best of

scandinavia

Welcome to our scrapbook

Best of Scandinavia in 14 Days

Hello,

We are Randy and Jan. Randy is retired from healthcare and is a musician. Jan is a recently retired librarian. We live in Wisconsin, a land full of Scandinhoovians.

This was our first tour with Rick Steves, although we used his indispensable books for our self-guided travels to Italy, Spain, and France.

Those prior trips were exciting, educational, and sometimes exhausting although we gained a sense of accomplishment traveling on our own. However, it took months to research locations and plan the logistics for each trip. Therefore, on this adventure we decided to leave ALL the planning to Rick!

Takk, Rick!

(Thank you, Rick!)

The tour

“Where are we going?”

In May, 2023 we decided to join the Best of Scandinavia in 14 Days Rick Steves Tour ​leaving just a few weeks later in July.

Within days we were registered, had booked our flights, and reserved pre and post hotel ​stays. Within weeks emails from Rick’s staff provided further details which included all of ​the travel instructions, list of hotel accommodations, roster of our travel partners, and ​guide’s name.

We also received Rick Steves Scandinavia guide book to begin our own planning.

Then we dusted off our passports, left Wisconsin, flew out of Minneapolis, transferred ​planes at Reykjavik, Iceland and landed in Stockholm to join the tour.

It was a whirl-wind, but in a good way!

“Are we there yet?”

We arrived at Hotel Wellington in Stockholm for our 4pm tour launch with our Danish guide, Heidi. Her orientation included introductions to our travel team, tour guidelines, and receiving city travel passes and Vox audio devices.

The “buddy system” was introduced. Each person was assigned someone (not related) and you became "buddies." Then, when Heidi called “buddy check” we would make eye-contact to ensure that our buddy was present. Our buddies were a friendly couple from Minnesota, so it was more like ‘where the heck are Jan, Randy, Barb and Rick’! This process worked well, was a lot of fun, and we didn’t lose anyone.

After our orientation, our merry group of 26 travelers then strolled through the neighborhood to Kvarnen, a restaurant established in 1908, where we had several meal options, including Swedish meatballs. On the way, Heidi warned us, “watch for bikes” and “NO jaywalking” (it’s a Danish thing). It became a common and comic group refrain as we traveled.

The evening ended back at Hotel Wellington with a relaxing glass of wine.

Getting around

Planes, trains, buses, trams, ferries, funiculars, kayaks and feet were our modes of transportation through Scandinavia.

The tour was well organized. Every evening an itinerary was posted with details for the next day. We knew exactly what to look forward to, not that there weren’t fun surprises along the way! Heidi provided us with city transit passes allowing quick access to many locations. In addition, tickets for all the tour venues were provided for easy entry. A special bonus was the city guides who joined the group to add color commentary and a local’s perspective.

As to money, we did not change dollars to kronor/krona/kroner anywhere in Scandinavia. Our credit cards were our lingua franca.

Tour guide Heidi was well organized, good humored, energetic, and very knowledgeable. This trip did depend upon a lot of bus time, but Heidi enhanced the experience through educational narrations, musical selections, numerous snacks, and bus lunches.

Bus driver Johnny was skilled, cheerful, and very helpful.

Our itinerary and map

With Heidi guiding us and Johnny at the wheel, we traveled both the east and west coasts of Sweden staying in three Swedish cities; Stockholm, Kalmar on the way to Denmark, and Varberg on our way to Norway. In Denmark, we stayed in Copenhagen and on Aero Island. Norway included nights in Oslo, Laerdal, and Bergen.

Our scrapbook is organized geographically by country.

Jump start your own journey by clicking on a:

• country on the navigation bar,
  
• flag on the map (Itinerary & Map link above, use your Back button to return)
• country listed below, or
  
• simply scroll down and enjoy the trip!
  

Stockholm

The tour focused on Gamla Stan “Old Town” which dates ​to the 13th century. Cobbled streets lead down to the ​harbor with islands strung out toward the Baltic Sea.

