boxes and games and the kids cinema in caravan!
There was also a stage for free music and lots of fun seating. We happily spent a couple of hours here on one of the mornings - in the end we had to drag the boys away.
9) THE FRIENDLY LOCALS
We found the people we met to be kind, friendly and very helpful. From helping us find a supermarket that was open on a bank holiday, selling us international stamps and giving us directions to a post box, checking every ingredient on about ten cakes to find one that didn't say may contain nuts or sesame, friendly chats in the playground and inviting the boys to go and meet the captain in the bridge on our highly recommended half day Fjord boat trip it seemed nothing was too much trouble. We truly felt welcomed and looked after.
ITS FASCINATING HISTORY
Dating from the Norwegian Middle Ages (c1350) the old town wharf (Bryggen), is an interesting and vibrant example of Hanseatic architecture. There are 2 museums (which we didn't visit), but the main draw is its maze of buildings (rebuilt in 1705) that house an interesting mix of contemporary artistic workshops and glimpses of life from long ago.
It is one of Northern Europe's oldest port cities and on the UNESCO World Heritage List, while Bergen itself is a World Heritage City.
We hadn't really known what to expect and were surprised to find lots of steep stairs to climb up and down as well as long galleried landings and hidden away workshops - it is probably best to leave the buggy at home if you visit. Unfortunately it was raining really, really hard when we visited. Although the boys enjoyed the bits we did do, especially finding all the trolls, quite a few sections of it were open to the elements and in the end we were so soggy we abandoned it to find shelter - and never went back to complete the full experience.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Everyone in the family loved our visit to Bergen. It was the perfect size, compact but with lots for us and the boys to do. I would highly recommend it as destination for families with neurodivergent / autistic / adhd children. If you are thinking about visiting keep an eye on the Norwegian Airlines website - they often have flash sales and Bergen is an obvious destination. If you self-cater and limit your cafe visits then we found Bergen to be reasonably affordable as a destination for a short family holiday.
