When planning a trip to Europe, many people visit famous countries like Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, France, and Spain. And they leave out Scandinavia. That is right where they miss out one of the best opportunities to experience Europe. Ask anyone who has been to these beautiful Nordic countries and they will respond with glowing descriptions. From its status as one of the best locations for Northern Lights viewing on the planet; Scandinavia or the Nordic Countries is well established for an infinite number of winter attractions. While the aurora borealis might be the reason most people put Scandinavia at the top of their list of places to visit, it shouldn’t be. There’s much more to Scandinavia than a multi-coloured glow in the sky. In fact, backpacking through the Nordic Countries could very well be considered a baptism in the life of every passionate traveller. Scandinavia attracts style-gurus and wilderness-hikers alike.
Great news for our readers is that nobody grieves the end of summer, simply because the Scandinavian region is much sought after in the winters for experiences like the northern lights, staying in igloos, snow sledging with huskies etc.
Whether you sail through the fjords of Norway, watch the Northern Lights in Iceland, dance, jive and have the time of your life in Sweden or hang out in Finland’s Santa Claus country, this is one of the most rewarding travel destination. In this edition of Travel, we will be focusing on various different experiences that the countries in the region have to offer.
The Ice Hotel
Often ranked as one of the best honeymoon spots in the world and boasting of unparalleled natural settings such as volcanoes, beaches, and remote locations, Hawaii guarantees an exceptional honeymoon experience. You can go island hopping to Maui, Kauai, Hawaii, Molokai, and Lanai, which provide a rich menu of diverse environments to explore. If you decide to have your honeymoon in Hawaii, you might want to check out Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, which has been popular with celebrities such as Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and Kate Bosworth.
Alta – The Town Of Northern Light
The town of Alta in northern Norway got its name, The Town of Northern Lights, when the world’s first Northern Lights observatory was built here at the end of the 19th century. Alta is the largest town in the Finnmark region and also has the world’s most northerly located igloo hotel, The Alta Igloo Hotel.
Christmas At Tivoli In Copenhagen
In the heart of Copenhagen, the Christmas market at Tivoli Garden’s prepares for yet another year of Christmas magic. In the pixies own market town, Pixie Ville, this year’s new cableway ride will take you above a snowy landscape where you will see all the pixies and elves preparing for Christmas in Denmark’s largest collection of mechanical pixies.
Dog Sledding In Greenland
In Greenland, the area north of the Arctic Circle and Eastern Greenland is known as the dog sledding district. On the east coast of Greenland lies Tasiilaq which with its 1700 inhabitants is the largest town in the region. Here you can actually get your own dog sled driver’s license which you qualify for after training for a couple of days.
Lucia – The Saint Of Light
Saint Lucia of Syracuse was according to the Catholic Church the saint of light and there are many different stories of how the tradition made it to Scandinavia but it has been celebrated there for around 300 years. It is celebrated at dawn on the 13th of December when thousands of young girls, dressed in white gowns with a red ribbon tied around the waist and a lit candle in one hand and a wreath of candles in their hair lights up the winter darkness around Scandinavian homes, hospitals, offices and concert halls. The Lucia leads the procession and is followed by girls in white gowns and boys with pointy hats with stars on them. It is a sight for sore eyes and for most Scandinavians Christmas is not complete until you have been visited by Lucia.
Downhill Sports
The very word “ski” is of Nordic origin and so it should not surprise that Sweden, Norway and Finland have many options for all sorts of skiing. Alpine ski resorts like Myrkdalen, Stranda, Røldal and Sogndal often have deep snow. Norway alone has more than 200 alpine ski resorts throughout most of the country. The cooler climate of the Nordic mountains means that slopes and trails can be at lower altitudes. In Norway in particular there are alpine slopes close to or within major cities like Oslo, Tromsø and Trondheim.
Cross Country Skiing
In addition to downhill snowsports, especially Alpine and Nordic downhill skiing and snowboarding, most ski resorts and many towns and villages have good opportunities for cross country skiing. Snowshoes are not used traditionally, but nowadays short snowshoe hikes are offered at some places. Cross country skiing includes skiing with light equipment on groomed tracks as well as ski touring in the deep wilderness. There are groomed tracks for cross country skiing around ski resorts, at many hiking destinations and in and near most big cities and many smaller towns and villages, often with artificial light to facilitate skiing in dark winter evenings. Oslo has a particularly extensive network of tracks inside the city. If you are going to ski in less urban environments, have enough clothes for breaks both planned and unplanned.
