Bergen or Reykjavik?

Neither is a beach destination, but Bergen gives a swimmer a little more. In a good summer its fjord water is a few degrees warmer, and there are bathing piers at Nordnes, smooth rocks along the shore, lakes in the hills and a heated seawater pool.

Reykjavik's sea stays colder, and the shore is mostly rock and black sand. Its one real beach moment is the geothermally warmed cove at Nauthólsvík, a fun hour, and for actual swimming visitors head to the heated pools.

The two eat in much the same way, built on cold-water fish and lamb, and both cost a lot at every level. Bergen leans on tradition: the harbour fish market, creamy fish soup, king crab and the cinnamon skillingsbolle with coffee, with a few ambitious dining rooms in the old centre.

Reykjavik puts more weight on New Nordic cooking with Arctic char, langoustine, skyr and greenhouse vegetables, plus everyday habits like lamb soup and harbour-side lamb hot dogs. In both, the choice thins out quickly beyond the local kitchen.

Bergen has the far deeper set of sights. Bryggen's timber passages, Bergenhus Fortress, Haakon's Hall and the Hanseatic museums tell a centuries-long trading story, and the KODE museums, Troldhaugen and the Fantoft stave church round out two full days.

Reykjavik's sights are mostly modern landmarks: Hallgrímskirkja's tower, the glass Harpa and the Sun Voyager. The Settlement Exhibition and National Museum are worth an afternoon, but most visitors treat the city as a base rather than a sight in itself.

Both cities go out mainly on Friday and Saturday, and in both high drink prices mean people start at home and arrive late. Bergen's scene spreads across the old centre, the streets behind the harbour and the university area, with cosy wooden-walled bars and a few clubs.

Reykjavik packs everything into a few blocks for the runtur along Laugavegur, where small bars become dance floors after midnight. In midsummer you walk out into daylight at 3am, which Bergen cannot offer.

Both are outstanding for the outdoors, but the landscapes are quite different. Bergen's is mountains and water: seven peaks around the city, the Vidden ridge walk between Fløyen and Ulriken, skerries for kayaking, and the Hardangerfjord and Nærøyfjord within a day. The price is near-constant rain.

Reykjavik's is raw geology: the rift valley at Þingvellir, Strokkur erupting every few minutes, Gullfoss, the lava fields and mud pools of Reykjanes and guided glacier walks at Sólheimajökull. Most of it lies an hour or more out, though, while Bergen's hiking starts in the streets above the harbour.

In both cases outings are about scenery more than towns, and neither has a second city within easy reach. From Bergen the stops are fjord villages: Voss and its stone church, the cider orchards of Hardanger, the barony manor at Rosendal and Flåm with its mountain railway.

Reykjavik's day trips carry more history in one place, above all Þingvellir, where the parliament met from 930, plus saga sites at Borgarnes and Reykholt. Elsewhere the stops are small villages along a scenic drive.

Both are safe, easy-going cities that welcome children, but they suit different families. Bergen gives the slight edge to parents of younger children because its outings are short, varied and close together: the seals and penguins at the aquarium on the Nordnes point, a rainy afternoon of experiments at VilVite, and the funicular up to Fløyen, with carved trolls along the woodland paths and canoes on the lake at the top. Pack waterproofs for everyone, and expect the hilly lanes to be tough going with a buggy.

Reykjavik is better for families whose children would happily spend every day in the water. Its geothermal pools, with slides and warm shallows used even in snow, are the daily treat, and Laugardalur adds farm animals and rides beside its big pool. Perlan's ice cave and volcano exhibits interest older children more. The geysers and waterfalls mean long coach days, which small children cope with far less well than a funicular ride.

Bergen is the easier city to move around. The centre is walkable, the Bybanen light rail runs to the airport and Troldhaugen, the funicular and cable car do the climbing, and trains and express boats reach the fjords without a car. Hills and rain slow you down.

Reykjavik's centre is just as walkable, but beyond it there is only an infrequent bus network, with no rail of any kind. The landscapes that bring people here need a hire car or a tour, and winter ice and darkness make even short walks harder.

Bergen has a little more to browse, with craft workshops in Bryggen's passages, Scandinavian design and homeware, outdoor clothing and a couple of shopping centres around the central square for everyday fashion.

Reykjavik's shopping is a single afternoon along Laugavegur and Skólavörðustígur. Its strength is the hand-knitted lopapeysa, lava-stone and fish-leather design and local record shops, with the weekend flea market for colour. Both are expensive, and neither has luxury shopping.

Bergen is the less costly of the two, but only just. Meals, hotels, fjord excursions and above all alcohol still cost far more than in most of Europe.

Reykjavik is dearer at almost every turn, from simple guesthouses to car hire and fuel. Since its landscapes lie out of town, a tour or a car is hard to avoid. Its saving grace is the cheap public pools, and in both cities supermarkets and self-catering flats make the biggest difference.

Bergen's musical life runs deeper. The Bergen Philharmonic, with roots in the 18th century, plays a full season in Grieghallen, summer concerts at Troldhaugen honour Grieg, and Den Nationale Scene is the theatre where the young Ibsen worked. The late-spring international festival is the high point of the year.

Reykjavik has Harpa, with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and opera in a hall with excellent acoustics, but its theatre is almost all in Icelandic. Its real draw is alternative and electronic music in small bars, peaking with Iceland Airwaves in late autumn.

This is where Reykjavik is far ahead. Every neighbourhood has a geothermal outdoor pool with hot tubs, a cold plunge and often a steam room, and locals soak there before and after work. The Blue Lagoon and quieter springs along the Golden Circle add to it.

Bergen has no hot springs, so relaxing there means a wood-fired harbour sauna and a jump into the cold fjord, the heated pool at Nordnes and a few hotel spas. Its calm wooden lanes help, but it is no place for a spa break.