Five fun things to do in Scandinavia
Holidays are often associated with beach time or pool time – depending on where you come from (and where you are going). Perhaps Scandinavia seems like an oddly cold holiday destination, but there are plenty reasons why it needs to be added to your travel list.
Yes, it might be cold, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing fun to do! Here are five fun things to do when you visit Scandinavia:
1. Experience a local fish market – Bergen
The Bergen fish market is described as one of Norway’s most visited outdoor markets, located in the heart of the city between the fjords and Bergen’s seven mountains.
Dating back to the 1200s, it has been a meeting place for merchants and fishermen through the ages.
Apart from fresh Nordic fish and seafood, you can also indulge in local farm food like fruit, berries and vegetables or buy some fresh flowers and plants. You don’t even have to buy anything! Just walking around and taking it all in is an adventure in itself.
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2. Flamsbana train journey – Flåm
Norway is World famous for fjords (long, narrow inlets with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier). Drive from Bergen to the town of Flåm, on the edge of the Sognefjord.
Enjoy the Flamsbana train journey which meanders between the Sognefjord and Hardangervidda. The Flåm Railway takes you from high mountains in Myrdal station, through the Flåm valley and down to the very bottom of the Aurlandsfjord and Flåm station. National Geographic Traveler Magazine called it “one of the top 10 train journeys in Europe” while in 2014, Lonely Planet Traveler dubbed it “the best train journey in the world.”
3. Marvel at Geirangerfjord and traverse Trollstigen pass – Geiranger
Geirangerfjord is a Unesco-listed fjord and a must-see when you are in Scandinavia. Sure, it is Norway’s second largest cruise port , and sure, there are many tourists, but how can you blame them? National Geographic has rated the Geirangerfjord as the best preserved Unesco World Heritage Site.
Drive down Trollstigen (The Troll’s Ladder), a 105km-long stretch of road that descends out of the mountains on 11 hairpin bends and is surrounded by lofty peaks dubbed Kongen (the King), Dronningen (the Queen) and Bispen (the Bishop) and hugged by lush vegetation.
4. Get funky at the Abba Museum – Stockholm
If you’re in Stockholm, pop in at the ABBA Museum. But don’t expect a boring walk through a history museum. The ABBA Museum is fun and interactive and while you’ll learn about the story about Björn, Benny, Frida and Agnetha and their lives growing up and when music entered their lives, you will feel what it’s like to be onstage with ABBA, to sing at the famous Polar Studio or to dress up in those legendary costumes (virtual experience).
You might walk in, but you’ll certainly be dancing out of there!
5. Play at Legoland – Billund
Yes, Legoland! Many people don’t even know that Lego is Swedish (not everything is American, folks)! So if you find yourself in Scandinavia, don’t keep yourself too adult to go play at the marvellous Legoland situated in Billund, Denmark.
