Overview

Norway is a Scandinavian country encompassing mountains, glaciers, and deep coastal fjords. Oslo, the capital, is a city of green spaces and museums. Preserved 9th-century Viking ships are displayed at Oslo’s Viking Ship Museum. Bergen, with colorful wooden houses, is the starting point for cruises to the dramatic Sognefjord. Norway is also known for fishing, hiking, and skiing, notably at Lillehammer’s Olympic resort.
The glowing-red midnight sun and the Northern Lights are visible from Arctic Tromsø and Kirkenes. Also north of the Arctic Circle, the dramatic Lofoten Islands are popular for hiking, kayaking, wildlife-watching, and cycling. Trondheim evokes Norway’s history and traditions with 11th-century Nidarosdomen Cathedral, built over the grave of former king St. Olaf, the country's patron saint. In Oslo, the Munch Museum focuses on the Norwegian painter’s masterpieces. The Norsk Folkemuseum is a collection of open-air historic buildings. Local cod, salmon, lingonberries and reindeer are classic ingredients in Norwegian cuisine.

Denmark is a Scandinavian country comprising the Jutland Peninsula and numerous islands. It's linked to nearby Sweden via the Öresund bridge. Copenhagen, it's capital, are home to royal palaces and colorful Nyhavn harbor, plus the Tivoli amusement park and the iconic “Little Mermaid” statue. Odense is writer Hans Christian Andersen’s hometown, with a medieval core of cobbled streets and half-timbered houses.
North of Copenhagen on Zealand Island is Kronborg Castle, portrayed as Elsinore in Shakespeare's “Hamlet." The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk specializes in modern and contemporary painting. The city of Roskilde has a Gothic brick cathedral and the Vikingeskibshallen museum, with 11th-century Viking ships. On the mainland, the port city Aarhus is home to the Den Gamle By Museum, showcasing traditional buildings. Denmark, responsible for many iconic 20th-century designs of furniture, fashion, and architecture, is also the birthplace of Lego. Billund’s Legoland theme park showcases the famous plastic brick toy.
Sweden is a Scandinavian nation with thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, along with vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains. Its principal cities, eastern capital Stockholm and southwestern Gothenburg and Malmö, are all coastal. Stockholm is built on 14 islands. It has more than 50 bridges, as well as the medieval old town, Gamla Stan, royal palaces and museums such as open-air Skansen.
Malmö, linked to Copenhagen by the Oresund bridge, has a network of canals and parks. Port city Gothenburg is a gateway for exploring the islands and seal colonies of the Väderöarna Archipelago. Northern Lapland is known for its indigenous Sami culture, the Northern Lights and Jukkasjärvi’s ice hotel. Vikingabyn is a reconstructed 10th-century Viking village on the island of Gotland. Summer days are long and outdoor midsummer celebrations are a national tradition. Inland holiday cabins are bases for fishing, hiking, and sailing. Freezing winters offer skiing at numerous resorts, including Åre and Sälen.
Finland is a Northern European nation bordering Sweden, Norway, and Russia. Its capital, Helsinki, occupies a peninsula and surrounding islands in the Baltic Sea. Helsinki is home to the 18th-century sea fortress Suomenlinna, the fashionable Design District, and diverse museums. The Northern Lights can be seen from the country's Arctic Lapland province, a vast wilderness with national parks and ski resorts.
Kayaking, boat tours, and island hopping are popular activities around Helsinki and in the Archipelago Sea around Turku. The country's interior, with thousands of lakes, is a summer destination with holiday cabins, swimming, fishing, and sailing. Built on an isthmus between 2 large lakes, the industrial city of Tampere is home to the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame museum. Savonlinna is known for its 15th-century Olavinlinna island castle. East of Helsinki, Porvoo has a medieval old town and an Iron Age fortress. Finland is renowned for its saunas and iconic designs, including Marimekko fabrics, Iittala glass, and Aalto furniture.

Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, in northern Finland. Almost totally destroyed during World War II, today it’s a modern city known for being the "official" home town of Santa Claus, and for viewing the Northern Lights. It’s home to Arktikum, a museum and science center exploring the Arctic region and the history of Finnish Lapland. The Science Centre Pilke features interactive exhibits on northern forests.
The Korundi House of Culture contains the Rovaniemi Art Museum, which displays contemporary Finnish works. Northeast of the city is the Santa Claus Village, a year-round family attraction featuring Santa and his elves, plus shops and an igloo hotel. Nearby, Santa Park is a theme park set in a large cavern with a toy factory, elf school, and ice sculpture gallery. In winter, Rovaniemi is a base for snowmobiling, trips to husky dog farms and rides on reindeer-drawn sleds. East of the city, the Ounasvaara ski resort offers downhill skiing and cross-country trails.

Routemap