Why I Love Scandinavia

Picture of Svolver in the Lofoten Islands

I love Scandinavia.

Some of you who follow my blog may know that I work for a UK tour operator to Scandinavia. This is especially great because it means I get the chance to explore a region of the world which is so beautiful yet otherwise would be too expensive for me to travel around.

So far, I’ve been to Norway (including Svalbard), Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Faroe Islands and Iceland. I’ve yet to experience the gigantic icebergs and Inuit culture of Greenland, which like the Faroe Islands, is owned by Denmark.

The purpose of my visits to Scandinavia are to expand my knowledge and check out new and existing products available on our tours. This could be anything from hotels to restaurants, and from activity providers to specific landmarks and museums. It’s a hard job but someone’s gotta do it!

It’s difficult to describe why I love Scandinavia so much but I hope you understand when I say it’s more about the feeling I have when I’m there. I see a certain way of life that I’m inspired by – one that is often close to nature and where society prioritises education, healthcare and relationships.

However, facts and pictures often speak a thousand words so here are some of the things I love about Scandinavia the most:

  • Norway has 5 of the Top 10 highest waterfalls in the world.
  • Scandinavia ranks amongst the world’s most eco-friendly countries.
  • Iceland’s landscape is bursting with diversity, and is known as the land of ‘fire and ice’.  
  • These countries are among the most literate in the world. They’re a nation of bookworms!
  • Norway ranks no.1 on the Human Development Index – this measures life expectancy, education and income. Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland also rank within the Top 25.
  • Every 3rd woman looks like a supermodel (fact :)).
  • You can see the Northern Lights in Northern Norway, Finland and Sweden (also known as Lapland) as well as Iceland and Greenland. 
  • In summer you also have the phenomenon of the Midnight Sun – 24 hours of sunshine!
  • Svalbard, an archipelago located half-way between Norway and the North Pole, is also known as the ‘last stop before the North Pole’ and its only town of Longyearbyen is the world’s most northerly town.
  • Scandinavia has some of the world’s most unique hotels including the Icehotel and the Treehotel, both in Lappish Sweden.
  • Norway has one of the longest coastlines in the world, and it’s filled with mountainous peaks, waterfalls and deep fjords.
  • Denmark was voted the world’s happiest country in 2012, followed suit by the other Scandinavian countries… now if positivity breeds positivity who wouldn’t want to visit?
  •  I’ve never breathed in FRESHER air anywhere else in the world – but Australia does follow closely.

There are loads more reasons that I could add to this list, but I think these photographs will tell you why I LOVE Scandinavia:

Alta, Northern Lights, Norway

Seeing the Northern Lights in Alta, who else wants to see them?

The Treehotel, Sweden, Harads

The amazing Treehotel in Harads, Sweden. There are five rooms including, The Mirrorcube, The Bird’s Nest, The UFO, The Cabin, and The Blue Cone

The Icehotel, Sweden

The Icehotel in North Sweden is built every year from ice blocks taken from the Torne River before it melts away and flows back into the river. My manager, Suzel, has stayed there and says, “It’s definitely an experience, but you don’t want to stay for more than one night!

Gullfoss Waterfall, Iceland, picture

The Almighty Gullfoss waterfall in Iceland which can be seen on the Golden Circle route!

Gunnuhver, Iceland

I love Iceland’s unique topography – bursting geysers, bubbling mud pots, crusted surfaces, and plumes of smoke fill its landscape.

Geiranger, fjord, Norway

Standing in front of Geirangerfjord which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To me, Norway’s natural beauty is unrivalled.

Have you been to Scandinavia? What do you like best about these countries?

the culture map blog

Hi, I'm Shing

Welcome to The Culture Map, a place where I share my travel guides, adventurous tales, and capture the inspiring diversity of our world.

16 Responses

  1. I see there are plenty of reasons why you fell in love with Scandinavian countries. I must admit that for me it was always about the beautiful nature you are surrounded by – waterfalls, forests and mountains. I have never been there, but I am going to Sweden this summer. The fact nearly all girls look like supermodels makes me wanna lose some weight :). I also need to try one of those Ice-hotels :). Beautiful snapshots, by the way and you look flowing at the last picture. That photo just sums up how much you love Scandinavia. Greetings from Macau!

    1. Haha shut up – you don’t need to loose weight – you’ll probably get mistaken for being Swedish Agness! Where are you going in Sweden? As I should be going to Stockholm this summer, and maybe Malmo.

