Bergen is known as 'The city between the seven mountains'. The mountains may not be as big as the ones you find in the Alps but they are still impressive. You can get to the top of one of the Bergen Mountains very easily by taking the Bergen Floibanen Funicular railway to the top.

As you get nearer to the top the views are more spectacular. You can see all the old harbour and out to the North Sea islands of Askoy and Sotra. To get the best light conditions for taking photographs go just after dawn and an hour before sunset.

Check the weather that there will not be any low cloud that will result in white out conditions on the mountain summit and no views. There is a tea room and restaurant at the top with lots of tables and seats where you can enjoy fresh air and the vista.

If you are feeling fit why not walk up and then take the funicular railway back down to town. The path is well signposted and normally takes under an hour depending on how many times you stop to admire the view. At the top of the mountain there is a 1.8 km (1.1 mile) signposted walk to the soda cabin 'Brushytten'.

It is a good reward for children who have completed the distance without complaining. Soft drinks and ice cream go down well. The path has been designed to be accessible for wheelchairs and baby buggies.

If you are feeling more adventurous you can carry on walking up hill to Mount Rundemanen where you will see different panoramas of the city of Bergen and its surrounding mountainous countryside. You can carry on walking to Sandviksfjellet, and then make your way down hill to Sandviken. Here you can either walk back to the city center or catch a bus.

If you have all day and are starting out early in the morning a good hike is to cross the Vidden plateau and then climb up to the top of Mount Ulriken, which is the highest mountain in Bergen. Make sure you are prepared for bad weather. On my last trip it had just snowed an the top of Floyen Mountain was like an ice rink. It was hard to walk without falling on your backside. It was dangerous so we came back down.

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