Visit the Arboretum and Bergen Botanical Garden

Take bus line 50E or 51 from Bergen bus station, or the Bybanen light rail (line 1), to Birkelandsskiftet terminal, then bus line 53 to Milde snuplass. Bus 53 departs from Lagunen.

For the Arboretum, the nearest bus stop to the trail from the Dalsmyra car park is 'Grendatunvegen'. The nearest stop for following the road into the Arboretum is 'Fana folkehøyskole'. For Bergen Botanical Garden, the nearest stop is 'Milde snuplass'. Check Skyss for timetables, or search https://entur.no/.

The Arboretum and Bergen Botanical Garden are just under a 30-minute drive south of Bergen city centre. Follow the road towards Flesland, and turn off at the roundabout at Birkelandsskiftet towards Hjellestad. The Arboretum is signposted from there.

Driving into the Arboretum is not permitted, except for visitors using the accessible parking at Grønevika, residents of the area, or staff.

There are free car parks at Dalsmyra, Mildevågen and Botanisk hage by Vågelva. Accessible parking is also available at Litle Milde and at Grønevika beach.

There are three large car parks on Milde: Dalsmyra, Mildevågen and Botanisk hage by Vågelva.
There are also two additional accessible parking spaces, one at the north end of Bergen Botanical Garden (with access from Litle Milde), and one at the Grønevika outdoor recreation area in the Arboretum.

Parking is free.

In general, driving into the Arboretum is not permitted. In special cases, cars and minibuses may drive in to Blondehuset with older or mobility-impaired visitors – this must be arranged in advance (tel. 55 58 72 50). Tour buses may, by arrangement with Fana folkehøgskule, drive up to the junction by their car park to drop passengers off.

See the overview map further down this page. You can also find your way around the different gardens and outdoor recreation areas at https://use.mazemap.com/#v=1&campusid=2277&zlevel=1&center=5.269505,60.254382&zoom=14.7&search=Arboretet

Search for Milde at https://www.vestkystparken.no/alleturer/vestkystparkelementer (in Norwegian)

or find good walking and kayaking route suggestions at https://ut.no/ (in Norwegian)

Sandholna is a lovely outdoor recreation area with a tidal pool well suited to small children. There is an outdoor toilet on site. Read more here: https://www.vestkystparken.no/tur/vestkystparkelementer/022264 (in Norwegian)

The cabin can be hired during the day. Contact the Bergen and District Outdoor Recreation Council via their website: https://bof.no/accommodation/sandholna/.

A very popular area, beautifully situated by the Fanafjord with good swimming conditions for both children and adults. There are smooth coastal rocks outside the cove. It is equipped with a bathing ramp and toilet for visitors with reduced mobility. Several picnic tables and a fixed barbecue. A diving board is available on the headland known as Splintaneset.

There is accessible parking at the entrance, which also gives access to the Arboretum. Other visitors are directed to the car parks at Dalsmyra (250 spaces) or Mildevågen (120 spaces). It is a one-kilometre walk from the car park to Grønevika, on a good footpath.

Read more: https://www.vestkystparken.no/tur/vestkystparkelementer/022358 (in Norwegian)

Read more about suggested walks here, and accessibility information: Tur ved Grønevika friluftsområde - Bergen | UT.no

The Naustdalen outdoor recreation area is idyllically situated by the Fanafjord in the Arboretum on Milde. A new outdoor area has been established with a barbecue and fire pit, and a large table with benches. In summer, it is lovely to sit on the rocks or rest on the lawn by the sea. The seabed is partly sandy for swimming, and shallow both in front of and behind the boathouse, making it good for children to play.

Access is from the road, via a gravel trail through the rose garden, with the final stretch on a mown grass path. Naustdalen is also a good destination for a short kayak trip, or a stop, for example starting from Mildevågen.

The boathouse in the recreation area has recently been renovated and can be hired during the day – see the calendar via the link below. We hope school classes and kindergartens will use it on weekdays, and that families or friends will otherwise use it as a base for a lovely day by the sea and in the Arboretum's many gardens and trails.

https://bof.no/naustdalen/

The nature trail starts at the shelter south of Mørkevatnet, and follows gravel roads and paths through the pine forest. The trail passes through the rhododendron collection and continues north to the area with American trees. From there it heads south towards the Mini-Arboretum, ending at the Olafsbu shelter. The nature trail is well suited to school classes and families with children.

