Holiday guide
The best of Scandinavia
Revered for their superb landscapes, quirky cultures and ability to nurture the finer details of life, the six main Nordic nations have a lot in common. But despite their shared latitudes and spectacular landscapes, these countries are wildly different. They each have special qualities that make a country unique – whether it’s a penchant for sweating in saunas or a passion for carving ice hotels.
Ranked and rated: Which Scandinavian country is the best destination?
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland or Greenland? We compare the contenders across five categories to help you decide which to visit.
- Sarah Marshall
Remote island is now the ultimate bucket-list destination for food
Home to the world’s most remote Michelin-starred restaurant, this Faroe Islands town of just 20,000 is a magnet for foodies looking beyond the typical gourmet destinations.
- Tim Ecott
Ten things we’ll never understand about Scandinavia
Denmark, Norway and Sweden get universal praise for their way of life, but some things about Scandinavia strike outsiders as peculiar.
- Brian Johnston
Europe’s most beautiful islands are nowhere near the Mediterranean
The Lofotens are made up of hundreds of islands but wherever you are, the scenery is stupendous.
- Brian Johnston
Want to know the secret of the world’s happiest country? Ask its women
Saunas, nature and a lack of corruption are often cited as the reason Finland leads the way on happiness. But there may be another key factor.
- Heidi Fuller-Love
How to do the most expensive part of Europe on the cheap
Scandinavia is notoriously expensive, but savvy travellers can cut the cost of visiting Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
- Brian Johnston
Stunning winter wonderland is actually more magical in autumn
Autumn in the far north of Scandinavia means crisp mornings, warm sunny days and a colourful fanfare of foliage. It’s the ideal time to venture outdoors.
- Rob McFarland
I visited the ‘happiest city in the world’ – here’s what I learnt
“I’m here to find out if Aarhus is the happiest city in the world,” I told the immigration officer. “It is,” she responded, deadpan, before stamping my passport.
- Greg Dickinson
One of the most beautiful places in Europe is virtually unknown
Most people have never heard of Veitastrond, a lost pocket almost unknown to the outside world despite “the finest ice scenery in Europe”.
- Anabel Dean
- Opinion
I had the perfect stopover in Copenhagen in just five hours
I felt like a competitor in The Amazing Race. “You have five hours in Copenhagen – go!” But then I did something smart, a move that proved to be very useful.
- Lee Tulloch
Now you can hike from island to island in Sweden
The new Stockholm Archipelago Trail connects 225 kilometres of new and existing trails across 22 islands.
- Julietta Jameson
The travel lesson we should learn from Denmark
The cosy Danish concept of hygge might make your travels more mindful and less expensive.
- Brian Johnston
The capital of the world’s happiest country is full of delights
Finland consistently tops lists of the world’s happiest countries. A stay in the country’s capital goes a long way towards explaining why that is.
- Kate Allman
Why I went to Copenhagen and did nothing
My plan is simple: ignore the tourist sights and pick a neighbourhood neither too dishevelled nor too wealthy – and do nothing.
- Brian Johnston