The Torget Fishmarket is central to Bergen’s identity. Fishermen have sold the best of their daily catch here since the 12th century and the market still buzzes with the sound of trading today. Buy fresh fish or watch a cooked lunch be prepared for you.
The market lies on the waterfront in the centre of the city next to the historic wharf area, Bryggen. It’s one of the largest and most famous open-air markets in Norway. Come to buy local specialties such as boiled shrimp, fresh oysters and pickled herring. Try fish soup or a caviar sandwich. Adventurous eaters can sample more unusual meats such as whale and reindeer.
Stallholders are happy to cook the food while you wait or seal it in a bag to take home and prepare later. Eat at tables in the market or find a spot to sit along the waterfront. If the weather is cold or rainy, shop and eat at the indoor food hall.
The abundance of seafood, fruit and vegetables, flowers and handcrafted souvenirs make a colourful photograph. Add to the mix an almost constant stream of locals and tourists against the backdrop of the mountains and wharf and you have a photographer’s dream. Bring a fully charged battery and a spare memory card.
Today stallholders sell from beneath tents, but many centuries ago fishermen sold seafood straight off their boats on the wharf. Later on, fish carriers would transport the catch of the day to wealthy families in Bergen. The most famous fisherman was Himmelfarten, whose face appears on bottles of Scott’s Cod Liver Oil to this day.
Expect to pay more for produce here than you would at the supermarket: Torget is a popular tourist destination and much of the seafood is fresher and of better quality that you would find in chain stores. Entry to the market is free.
The Torget Fishmarket is open from early in the morning until late at night. It’s closed on Sundays between September and May. Get there on foot from anywhere in downtown or by ferry if you’re coming from further afield.