Swedish ruler, Birger Jarl made a trade agreement with ​Lübeck, Germany and the city grew rapidly, becoming the ​Swedish capital in 1436. One of the origin stories for the ​name Stockholm or "log island" in Swedish is that the ​leaders took a log, hollowed it out, filled it with gold, and ​set it afloat. Several days later it landed on the island ​where Gamla Stan sits today and they founded the new ​capital of Sweden.

the city of Stockholm

First impressions

Sightseeing

Tall, young, blonde and bikes! The city always looks to the water, whether for recreation or as a working port. The waterfront district is a true gathering point for locals as well as travelers.

The first full day in Stockholm we met our city guide, Håkan, and took a walking tour. Stockholm is a youthful city with an old soul sitting on the sea. We walked through Gamla Stan’s (Old Town) cobblestone streets and past colorful medieval period buildings. These invite you to wander from corner to corner finding hidden courtyards, fountains, and statues.

The afternoon was spent on the island of Djurgården visiting the Vasa Museum and Skansen.

The following day we toured City Hall where the Nobel ceremonies are held and learned more about the economic, political, and social fabric of Sweden.

In the afternoon we left for Kalmar.

Observations

Stockholm has clean streets and is very walkable. Once you learn the local courtesies, the bicyclists and drivers are reasonably forgiving! Ferries from the waterfront to points of interest around the harbor are fast, inexpensive, and very scenic - and you see more of Stockholm than feet would allow.

Vasa Museum

The Vasa was a warship commissioned by King Gustavus ​Adolphus, and built from 1626-1627. Vasa was extremely ​powerful for its day, and beautiful, with stem to stern ​carvings decorating the fantail, the cannon doors, the ​railings and the bow. It was unfortunately very top heavy ​(read ‘unstable’) due to the addition of a second fighting ​deck filled with cannons. It foundered in a moderate wind ​on its maiden voyage (August 10, 1628), having traveled ​only some 1300 meters. Most of the cannons were ​recovered, but the ship itself could not be raised with the ​technology of the day. It was soon lost to history. It was ​found again in 1951, and salvaged in 1961. The museum ​houses not only the ship itself, but many of the ​archaeological artifacts, plus a great deal of information ​on the process of salvage and the archaeological ​importance of the ship’s recovery.

This museum is a must-see!

Skansen

Skansen, on the island of Djurgården, is a short ferry ride ​from the Skeppsbron waterfront.

We followed the nickelharpas and fiddle music and found ​these colorful dancers dressed in traditional costumes. ​They are a fine introduction to the open air museum, ​which is composed of many pre-industrial era buildings ​that were gathered to the site beginning in the late ​1800s. There are houses, churches, business and trade ​buildings of many types, gardens, farmsteads and even ​some farm animals.

There are many other museums in this area, such as the ​ABBA and Vasa museums, plus an amusement park.

Sitting in the sun at this open-air cultural museum, ​surrounded by music, laughter, and costumed dancers is ​a relaxing way to spend an afternoon or full day.

Stockholm City Hall and the Nobel Prizes

Our tour of Stockholm City Hall was conducted by our ​previous guide’s partner, Yiva. She was very ​knowledgeable about the civic life of Stockholm.

This architectural masterpiece is one of Stockholm’s major ​tourist attractions. We toured its grand halls, including the ​Blue Hall, the Golden Hall, the Council Chamber, and the ​Gallery of the Prince.

The City Hall, located on the bank of Lake Mälaren, is the ​venue for Nobel prize banquets. Good luck getting an ​invitation to the banquet held in the Blue Hall. It is the ​most coveted social event in Sweden!

The Nobel prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or ​medicine, and literature are awarded in Sweden, while the ​Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, for reasons ​unknown but stipulated in Alfred Nobel’s will.

Kalmar

After two nights in Stockholm we bused south to Kalmar, ​Sweden, located on the Baltic Sea.

Guns and roses define Kalmar Castle.

A large garden leads us to the castle and its defensive ​gun positions. The castle’s Renaissance interior is well-​preserved and extremely interesting. Kalmar Castle is an ​important site in Scandinavian history. Notably, two ​women were central characters in that history: Queen ​Margaret I of Denmark organized the Kalmar Union in ​1397 and Anna Eriksdotter, commanded the Kalmar ​Castle garrison against Danish forces during the 1520 ​rebellion which ended the Kalmar Union.

