I’m a bit obsessed with this area of the world. I absolutely LOVE Scandinavia and wish it were easier for me to just pack my things and move there! But for now, I will “live” in Scandinavia through my blog and share the beauty with the world. If you’re torn on where you should take your next trip, hopefully this list will give you some inspiration. The only down side about visiting Scandinavia, however, are the prices – it is very VERY expensive there (keep that in mind for planning).
01| Trolltunga, Norway
Translates to “Troll Tongue”… and you can see why. This rock protrudes outward like a perfect tongue sticking out of someone’s mouth.
02| Bláa Lónið, Iceland
03| Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden (and also dubbed the capital of Scandinavia). It is made up of a number of islands between where a lake meets the sea. The city has an awesome mix of city life, charm, as well as fresh air and openness.
04| Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland
05| Atlantic Ocean Road, Norway
An 8 kilometer stretch of road that goes over islands and the Atlantic Ocean between the towns of Kristiansund and Molde.
06| Preikestolen, Norway
Closest major city is Stavanger. To read all the details and see all my pictures, CLICK HERE.
07| Gulfoss Waterfall, Iceland
08| ICEHOTEL, Sweden
Largest hotel in the world that is made entirely of snow and ice! Prices vary depending on when you are looking to book.. I’ve checked recently and the price has fluctuated from $260-$450 per night. Keep on checking and maybe you’ll catch a good deal!
Closest city is Jukkasjarvi.
09| Kjeragbolten, Norway
This crazy boulder (called “Kjerag” for short, pronounced like “SHER-ROG”) is wedged between two cliffs and has been there since the beginning of time. This might be one of the most visited and well known places in Norway. Tourists hike to the boulder and muscle up enough courage to jump out onto it for a quick photo. I was there but it was pouring rain (typical Norwegian weather) and hell if I’m jumping out on a slippery rock floating above straight death! Nevertheless, it’s a great hike and definitely a must visit!
To make this day trip even more worthy of a visit, the road itself to get there should be a separate number this list! The town at the base of the fjord is called Lysebotn and the road to the top of the fjord (to the start of the hike) is just called “Lysebotn Road”… and it is AMAZING. Switchbacks the entire way up might make some weaker-stomached visitors a bit nauseous, but I think you’ll be so impressed with the sights (especially on a sunny, clear day) that you’ll be very glad you took this day trip to Kjerag!
10| København, Denmark
In English, we call this city “Copenhagen” and it’s definitely in my top favorite cities. Read more about Copenhagen HERE.
11| Malmö, Sweden
Malmö is directly across from Copenhagen. Years ago the only way across was by ferry, but now there’s a bridge for cars and train. I took the train over and it was fast and clean.
I put Malmö on this list because I think it’s actually a pretty cool small city that is sort of “off the radar” – you never hear about Malmö and I’m not sure why that is. Malmö has super cute coffee shops, lots organic restaurants, a long boardwalk area that is very lively in the summer time, parks, art, interesting architecture, and much more!
Read more about Malmö HERE.
12| Coastal Cities in Norway
These cities should all be their own number, but I didn’t want to “play favorites” to any one country so… I grouped a lot of Norway all together as one. These cities are equally amazing – I would live in any one of them. Take your pick and it’ll be a good trip :) Commonly known as “The Northern Lights” and appears around the magnetic north pole (not the geographical north pole, where Santa lives). Basically, the best places to see the Northern Lights in Scandinavia are in Iceland, and the northern most areas in Norway, Sweden, and Finland [see below]. The best time of the year to see the Northern Lights is between October and April (late fall, winter, and early spring) because of the lack of sun. During the summer time up north, the sun is always shining. I mean that literally… about 23 hours per day. If the sun is out, you won’t see the lights (duh). So go in the winter to see them – it’ll be really cold, but well worth it. The Northern Lights is something that not a lot of people will ever see! The northernmost point on the mainland of the European continent! Nordkapp is within the area of “Lappland” which is where northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland meet; magical place in the winter time. . .
Stavanger
[pictures to the left are, respectively, in this order]
Bergen
Ålesund
Trondheim
13| Aurora Borealis
14| Nordkapp, Norway
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Great site ! i am just starting the planning phase for an unfortunately short (8 nights) trip to Norway and Sweden.
We are going in summer and hope to fit in great food, small seaside towns, and a few other traditional ‘sights’.
Too much to choose from! Thinking doing it with trains?
Hurtigruten is a shipping line that delivers mail up and down the coast of Norway, 24/7, and they have limited cabins available for travelers. Your transportation, meals and lodging are all in one price. Although they may seem expensive, keep that in mind as well as the high prices throughout Scandinavia. You can get off the ship as they make their deliveries and they’ll tell you if you have an hour or more at each stop. Towns are small enough to see everything, grab a coffee, visit the church and get back on the ship on time. So much fun and few Americans do this.
Thanks
This is your best entry to date! Amazing information and photos. Can’t wait to go back there.