Fløibanen, and Dinner Above Bergen
The machine
Two cars, named Rødhette and Blåmann, each carrying 120 passengers, running at 4.0 m/s on a gradient between 15 and 26 degrees. There are four intermediate stops. Between 15 June and 31 August the cars call at the intermediate stations only on the hour, between 09:00 and 15:00 — worth knowing if you were planning to get off halfway in high summer.
Why it is on a food site
Because the city’s only dedicated food walk finishes up there. The last of its thirteen tastings is seasonal meat and fish at Fløirestauranten, with Bergen laid out below, and the return Fløibanen tickets are included in the tour rather than bought separately. That is a genuine piece of value in a city where most tours end in a street. The walk, in detail.
Doing it on your own
The funicular runs as public transport and carries roughly 2.4 million passengers a year, which tells you how much of Bergen’s visitor traffic goes up this hill. If you are already booked on the food walk, you do not need a separate ride. If you are not, it remains the simplest way to see the city from above on a day with a break in the weather — and this is a city with about two hundred rain days a year, so take the break when it comes. The rain. One day in Bergen.
Book the food walk for the end of a clear afternoon if you can choose. The view from the top is the last course and weather decides whether you get it.
The other end of the city
The food walk meets at the entrance to the tourist office, at the bottom of the stairs, and works its way through five cafés and restaurants before the funicular. It is wheelchair accessible, capped at eight people, runs in English, and can be cancelled free up to 24 hours ahead. Every Bergen tour, one by one.
The walk that ends at the top
Three and a half hours, thirteen tastings — eleven food, two drink — across five cafés and restaurants, finishing with seasonal meat and fish at Fløirestauranten on Mount Fløyen. Return Fløibanen funicular tickets are included. Maximum eight people, wheelchair accessible, gratuities not included. The listing is marked not suitable for vegans or vegetarians, and vegetarian and vegan options are available with 24 hours’ notice on an adjusted offering. Both halves of that are true and you need the second one before you book.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Fløibanen funicular take?
About six minutes. The line is 848 m long and rises 302 m, with the top station 320 m above sea level. There are four intermediate stops, and between 15 June and 31 August the cars call at those only on the hour, between 09:00 and 15:00.
Is the Fløibanen included in a Bergen food tour?
On one of them, yes. The main Bergen food walk includes return Fløibanen funicular tickets and finishes at Fløirestauranten on Mount Fløyen with the city below.
When did the Fløibanen open?
15 January 1918. It now carries roughly 2.4 million passengers a year in two cars named Rødhette and Blåmann, each holding 120 people.