The old town of Kalmar has cobbled streets, and a ​number of well preserved 17th and 18th century ​buildings. It makes for a fun saunter (thinking of Walt ​Whitman).

Varberg

After our detour to Denmark (to visit Copenhagen and Ærø ​Island), we returned to Sweden’s west coast, traveling north ​toward Norway along a large arm of the North Sea called ​Kattegat. This coastal region is defined by the Bohuslän ​archipelago.

On our way to Varberg, we stopped for lunch in Helsingør, ​home of Kromborg Castle (Hamlet’s castle). We then ​traveled to Varberg, our overnight stop and stayed at the ​utterly unique Hotel Gästis, where every room and public ​area was a library!

Our next mid-day stopover was at Everts Sjöbod, near the ​village of Grebbestad. We were treated to a wonderful lunch ​and cruise through part of the archipelago on a beautifully ​restored fishing boat. We would never have known of this ​place had it not been for Rick Steves!

The Tanum petroglyphs and museum (a World Heritage site) ​was another stopping point.

• The whole tour group was invited to Håkan and Yiva’s ​apartment in Gamla Stan, Stockholm where we had a wide ​ranging conversation from art to Swedish politics to their ​daughter’s fotboll (soccer) tournament and the approval ​ratings of Scandinavian monarchies (Sweden-not so great).

• While at Skansen, we heard lutheran hymns sung in the ​Seglora church during a baptism.

• On the way to Kalmar our group stopped at Söderköping ​for lunch and instead we checked out their very nice ​community library (once a librarian always a librarian).

• We are sauna fans (we have one) and so does the hotel ​Frimurare in Kalmar! Now we can say we took an actual ​Swedish bastu (sauna).

• At Hotel Gastis in Varberg you could take any book home; ​what a novel idea.

• The many parks and city squares of Sweden with kid-​friendly fun (notice the rabbits below).

Copenhagen

Our bus dropped us off at Hotel Bethel, which faces the ​colorful Nyhavn canal. The canal, built in the 1670s by King ​Christian V, connects the inner city to the sea. Danish ​soldiers and Swedish prisoners were ordered to excavate it.

Copenhagen was founded in 1167 by Bishop Absalon. In ​1445, it was made the capital of Denmark and the ​residence of the Royal Family. Its early wealth came from ​herring fishing, but today it is a major economic and tourist ​center in Scandinavia.

the city of Copenhagen

First impressions

Tall people, tall spires, and glittering ​canals. The city is ultra-clean, easy to ​navigate and has a laid back, cool vibe. ​We felt like we had stepped into Garrison ​Keillor’s Lake Wobegon, “where all the ​women are strong, all the men are good-​looking, and all the children are above ​average.”

Observations

Copenhagen is a city of contrasts. It is very ​cosmopolitan, with a seamless mix of old and modern. ​It not afraid to show off its heritage, with its numerous ​museums and historical sites which are within easy ​reach. Copenhagen is very walkable, but has a wide ​variety of other modes of transportation for tourists ​including canal tours, and like in Stockholm, bikes are ​welcomed. Beautiful parks and architecture ​demonstrate a commitment to arts and culture.

Sightseeing

After crossing the Øresund Strait, which ​connects Denmark to Sweden, we arrived ​in Copenhagen. Our guide, Heidi resides ​here so we definitely had to abide by the ​NO jaywalking rule.

The first evening we strolled the Strøget ​pedestrian mall as a group and stopped for ​a wonderful meal while listening to Hans ​Christian Andersen (Richard Karpen) ​reciting his familiar stories (the original ​versions, not Disney-fied). On our way back ​to Bethel, Heidi purchased famed Danish ​ice cream for us all. What a lovely night.

The following morning we walked through ​the historical city center, stopping at Our ​Lady Cathedral, National Theater, and ​King’s New Square.

The afternoon was free for touring on our ​own and we visited the parks, palaces, and ​castles of Copenhagen.

