Stockholm
Housed in an elegant Italianate building, Medelhavsmuseet lures history buffs with its Egyptian, Greek, Cypriot, Roman and Etruscan treasures. A large…
Must-see attractions in Scandinavia
Copenhagen
The palace tower opened to the public for the first time in 2014. It’s the city’s tallest tower, delivering a sweeping view over the Danish capital. The…
The Western Fjords
It's a picturesque run of 21km or so up the Lodalen valley to reach this offshoot of the glacier, perhaps the least visited of the four main tongues. The…
Stockholm
The vast Ekoparken, or Royal National City Park, is the world’s first national urban park. Established in 1995, it incorporates 26 sq km, stretching all…
Copenhagen
Completed in 1740, the two curved, symmetrical wings behind Christiansborg belonged to the original baroque palace, destroyed by fire in 1794. The wings…
Gothenburg
Laid out in 1842, the lush Trädgårdsföreningen is a large protected area off Nya Allén. Full of flowers and tiny cafes, it’s popular for lunchtime…
Stockholm
This architecturally divisive building, opened in 1974, is an arts hub, with a couple of galleries and workshops, a cinema, three restaurants, and…
Stockholm
A private palace completed in 1898, Hallwylska Museet was once home to compulsive hoarder Wilhelmina von Hallwyl, who collected items as diverse as…
Lappland
Sarek National Park, central in the World Heritage Area, is for experienced and well-kitted-out trekkers only. Named after Sarektjåhkkå (2098m), and full…
Gamla Stan
Founded by a guild of German merchants in the 15th century, Tyska Kyrkan (The German Church) hints at Stockholm's multicultural past and present. The…
Copenhagen
It's hard to miss this 17th-century church and its 95m-high spiral tower. For a soul-stirring city view, make the head-spinning 400-step ascent to the top…
Nørrebro & Østerbro
You'll find some of Denmark's most celebrated citizens at this famous cemetery, including philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, physicist Niels Bohr, author Hans…
Gamla Stan
Evert Taubes Terrass is a tranquil and relaxed spot and one of the best viewpoints in Stockholm, at eye level with lake Mälaren on the quiet island of…
Stockholm
St Jakobs kyrka is one of Stockholm's most notable and oldest – though often overlooked – churches, away from the central islands of the old town and…
Copenhagen
Renowned Copenhagen architect firm Bjarke Ingels Group is behind this highly ambitious waste-to-energy plant at the northern end of Amager. When completed…
Gamla Stan
Technically situated on Helgeandsholmen, the little island in the middle of Norrström, rather than on Gamla Stan, the Swedish Parliament building is an…
Helsinki
The 1938-completed Tennispalatsi (Tennis Palace) cultural and recreation centre was intended for the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were subsequently…
Malmö
Erik of Pomerania built the first fortress here in 1436 but it was destroyed between 1534 and 1536 during a popular uprising in Skåne. After this…
Central Jutland
South of Rønde is this popular feature of Mols Bjerge National Park. From the parking area and restaurant, a 500m causeway leads to atmospheric castle…
Turku
Anchored outside the Forum Marinum is a small fleet of museum ships that you can climb aboard. The mine layer Keihässalmi and the corvette Karjala take…
Stockholm
Sweden’s largest art museum is home to the nation’s collection of painting, sculpture, drawings, decorative arts and graphics from the Middle Ages to the…
Copenhagen
Not many stock exchanges are topped by a 56m-tall spire formed from the entwined tails of four dragons. Børsen is one. Constructed in the bustling early…
Longyearbyen
Having opened for business in 2015, Svalbard's very own brewery makes the very quaffable Spitsbergen IPA, Spitsbergen Pilsener and Spitsbergen Pale Ale –…
Bohuslän
Boat trips run from Strömstad’s north harbour to the beautiful cluster of forested Koster Islands every 30 minutes from July to mid-August, less…
Reykjavík
Iceland’s first parliament, the Alþingi, was created at Þingvellir in AD 930. After losing independence in the 13th century, the country gradually won…
Reykjavík
Two things set the statue of Ingibjörg H Bjarnason apart from other monuments in the area: it depicts a historical female figure and it is not made by…
Southern Sweden
Karlskrona’s monumental square, Stortorget, was planned to rival Europe’s best. Alas, the funds ran out, resulting in a somewhat odd mix of grand…
Copenhagen
Folketinget is where the 179 members of the Danish parliament debate national legislation. Guided tours also take in Wanderer's Hall, which contains the…
Copenhagen
Built in the 13th century, the church of Sankt Nikolaj is now home to the Copenhagen Contemporary Art Centre, which hosts around half-a-dozen exhibitions…
Central Jutland
The striking, twin-towered cathedral is equally impressive inside and out, with frescoes, painted over five years (1908–13) by artist Joakim Skovgaard,…
Central Jutland
Although it’s smaller than the better-known Trelleborg in Zealand, the thousand-year-old Fyrkat ring fortress so closely resembles Trelleborg that both…
The Golden Circle
For more than 20 years, this petting zoo in small-town Iceland has been a popular hang-out for families passing through the village of Laugarás. Orphaned…
Reykjavík
Þúfa (th-oo-fha), meaning the Tussock, was created by artist Ólöf Nordal in 2013. The 8m-tall grassy mound was constructed out of 4500 tons of gravel and…
Gamla Stan
The House of Nobility once hosted some of the most influential and powerful people in Sweden's history. Built in the 17th century, this magnificent and…
Copenhagen
Forget Thailand: to escape the Nordic cold, simply slip inside the Botanic Garden's Palm House. A large, elegant glasshouse dating from the 19th century,…
Zealand
One of Zealand's most important Viking Age sites, this large ring fortress dates to AD 980. It is essentially a perfectly circular raised earthwork, 300m…
Lappland
The main attraction of Vilhelmina is its colourful restored church town. Its 30-plus cottages were built when the church was consecrated in 1792 and…
Longyearbyen
Museum is the wrong word for this impressive exhibition space. Themes on display include life on the edge formerly led by whalers, trappers, seal and…
Malmö
Within the walls of Malmöhus Slott, under the banner of Malmö Museer, you'll find this superb collection of Swedish furniture and handicrafts, plus a vast…
Svalbard
On the west coast of Spitsbergen, the oddly shaped, 86km-long, 11km-wide island of Prins Karls Forlandet is a national park set aside to protect breeding…
