The Fløibanen funicular climbs 320 metres from the city centre to the top of Mount Fløyen in eight minutes. The view from the top is the classic Bergen panorama: the old town below, the harbour, Bryggen's coloured wooden houses, and on clear days the fjords and the western islands stretching out to sea. It runs every quarter of an hour or so and the queues in summer can be long — go early morning or in the evening light.
At the top there is a restaurant, a playground, and the start of several well-marked hiking trails through the birch forest. The most popular descent is on foot — the path down through the woods takes about 45 minutes and passes through quiet neighbourhoods on the way back to the centre. Locals use the funicular as daily transport, which keeps it honest.