Grand Hotel Terminus: Bergen's 1928 railway grande dame

Dark wood paneling, chandeliers, and the kind of lobby that makes you stand up a little straighter. Grand Hotel Terminus opened in 1928 and the common areas still carry that weight. Bergen Classicism, they call it. The bar, Bar Amundsen, is a proper whiskey bar with a library atmosphere and a genuinely massive selection. It's also where Roald Amundsen made his last public appearance before vanishing in the Arctic. 

The location is brutally convenient: steps from Bergen Railway Station. Arriving late with luggage or catching an early train, not much else in town competes on proximity. Bryggen is a 10-15 minute walk. The immediate surroundings are more transit hub than postcard, a big shopping mall and bus stops, but everything you'd want to see is within walking distance.

Now, the rooms. Do not book the cheapest single or standard double. The smallest rooms are coffin-tight. Opening a large suitcase on the floor may not be physically possible. Pay up for a Superior or Deluxe. Book a garden-facing room on a higher floor. Street-facing rooms look onto the train station roof, and with no air conditioning, summer means open windows and noise.

The breakfast spread is exceptional, served in a beautiful brasserie, and a cut above the usual Norwegian hotel buffet. There's also a free self-service guest laundry, which is almost unheard of in Norwegian hotels. Ask reception for access.

Want to stay near the station in i a more modern environment, check out the stylish Zander K nearby.