Is Bergen Safe? (How To Stay Safe In Bergen)

Norway is generally considered a pretty safe country to visit as a tourist, but is Bergen safe to visit? This article will take a closer look at how safe you can expect to be in Bergen, what the crime rates are, and how you can increase your chances of having a safe visit to Bergen.

Bergen is like most of Norway considered safe to visit, but there are occasional petty thefts and pickpockets in the popular tourism areas. There are generally very few muggings in Bergen, and you will be completely safe visiting Bergen as long as you keep your wallet, camera and cell phone close to you.

Many people are worried about muggings in Bergen, but there are virtually none, especially when it comes to random targets. You will not be mugged by either armed or unarmed criminals, and muggings in general are considered super rare in Bergen. The only muggings that happen does happen to intoxicated people who walk home alone, but even this is rare.

Places in Bergen to avoid and be wary of

There are a few areas in Bergen where you will want to keep your guard up.

The primary one is Nygårdsparken at night. This is the huge public park in the middle of Bergen. While the park is a nice place to chill during the day, it tends to be filled by rather sketchy people and addicts at night.

There are few muggings in Bergen, but the very few that do happen all happen in Nygårdsparken at night, or at St John’s Churh right next to it. I advise you to stay away from the park at night if you are intoxicated after spending the night at a pub.

The other areas that might require some extra attention are Bryggen, Torget and Torgallmenningen. These are basically the main area in the Bergen city center, and will be the place where you are most likely to encounter pickpockets and petty thefts.

The chance is low, but it is higher is these areas compared to the rest of Bergen. Don’t put your camera down while you do something else, and make sure your wallet in somewhere you can keep it safe.

Other than that, the entire city is considered very safe. There are no bad neighborhoods or ghettos that you should stay away from in Bergen. But as with all cities, keep your guard up when being outside at night.

There might be brawls and arguments outside pubs and night clubs

While Bergen is a friendly city, the occasional brawl or fight will take place outside pubs and bars at night, especially right after closing time. You should take care of staying out of trouble and staying away from people looking to argue when they are drunk.

If you are enjoying the bars or night clubs until they close, consider moving away from the main area rather quickly after exiting, or get into a taxi to take you back to your hotel room.

Make sure to stay safe if you are going into the nature

The article thus far has focused on safety from crime, but you are more likely to get injuries from under-preparing for hikes or trips into nature than from other humans. As with the rest of Norway, even the hikes just outside the Bergen city center can be challenging, and the weather can change fast.

This is especially true in Bergen where the rain can come quickly and surprisingly. This is not only annoying, but will cool your body down, make trials slippery, and reduce your visibility.

It is actually not uncommon for the Police and Red Cross to go looking for tourists who don’t return home after a hike in the mountains. This goes for all of Norway, but it does indeed happen just outside of Bergen as well, and even the seven mountains of Bergen can lead to search and rescue operations.

So be careful when going on hikes, prepare for where you are going, bring some extra clothing, and more food and water than you expect that you will need. You might even want to tell someone (like the hotel staff) where you are going and when to expect you home, so that they can initiate a search and rescue if you don’t return to your hotel room.

Common questions and answers about the safety in Bergen