Rosenborg Castle and Copenhagen Cathedral

We reserved tickets to visit Rosenberg Castle during our free time. This was fortunate, because many of the timed entry slots were sold out. The Castle was built in the early 1600s by King Christian IV and used as his summer home. The lavish interior with its extravagant wallpapers, delft-tiled bathroom, and painted putti ceilings demonstrated the power of the monarchy. The Castle and Danish treasury is still protected by the Royal Life Guards. The treasury holds the royal crowns, crown jewels, sceptre and orb, and other royal paraphernalia.

We stopped at the Copenhagen Cathedral, Church of Our Lady, as part of our morning tour. The location has housed a church since 1209, but the current Cathedral was built in the early 1800s. It has a very Lutheran look, nothing like the cathedrals we saw in Italy, Spain, or France.

Canals of Copenhagen

When we arrived in Copenhagen, we were thrilled at the ​location of our hotel. The Bethel sits right on the ​picturesque Nyhavn canal. Although a tourist area, our ​hotel room overlooked a peaceful courtyard.

It was a joy to return to the Bethel, because the Nyhavn ​area took on different looks at different times of the day ​with varying reflections off the water and ever changing ​activities.

Unfortunately, we did not plan well and were unable to ​take a canal cruise - something we will be sure to do the ​next time we are in Copenhagen.

Below are just some of the photos we took of the Nyhavn ​and other city canals.

Copenhagen Palaces and Tivoli Gardens

Our walking tour of Copenhagen passed through Amalienborg Palace and Square. (This is a city of palaces.) The Queen and her son and his family live on the grounds. Heidi mentioned that the wife of the crown prince was often seen biking her young children to school. We also visited Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament. We wandered by some minor palaces, including the Yellow Palace which now houses the Lord Chamberlain's Office, and Charlottenborg Palace built by Christian V’s step-brother in the 1670s where the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts is now located.

We spent the last night on our own visiting Tivoli Gardens where the constant motion, bright colors, and sounds explain why the Tivoli was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s parks. The 180-year-old venue was where we spent the early evening enjoying dinner at Mikkeller Færgekroen, a restaurant overlooking Tivoli Lake, evoking the look of a classic Danish inn.

Roskilde

Our tour group left Copenhagen and traveled southeast ​toward Ærø Island. On the way we stopped at the city of ​Roskilde to visit the Viking Ship Museum and the ​Cathedral.

The Viking Ship Museum is located on Roskilde Fjord ​which eventually empties into the North Sea. It houses ​five original Viking ships reclaimed near the village of ​Skuldelev which is downstream on the fjord. Besides the ​well-researched and restored 1000-year-old Viking ​ships, we thoroughly enjoyed the Climb Aboard exhibit ​which recreates the experience of a day aboard a Viking ​ship at sea, from calm to stormy.

As one of the earliest religious buildings made of brick ​in Northern Europe, the 800-year-old Cathedral is a ​World Heritage site. It serves as the royal Danish ​mausoleum and sits in the center of the 1000-year-old ​city of Roskilde.

Ærø Island

A ferry took us, along with our bus, from Svendborg to ​Ærø Island.

The Oxford Dictionary definition of ‘quaint’ must be: Ærø ​Island. The Old Town is most assuredly quaint, and makes ​one want to retire here as a quasi-hobbit. The surrounding ​neighborhoods are much more modern, and neat as a pin. ​The seaside bathing huts along the Vesterstrand are very ​picturesque. A drive through the countryside and villages ​of the island continues the definition of quaint. The farms ​and fields are very reminiscent of our mid-West. The ​entire island felt very at ease with itself.

Beneath the idyllic appearances, there is a dynamism to ​this community. Our group was introduced to the Ærø ​Eksperimentet, a program which encourages efforts by ​local citizens around sustainability, entrepreneurship, and ​resource sharing.

• Hans Christian Andersen’s stories as told by Richard ​Karpen while dining at the Nytorv restaurant in ​Copenhagen.

• Relaxing in the quiet Bethel Hotel courtyard with a ​beer after walking through Copenhagen’s busy canal ​area.

• Admiring the restored Viking ships, as well as the new ​builds at the Viking Ship Museum.

• Ferrying to Ærø on a rainy, wind swept sea.

• Feeling very comfortable traveling through the wheat-​filled countryside of Ærø.
  

