Earth has a lot of beautiful places that you can visit, and Scandinavia or the Nordics are two of the nicest destination for you who want to experience amazing views, wintery days, eco resorts/hotels and basically everything beautiful. Well, here are some places that you should definitely visit if you’re planning to go around this area.
1. Roskilde, Denmark
Roskilde makes for an easy day trip from Copenhagen, but the town is also great for its own two or three-day side trip. My favorite thing to do in the city was visiting the Viking Ship Museum. The museum boasts fourteen Viking ships that were found in the town’s namesake fjord.
In the summer, you can ride in a replica ship, learn to row like a true Viking oarsman, and sail down Roskilde fjord-like the Norsemen did for centuries. Afterward, you can explore the museum’s exhibitions of the original ships and wander the outdoor workshops where they craft their historically accurate replicas. For serious Viking lovers, you can sign up for one of their special full-day sailing courses.
The town is also home to Roskilde Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This twelfth-century cathedral is the burial site for Danish kings and queens dating back to before it was built, and, with only one exception, every former king and queen of Denmark since the Reformation has been buried here.
Roskilde, which is only 30 km west of Copenhagen, is an easy train ride from the center that takes less than 30 minutes, making this city easily accessible from the capital.
2. Koli National Park, Finland
The landscapes of the Koli National Park aren’t just stunning, they’re also inspiring. Voted the best hiking area in Finland in 2013, the amazing views from the Koli Hills have ignited the creative juices of many famous artists. The park has over eighty kilometers of hiking routes which wind through centuries old, moss covered forests, past waterfalls and through meadow-like clearings.
Take the trail up Ukko-Koli Hill and when you reach the summit, over three hundred and fifty meters above sea level, you’ll be rewarded with the best-known view in all of Finland – the panorama of Lake Pielinen. If you prefer to sit and ponder on the wonders of the world, then climb the hiking route up Paha-Koli Hill. You’ll find Finland’s most famous viewpoint at the top. A large jutting rock where you can rest and contemplate the incredible views of the lake below.
Why Go here? Koli National Park is the place to get back in touch with nature. It’s totally unspoiled and uncommercialized. If you want to immerse yourself to the full in the Finnish experience, try this Helsinki Koli National Park Four Day Tour. The skiing, cycling, and canoeing come highly recommended as does the fantastic Koli Relax Spa. The Koli National Park has inspired many great creatives when you go, maybe it’ll inspire you too.
3. Larvik, Norway
Larvik is a hidden gem in the south of Norway. Larvik is easily one of the most overlooked destinations in Norway and you can turn it to your advantage. Located only 2.5 hours south of Oslo, Larvik is a quaint seaside city with marvelous scenery, fresh and delicious seafood and an amazing Viking history. Not to mention, it’s located within the sunniest area of Norway, so leave your umbrella at home!
History enthusiasts will find that Larvik, while being unknown to most international travellers, actually had one of the first Viking cities in the world. Spend a few hours at Kaupang Viking Museum to learn more about the region’s past – the museum also arranges ghost hunting tours and Viking cooking classes during summer. If you’re more into art, you should check out the local art scene in nearby Stavern.
Painters from all over Norway flock to Stavern, and here you can wander slowly between the various galleries – and perhaps share a glass of wine with some of the artists, too. Lastly, you cannot visit Larvik without paying a visit to Ula, one of the most beautiful, hidden beaches in Norway. While it might be a bit tricky to find, the breathtaking views will make it all worth it. *Christina from Cava for Lunch. Read more about her tips on what to do in Larvik, Norway for more information about the Norwegian city.
4. Aland Islands
The Åland Islands don’t tend to make a lot of people’s itineraries for trips to the Nordics, and it’s definitely a good thing. The Åland Islands are a small autonomous area in Finland, located about halfway between Helsinki and Stockholm. The islands were disputed between Finland and Sweden for a long time, and you can definitely feel that the culture here is not quite Finnish or Swedish, but something unique to Åland.
But why should you go? First of all, the landscape there is gorgeous. In the summer you can bicycle from island to island and stay in little seaside cottages on the way, and in the winter you can do as the Nordics do and explore on skis! And as an added bonus, a night in a cabin on the ferry from Stockholm or Helsinki is actually cheaper than most hotel rooms in either city, so you can actually save money by going to Åland. *Silvia from Heart My Backpack. Click to read more about her winter travels to the Åland Islands.
5. Preikestolen, Norway
Every hike has its end rewards. Some bigger and more spectacular than others. Preikestolen in Norway is one of the latter. At just under a staggering two thousand feet high, the flat-topped cliff looms over the glacial blue waters of the Lysefjord below. The granite plateau can only be reached by a short but steep path which can take anywhere up to three hours to climb. It won’t be the climb which takes your breath away though, it’ll be the views you’re compensated with when you reach the top.
The Preikestolen or Pulpit Rock is one of nature’s unique rock formations and is the most famous viewpoint in Norway. Standing on the edge to get the ultimate photo will bring on a serious adrenaline rush. It’ll make you think twice about how the Base jumpers, who use it as a launch site, feel before they leap into the great void. Don’t feel confident enough to hike it alone, but still want to give it a go? You can take a Guided Hike of Preikestolen which will make it all seem like a walk in the park.
6. Buttercup roads, Faroe Islands
If you decided to visit the Faroe Islands, you should know about the Buttercup Roads. These are amazingly beautiful roads that exist on most islands where roads are available. These roads are marked on the maps that you can get from the tourist office and have special yellow flower road sign when you enter them.
Driving these roads lets you see some of nicest scenery in the world! You can see the rounded, tree-less mountains, long fjords with small villages, grazing sheep, etc. A few examples of such roads are the road to Saksun, the road from Eidi towards Gjogv and more!
In some cases, there are two ways to get from destination A to destination B where only one of them is a Buttercup Road, so it’s better if you choose the buttercup road. Going there means you can pull over on the side of the road and just bask yourself in the beauty and the calmness of this road.
Which one is your favorite or the one that you really, really want to go to? Do you have any experience of going to these places that you want to share? Write it down in the comments below.
Source
20 Places to Visit in Scandinavia and the Nordics Right Now!
https://www.pandotrip.com/top-10-places-to-visit-in-scandinavia-25583/
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