It’s pretty easy to fall in love with Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city.

With a population of 286,930 people, Bergen is big enough to have a vibrant cultural scene and nightlife offer but still small enough to boast benefits usually associated with smaller towns, such as registering very low crime rates and having a strong sense of local community and identity.

Still, it’s important not to overgeneralise the key aspects of day-to-day life in the city – they do differ quite a bit based on the area or borough you end up living in.

READ MORE: Six essential tips to make the most of life in Bergen

Furthermore, know that the “best” area of Bergen to live in will depend to a great extent on your personal preferences, priorities, budget, and lifestyle – as each borough and neighbourhood have their advantages and downsides.

If you’re looking into different parts of town but struggling to pick an area to move into, this introduction to some of the often-recommended Bergen boroughs – among international citizens – will likely come in handy.

Laksevåg

Located in the western part of Bergen, Laksevåg tends to get somewhat of a bad rep among Bergen locals due to its vicinity to the reception centre for substance abusers, located at Gyldenpris.

However, this borough has lovely residential areas on the hillside of the Damsgårdsfjellet mountain, which offers fantastic hiking opportunities.

With multiple kindergartens and a relatively new elementary school, it’s quite family-friendly. It also has various supermarkets servicing the broader area (Kiwi, Extra, and others), as well as a shopping centre (Laksevåg Senter) home to over 30 stores, a couple of restaurants, a Vinmonopolet, and a gym.

Furthermore, Laksevåg has a diverse residential profile, also reflected in the fact that it has an international kindergarten. The borough has several historical sights that visitors often flock to, including the rococo-style Damsgård Manor, which is among the best-preserved wooden buildings from 18th-century Europe to stand to this day, and Alvøen Manor, where you can see the traces of one of the oldest industrial communities in Norway.

The borough is well connected to the city centre via regular bus lines (6, 19), and the trip to the centre usually takes around 10 minutes.

If you’re looking to get the most out of your budget (in terms of square meters), Laksevåg is a decent option.

Bergenhus

If you’re considering something closer to the city centre, then you’ll likely have your sights set on the Bergenhus borough (which got its name from the historic Bergenhus Fortress, one of Norway’s oldest fortifications), which encompasses both the centre and several of the neighbourhoods surrounding it.

Due to its sheer size, it is hard to give a one-fit-all profile of Bergenhus, so we’ll focus on its neighbourhoods – two neighbourhoods that tend to be popular among international citizens and students, to be specific: Sandviken and Nygård.

Sandviken – located to the north of Bergenhus Fortress – is a residential neighbourhood with great views – it overlooks the city and the surrounding mountains. It offers easy access to hiking trails, fjord bathing, and nature, which makes it very popular during the summer. Furthermore, it’s also close to the charming Gamle Bergen Museum.

There are several educational institutions in the area, including Bergen School of Architecture and NLA Bergen University College, and rental prices are known to be relatively affordable. Hence, the neighbourhood is popular with students and young couples.

Nygård, on the other hand, is much more central – you can find it south of the mega-popular Lille Lungegårdsvannet lake (a 5-minute walk) in the city centre.

Located right next to the central bus station (a 2-minute walk) and in the vicinity of the Grieghallen concert hall (less than 1 minute away), it’s hard to find a neighbourhood that can offer more affordable prices in the heart of Bergen.

But why are prices in Nygård low, you ask? One of the main reasons is that the neighbourhood is popular with students and is known for loud student parties. So, if you have very young children, this might not be a good fit.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for an area with a diverse composition of residents, Nygård could be a great fit, as it is home to several initiatives and centres that promote the inclusion of refugees.

This diverse population contributes to a unique cultural blend in the area (you’ll find several speciality grocery shops that cater to the diverse cultural backgrounds of its residents, such as Kurdistan Mat and Babylon Mat, offering a wide range of international food products), providing an opportunity for community enrichment.

Årstad

In terms of size, Årstad is the smallest borough in Bergen. However, it is the second-most densely populated borough.

Located south of the city centre, Årstad is usually known for two things – it’s a hub for sports lovers and has multiple churches.

If you’re keen on exercising, the sheer number of gyms and courts in the area will make it an attractive pick. Årstad is also home to the Brann stadium, the home of the local football club Brann.

While residing in Årstad has merits, it is important to address certain considerations associated with some parts of the district.

Notably, Årstad encompasses a significant portion of municipal housing, which frequently serves as accommodation for socially vulnerable individuals, such as substance abusers.

As a result, occasional concerns have been expressed by residents to local newspapers regarding feelings of insecurity in some neighbourhoods.

The above mentioned issue has kept rental prices in parts of the borough relatively affordable in recent years.