• Finding Baltic Sea glass on the beach at Ærøskøbing ​Vesterstrand

• Danish lunch at Vindeballe Kro in Ærøskøbing where ​Randy successfully recreated the Danish flag with red ​berry pudding and cream (Rødgrød med Fløde).
  

Oslo

City Hall, Frogner Park, ​Royal Palace and ​Akershus Fortress

Oslo

A guest guide walked us through Oslo and shared its ​economic, cultural, and historical importance. As the ​capital of Norway and its largest city, Oslo lies at the head ​of Oslofjord. It was founded around 1050 by King Harald ​Hardraade. It was later destroyed by a fire in 1624 and ​rebuilt by Christian IV of Denmark/Norway who renamed it ​Christiania. The name was changed back to Oslo in 1924 ​and it has become an economic powerhouse. It is a city of ​commerce, arts, parks, and architecture. Oslo is also the ​home of the Nobel Peace Prize.

the city of Oslo

First impressions

Sightseeing

We arrived in Oslo on a rainy afternoon and ​immediately went to Frogner Park, home to ​famous sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The ​evening ended with a dinner at Rorbua, ​featuring reindeer tenderloins. They were ​delish.

The next morning the group toured the harbor ​and central city with a local guide stopping at ​many sites, including Akershus Fortress, Karl ​Johans Gate, the Gunnar Sønsteby statue, Royal ​Palace, Oslo University, and National Theatre.

One of the most interesting stories shared by ​the guide was when German ships tried to enter ​the port in 1940 to capture Oslo, the Royal ​Family, and parliament. A small group of ​soldiers manning an island fort used guns from ​the 1800s and 40-year-old torpedoes to sink a ​battle cruiser, delaying the German assault for ​several days. This gave time for the parliament ​and Royal Family to escape and setup a ​government in exile. The PBS series, Atlantic ​Crossing, is inspired by some of these events.

In the afternoon, we were free explore on our ​own and we spent time at City Hall and at the ​National Museum.

The same, but different from other ​Scandinavian capitals. Oslo appears to be a ​much more ‘modern’ city compared to ​Stockholm or Copenhagen and seems more ​a work-a-day city. Near our hotel, vocal ​pro-Ukrainian/anti-Russian demonstrations ​were taking place outside the Storting ​(Parliament) building, it was the only ​protest that we saw in Scandinavia, unlike ​other European countries we have visited.

Observations

It is hard not to notice the many memorials, statues ​and museums dedicated to Norway’s resistance efforts ​during WWII. Perhaps the reason is because it is a ​strong cultural touchstone. As Heidi told us, Norway ​experienced the"400-Year Night", a period when it was ​a vassal state ruled by either Denmark or Sweden until ​1905 when they become a truly independent state.

In 1940, they were unwilling to relinquish their new ​found freedoms to the Germans without a fight. In ​doing so, they formed alliances to help protect their ​population and resources. After WWII, they recognized ​that strong alliances could help preserve peace and ​became a founding member of NATO.

Frogner Park

Our tour group had just driven in from the Swedish coast when we stopped at Frogner Park in Olso to view Gustav Vigeland’s sculptures. These granite and bronze human forms seen on a drizzly afternoon in muted light made them seem other-worldly.

Over 200 sculptures, each conveying the human condition - age, sex, emotion are intense. The ‘angry boy’ statue’s hand is shiny because many tourists have touched it for good luck. The park also includes a fountain and a tall monolith where over 100 bodies seem to be struggling or supporting each other as they climb toward the top.

We learned of Vigeland’s relationship with the city, in which he was given a building to work and live and in return he donated his works to Oslo. The project from design to installation took over 40 years. Vigeland died at the age of 73 in 1943.

Oslo City Hall

On our free afternoon we visited Oslo City Hall and were ​just in time to join one of the docent-guided tours.

The building interior features beautiful murals and art ​celebrating the history, culture and working life of ​Norwegians. The main floor is the location for the Nobel ​Peace Prize ceremony. The second floor features the ​Ceremonial Gallery with tapestries and smaller rooms ​artfully decorated, such as the Munch Room. The docent ​stated that the number of civil marriages is increasing and ​many take place in the Munch Room with his painting ​‘Life’ as a backdrop.