The route is 1.5 km long and has 17 posts. Each post offers 3 possible answers, and the correct answer is found under a flap on the sign. The aim of the nature trail is to spread knowledge about the Arboretum's woodland and encourage visitors to explore new paths. You will find a route map in the postbox where the trail starts, and the answer key behind a flap on the sign.

From the car park at Dalsmyra and on towards the Arboretum, we have created an activity trail with various tasks and open questions for children and families. We hope the trail will help children explore nature on the way in, play a little, and have a good time together. At the end of the activity trail, in the shelter by Mørkevann, we have put up a sign showing the different tree species along the way and what their leaves look like. Children are asked to collect leaves along the way, and can then find out which tree species they belong to.

For more information on suggested walks in the Arboretum and Bergen Botanical Garden, see UT.no - Hele Norges turplanlegger | UT.no (in Norwegian). Here are a couple of suggestions: Fottur i Arboretet fra Dalsmyra | UT.no and Fottur i Botanisk hage og Mildevatnet rundt | UT.no

In the summer half of the year, posts are set out in the Arboretum and Bergen Botanical Garden as part of Stolpejakten, a nationwide Norwegian orienteering game. We want to encourage physical activity in this beautiful natural area and the gardens. Each post also has its own QR code with information about a nearby plant or another cultural or natural feature in the area.

The café in Bergen Botanical Garden is open May–September every day from 11 am to 5 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm in October–April (weather permitting). You will find the café behind Lønningen Manor, close to Fjellhagen.

The café at Blondehuset is open at weekends. From Easter to October it is open on Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm. In May, June and July it is also open on Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm. It is also open on a number of public holidays. Follow Blondehuset kafe on Instagram or Facebook for updates. The café is run by a volunteer group from the area around the Arboretum who call themselves Badedamene ('the bathing ladies').

The greenhouse is the birthplace of the Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This is where new plants are propagated – an important part of the work of maintaining the plant collections.

Plant production in the greenhouse serves several purposes. The most important are propagating and renewing our own collections, and supplying other arboreta and botanical gardens. The greenhouse is also used for research and teaching. Some of the plants, such as begonia, pelargonium and dahlia, are part of a dedicated project to safeguard plant genetic resources in Norway.

The tropical section of the greenhouse is open every third Tuesday of the month, from 10 am to 2 pm, as well as for selected events and during the autumn and winter school holidays.

Toilets are available in several locations on Milde:

Blondehuset in the Arboretum (8 am–9 pm), at the north end of Bergen Botanical Garden (8 am–8 pm), the toilet building by the Dalsmyra car park (8 am–8 pm), and in the basement of Lønningen Manor (8 am–8 pm). At the Grønevika beach there are outdoor toilets run by the Bergen and District Outdoor Recreation Council.

Follow the Facebook group 'Arboretet og botanisk hage' (in Norwegian) or check the calendar (link) for updates. The tours are free to join and last about an hour, and everyone is welcome. Just turn up – there is no need to book in advance. Most tours follow gravel trails, with paths in some places.

For more information, or if you need any special arrangements, contact the leader of Friends of the Arboretum, Fredrik Sørvig, on telephone 47 14 99 44 or styret@arboretetsvenner.no

Some members of Friends of the Arboretum contribute a significant amount of voluntary work. This can include help with planting, weeding, forestry work, and collecting and cleaning seeds. The friends' association also helps run events. Anyone with time and energy to spare is warmly welcome to take part.

Friends of the Arboretum meet for volunteer work every Monday from 10 am to 2 pm. Taking part is, of course, entirely voluntary. Volunteers at the Arboretum and Botanical Garden get to enjoy good company with like-minded people, and the satisfaction of contributing to a shared effort. The Arboretum and Botanical Garden are an important outdoor recreation area, and all visitors benefit from it being well maintained.

For more information, contact the leader of Friends of the Arboretum, Fredrik Sørvig, on telephone 47 14 99 44 or styret@arboretetsvenner.no

As a member, you can take part in the plant sale in April, where you can find plants not sold in garden centres, you receive a fine annual publication, Grobladet (in Norwegian), with news about the plant collections on Milde, and you can join themed walks in the Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Members can also buy firewood bags at a reasonable price. The proceeds from the friends' association go towards supporting the Arboretum and Bergen Botanical Garden.

Become a member here: https://www.arboretetsvenner.no/medlemskap/ (in Norwegian)

Guides from Friends of the Arboretum are happy to take private groups on tours, and try to adapt them to the group's wishes and needs, including accessibility needs. Minimum charge NOK 600.

For more information, contact the leader of Friends of the Arboretum, Fredrik Sørvig, on telephone 47 14 99 44 or styret@arboretetsvenner.no