      Indeed, it’s definitely the nature that drives me to Scandinavia… it’s incredible. My only wish was for better WEATHER!! X

      1. a trip advice from a swed. The list is just in a random order, no context put into it;

        Gotland ( medievial age town), The High coast ( Högakusten / Härnösand / Ångermaland ), Stockholm ( buy the archipelago trip ticket ), Dalarna ( The deep forest & nature ) , Göteborg, Halmstad ( west coast ) , Hjo ( wooden house town ), Västervik ( Canoe & Archipelago ), Öland ( big island & Medieval age ), Blekinge ( south east), Malmö, Bornholm ( island between Sweden – Danmark, also home of Tycho Brae scientist ).

        Norway; everywhere… Bergen, Trondheim, Oslo, Stavanger

        Danmark; everywhere… Copenhagen, Skagen, Roskilde

        I love UK & GB but have just made few trip mostly to London and Isle of wight. I would be very pleased for advice on other places where to go. I like countryside, harbours and sea towns and alike.

        Cheers / Richard

  2. I just returned from my trip to Scandinavia. I decided that this was my ‘base’ trip, and that I will definitely be returning. I only had a few days in Helsinki and Stockholm. They were absolutely beautiful and I look forward to getting to explore some of the smaller, coastal areas!

    1. Sounds like you had a great trip – glad you enjoyed yourself so much that you want to return too! I would love to go to Helsinki and combine it with Russia someday. Hopefully I will be going to Stockholm this summer – so any tips would be greatly appreciated 🙂
      Thanks for commenting!

    1. I feel lucky to be in a job I enjoy very much! It’s my aim to let people know that Scandinavia is fun and sexy and exciting, because it seems to get labelled boring which as you know is not true! It’s true that it may not have the exotic, vibrant feel of Asia or presumably South America (I haven’t been yet!) but it’s unique topography and contemporary design makes Scandinavia a must visit place.

      P.S Would love to hear your stories about living in Norway…!

  3. I’ve only ever been to cities so would love to see a bit more of the countryside. I agree about the fresh air – even in Copenhagen city centre it was like a pine forest. I look forward to reading about malmo. I went across the oresund bridge for a day trip in 2002 when it was a bit of a dull place, but I’ve heard good things about it now.

    1. I hear Malmo is very different to the rest of Sweden in terms of residents etc. I think the Oresund bridge offers a great escape from Denmark to Sweden, and also good if I want to save some pennies by staying in Malmo instead of Copenhagen!

      Yeh you should definitely check out Scandinavia’s countryside… you wont be disappointed Richard!

  4. Apparently my first comment got lost…
    Working for a travel agent specialized on Scandinavia: you’re a very lucky woman! Unless you don’t have problems with cold temperatures.
    See you in Lapland some time!

    1. Ahh I never saw your first comment, sorry about that!

      Luckily, I don’t mind cold weather as long as I have the right attire – in fact I don’t deal with heat very well! This doesn’t mean, however, that I wouldn’t mind Scandinavia notching its temperature up a few degrees 😀

      Meet you husky sledding in Lapland on the 9th hour of the 9th day in the 9th month of 2015??

  5. You know we love Scandinavia too 🙂 We had such an unforgettable trip last year and hope to return soon. Love that picture of you by Geirangerfjord. I have always wanted to see the Norwegian fjords. Lucky you for working with a tour operator. Those tree hotels are amazing and one great enough reason to visit.

    1. Hey Mary! I’m glad you and your family caught the Scandi fever! I love reading and seeing the pictures from your trip and I hope you make it to Norway too.

      Tell me about it… the Treehotel takes no.1 spot in my list of ‘must-stay accommodations’. I’m begging my work to send me but so far it has been to no avail…. but I’m hoping if I can annoy my boss enough, she’ll finally break and say yes 😉

  6. Uh, you didn’t mention the most important reason why Scandinavia is great: for giving the world former Miss Sweden model Victoria Silvstedt!

    1. Haha well…. her, along with Helena Christensen et al come under point no.6 ‘Every 3rd woman looks like a supermodel’ 😉

  7. Hi Shing,
    Your post makes me even more excited for my trip at the end of this month. I’m visiting norway and sweden. Could you give me your thoughts on the most affordable ways to get around? I plan on taking trains and buses while visiting Oslo, Bergen, Stockholm and various other towns along the way. I am overwhelmed by the different passes offered by Eurail and the government operated companies. Which is best for getting around the city and going between major cities?

Any questions? We'll try and answer them below.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more unique places from around the world

© 2024 The Culture Map · Privacy Policy