The exterior of City Hall is also decorated with sixteen ​wooden friezes with Norse gods and mythology as the ​theme.

Royal Palace of Norway and Akershus Fortress

The Royal Palace, built in the 1840s, is located at the end ​of Karl Johans Gate and is home to the King and Queen. It ​is patrolled by the King’s Guard who are charged with ​protecting the Royal Family. The Palace is surrounded by ​gardens. Our guide reported that the population’s view of ​the monarchy is positive. Queen Sonja is beloved for her ​love of nature, particularly hiking. Queen Maud was ​Norway’s first queen (1906-1938) after the break from ​Sweden. Her relationships with British royalty, allowed ​King Haakon VII and their son to escape to London during ​WWII.

Starting in the early 1300s, Akershus Fortress successfully ​protected Oslo until it was surrendered to Nazi Germany ​in 1940. The area includes a castle, and two museums, ​including the Norway’s Home Front Museum. Forty-two ​Norwegian resistance fighters were shot by the occupying ​Nazis during WWII and a memorial stands near the ​execution site, stating “They fought, they fell, they gave ​us everything at this place”.

Lærdal

On the way from Olso to Lærdal, Norway we visited the

• Maihaugen Open Air Museum in Lillehammer, and
• Borgund Stave Church in Borgund.

Once we arrived in Lærdal we spent the night in the lovely Lindstrøm Hotel tucked into a valley with mountains on our doorstep. After a dinner together at the hotel, we strolled through the quiet village.

The next morning we left Lærdal and began our travels up through the Jotunheimen mountain range on corkscrew, cliffhanger roads where sheep ruled the day. According to Heidi, sheep can graze anywhere, and if you hit them on the road (where they like to congregate) the fine is 700 kroner. The vistas were breath-taking at Stegastein Overlook. Once we summited, we headed back down toward Aurland for lunch and then continued to Flam where we boarded the electric ferry. It took us through Sognefjord to Gudvangen where we rejoined Johnny and the bus to continue to Bergen.

Toilet view at Stegastein

Bergen

In Bergen, the tour focused on historic Bryggen (another ​UNESCO World Heritage site) which faces the North Sea. It ​was built by the Hanseatic League, a medieval Germanic ​monopoly that controlled trade throughout Northern ​Europe from 1250-1750. Bergen provided the fish (cod) ​which was one of the essential components of the ​Hanseatic League trade system. Its location on the fishing ​grounds created great wealth and Bergen became the first ​capital of Norway (a friendly rivalry with Oslo still exists).

the city of Bergen

First impressions

Bergen seems older than Oslo and still ​carries the feel of a working wharf - where ​cod was king. The colorful buildings along ​the harbor are reminiscent of ​Copenhagen’s canal townhouses. Bergen is ​tucked into low mountains (7 to be exact) ​which is very different than Stockholm and ​Copenhagen. Also, the city biking culture ​does not seem as strong.

Observations

The tourist area of Bergen still conveys a sense of its ​original sea-faring origins. In Copenhagen, as in some ​of the other cities, we saw a lot of pleasure boats, ​whereas in Bergen there seemed to be far more ​commercial vessels at dock. As we ventured out of the ​city center we quickly entered residential areas that ​were clean, quiet, and tourist-free.

Bergen seems to be a city where industry, commerce, ​and tourism co-exist.

Sightseeing

After our harrowing (just kidding) drive ​through the mountains we continued to the ​city of Bergen, arriving early evening. Hotel ​Rosenkrantz, a block from the harbor in the ​Bryggen area, was our home for the next two ​nights.

The first evening we strolled through historic ​Bryggen on our own, visiting the fish market ​for dinner and enjoying an ice cream covered ​waffle for dessert.

The next morning, Heidi guided us through ​the wharf area and we all took the funicular ​to Mt. Fløyen with its spectacular views of ​the harbor.

The afternoon was spent hiking on our own ​and saving a young mother and child from a ​seagull attack (they had french fries :). That ​evening we gathered as a group for a ​goodbye dinner, to reminisce, and rejoice ​over a wonderful trip!

The following day we met for breakfast and ​said our final farewells.