Thanks to shows like Game of Thrones, Frozen, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty the Scandinavian countries have been having a moment in the spotlight and it's been glorious! Today, we wanted to share a little about each country and what they have to offer. The Scandinavian territories consist of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark. Each with their own quirks and cultural take-a-ways, but all with breath-taking views, some with the summer sun that lasts 24 hours, and dark winters that might allow a peak at the northern lights. If that doesn't grip you, just know all 5 of these countries are fanatically in love with coffee... Could be something to do with the long winters, but they had me at coffee! Without further ado here is a quick overview of each country. Norway- Considered by many as the most beautiful country in the world, Norway is filled with insane views and natural wonders, fjords for days, and incredibly happy people. Literally! It's ranked the second happiest place on earth (behind another Scandinavian country, Denmark) which is pretty impressive considering its capital, Oslo, is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Some must do attractions are: Trolltunga Rock, taking a fjord river cruise, site seeing in Bergen or Aalesund instead of Oslo, and a photo op on Kjeragbolten, aka the floating rock. Also, Norway is one of the best places to try and catch the aurora borealis, but if you want a chance to see it make sure to go September through February. Sweden- Coffee lovers, always punctual, and extremely orderly are just a few reasons I'm beyond excited to discover Sweden. Swedes enjoy their down time and spend many days outside as well as grabbing a drink at a local café or bar. Because Sweden consists of 25,000 islands, many locals and tourists find themselves island hopping to check out other towns with Gotland and Öland being among the most popular. Stockholm is a definite must-see with their amazing art scene and many museums including the Moderna Museet that houses Andy Warhol, Dali, and Pollock to name a few. Make sure you use the metro for not only getting around the city but also to explore the art exhibitions within the metro stations with sculptures, mosaics, and paintings from 150 different artists. That’s a fun way to travel! Finland- It is said that Finland is the best place to see the Northern Lights due to it being visible an average of 200 nights a year. Darkness is your friend so being away from cities and towns is key and experts say you shouldn't sleep on clear nights so you can catch them whenever they appear. So it's either camping in the middle of nowhere or booking an igloo room at the Kakalauttanen resort (if you have a pintrest account, you've seen this resort). This resort has rooms that look like igloos and clear roofs to watch the sky all night long. Besides the northern lights, many tourists head to the capital, Helsinki, to enjoy the food scene, rent a bicycle to take in the sites, and grab a cup of Jo at one of the many cafés around town. Finland drinks more coffee per capita than any other country so be sure to enjoy a cup or two. Denmark- The happiest place on earth! Denmark boasts beautiful canals, green areas for hiking and biking, the little mermaid statue, and of course a royal family. Copenhagen has gorgeous architecture that is a mix of the old and new. The opera house, the Black Diamond library, and the blue planet aquarium are just a few of the modern buildings dispersed among the historical canal houses, the Amalienborg, where the Queen lives, and the Carlsberg brewery. Speaking of brewery, with Germany being their neighbor to the south, Denmark has a pretty large beer influence and taking a tour of the Carlsberg is a fun attraction in Copenhagen. Some of the other big tourist spots are the Tivoli amusement park, ARKEN museum of Modern Art, and the original Legoland! If you decide to travel to Denmark, make sure you get a Copenhagen card. This card gives you access into majority of the popular attractions as well as free public transportation on the bus and metro throughout the city. Cards can be purchased ahead of time and picked up at the airport. Iceland- Definitely the least populated country of all five Scandinavian territories but Iceland boasts the most northern capital of the world, Reykjavik. We recently visited Iceland and discovered our love for all things Nordic! Similar to Denmark, Iceland has a mix of old and new architecture that seems to mesh well with the traditions and cultures of Iceland. Icelanders love their heritage and remain rooted to their Viking past. As children, they learn their national language, Icelandic, and can still read books and letters written from the 9th century. The blue lagoon, the Harpa opera house, countryside road trips, glacier hiking, and the northern lights are just a few things that seem to be attracting people to Iceland. We will definitely be sharing more about our trip there in the coming months! Stay tuned for that! If you've visited any of these Scandinavian countries, share with us when you went and if you got to see the northern lights!!
Until next time, C + D
3 Comments
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