Scandinavia offers beautiful scenery, snowy landscapes, breathtaking fjords, stunning mountains, and lakes. It’s also a place where you can find surprisingly urban cities, charming villages and towns, world-class museums, and an impressive variety of accommodation options, from remote camping sites and treehouses to stylish B&Bs, hostels, and converted castles.
If you’re planning your next adventure, Scandinavia travel should be at the top. This region in Northern Europe is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, vibrant cities, and storied cultural legacy; it should definitely make the cut! When visiting Scandinavia, you should include four must-see spots on your itinerary.
Stockholm, Sweden
The capital of Sweden, the lively city of Stockholm, is located on a group that comprises 14 islands. It is a photographer’s paradise, with the city’s grand waterfront structures contrasting with a stunningly conserved old city, miles of wide parks, and impressive architectural examples from the present.
However, it’s not just focused on the sights. Stockholm is home to some of the best museums, including the Academy of Fine Arts and the awe-inspiring Abba Museum. There are also plenty of palaces that allow you to marvel at the extravagant lifestyles of royals.
Of course, it’s also Sweden’s most lively city, with an enviable nightlife and cafe culture. In addition, it has chic bars, designer shops and clubs, and cutting-edge food.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Another destination that should be on your Scandinavian list of places to visit is Copenhagen. If your first impression of the Danish capital is of depressing and glistening streets that you learned from the bleak Scandi Noir detective series, consider reconsidering. The epitomization of cool, it’s an exciting and friendly city with a welcoming waterside that has a lively and hip bar, café, and a music scene.
Europe’s most popular cycling destination, it’s an ideal area to explore by bicycle or boat. From the medieval castle and royal palaces to the classic Tivoli Gardens and the alternative “free town” Christiania and Christiania, the city’s attractions are diverse.
In recent times, it has developed an unrivalled food scene and created the trendy New Nordic cuisine, which emphasizes fresh and seasonal foods.
Gothenburg, Sweden
The second city in Sweden, Gothenburg, is a port city that is industrial. However, its vast avenues, lush parks, world-class museums, and vibrant student life make it a fascinating location to spend an entire weekend.
Take one of the enjoyable and efficient trams that weave through the city, stopping at the numerous parks, galleries, and beautiful regenerated neighborhoods. Alternatively, take ferry rides and head further to discover all the inhabited islands in the archipelago’s southern part.
You can also add lively nightlife, quirky shops, a fabulous fish market inside an old church, amazing street food trucks, the strangest sauna, and some of Sweden’s most affordable lodging, and you’ll enjoy a memorable stay.
The Norwegian Fjords
The most stunning landscapes are in the Norwegian Fjords. Their cliffs, glacier-formed inlets, and crashing waterfalls create dramatic scenery not seen elsewhere.
Norway has around 1,000 Fjords, many lined with charming mountain villages and tiny ports. They can be visited via automobile, boat, or even a mountain railway like Flam, a village Flam located on the Aurlandsfjord, for instance. However, others require more effort to access, which can mean a long, vertiginous, and winding bus trip or even an uphill hike.