Must-see attractions in Scandinavia

  • Hveravellir

    North Iceland

    The geothermal site Hveravellir, on Rte 87, about 20km south of Húsavík, provides some of Húsavík's hot-water supply and the means of power production…

  • Utvandrar-Monumentet

    Southern Sweden

    This poignant monument commemorates all America-bound emigrants. Its figures are characters from Vilhelm Moberg’s classic The Emigrants: Karl Oscar,…

  • Albani Brewery

    Odense

    Founded in 1859, the city's ubiquitous Odense beers are brewed by Albani right in the heart of town, though the company is now part of conglomerate Royal…

  • Statue of Adolf Henrik Lindstrøm

    Western Finnmark

    Adolf Henrik Lindstrøm was a Hammerfest-born cook who accompanied Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen (among others) and ended up travelling on more polar…

  • Marilyn Monroe Memorial

    Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords

    Bizarrely, Haugesund claims to be the ancestral home of Marilyn Monroe, whose father, a local baker, emigrated from here to the USA. This monument on the…

  • Evje Og Hornnes Museum

    Southern Norway

    Budding geologists will find plenty to get excited about in Evje. This small museum, 2km west of town and across the river in Fennefoss, displays more…

  • Lenin Museo

    Tampere

    There are few displays dedicated to the revolutionary leader here; rather, displays focus on the shared modern history of Finland and Russia. The…

  • Leif Ericson Statue

    Trondheim

    If you're from the USA, the Viking staring out to sea near the Hurtigruten quay may seem familiar. That's because he's an exact replica of the Ericson…

  • Särkänniemi Aquarium

    Tampere

    The aquarium inside the Särkänniemi amusement park has limited information in English and isn’t especially memorable, with the Finnish fish (including…

  • St Michaels Catholic Church

    Western Finnmark

    With a strong claim to being the world's most northerly Catholic church, St Michaels, serving a congregation of barely 90 souls, is immediately…

  • Monument of Liberty

    Turku & Finland's South Coast

    Where Bulevardi meets the beach is the Monument of Liberty, commemorating the landing of liberating German forces in 1918. The monument was taken down…

  • Breiðdalssetur

    East Iceland

    Breiðdalssetur is a small local museum and research centre with exhibits on regional geology and history. At the time of research it was only open to…

  • Byggðasafn Húnvetninga og Strandamanna

    North Iceland

    Located, 13km north of Staðarskáli, this regional museum includes the well-constructed interior of a 19th-century homestead and the shark-fishing boat…

  • Catholic Church

    Akureyri

    The Catholic church is an attractive old red-and-white house built in 1912 and acquired by the church in 1952. On the nearby roundabout is Einar Jónsson’s…

  • Ruoveden Kotiseutumuseo

    Finland

    Ruovesi's local open-air museum is set around a collection of 18th-century farm buildings and includes a simple farmer's house. It's of extremely limited…

  • Tinn Museum

    Southern Norway

    This peaceful, open-air folk museum, at the eastern end of town, traces rural Norwegian architecture from the 11th century to the early 1900s.

  • Modern Art Gallery

    Trondheim

    This small private gallery exhibits the work of modern Norwegian painters; most of what you see is for sale.

  • Natural History Collection

    Bergen

    This small museum is closed for renovations until 2019, which should add new galleries and updated displays.

  • Tromsø Catholic Church

    Tromsø

    The Tromsø Catholic Church was built in 1861 and is the world's northernmost Catholic bishopric.

  • Whalebone Arch

    Ísafjörður

    Of minor interest is the whalebone arch made from a whale’s jawbone in the central town park.

  • Rollon Statue

    Ålesund

    Rollo the Viking founded Normandy in 911; William the Conqueror is his descendant.

  • Gate

    Southern Norway

    There are a series of gates within the walls surrounding the old town.

  • Føroya Fornminnissavn

    Tórshavn

    The excellent Føroya Fornminnissavn is split between two sites in the Hoyvík suburb, 3km north of centre. The main site at Brekkutún 6 beautifully…

  • Føroya Fornminissavn

    Faroe Islands

    The excellent Føroya Fornminnissavn (Historical Museum) is split between two sites in the Hoyvík suburb, 3km(1.86mi) north of central Tórshavn. The main…

  • Kirkjubøur

    Faroe Islands

    Kirkjubøur was the episcopal centre of the island in medieval times. Today it's just a scattering of chalet-like wood-and-stone houses. St Olav's Church,…

  • Listasavn Føroya

    Tórshavn

    Viðarlundin, a wonderfully wild park where trees and sculptures mingle, leads to the bright and airy Listasavn Føroya. Its excellent collection of Faroese…

  • Nólsoy Island

    Tórshavn

    On Nólsoy Island, carless Nólsoy village isn't especially picturesque but makes a strikingly peaceful contrast to bustling Tórshavn, whose Tinganes…

  • Tinganes

    Tórshavn

    The city's tiny but charming historical core is Tinganes, a little peninsula delightfully jumbled with pretty turf-roofed cottages and historic red…

  • Skansin Fort

    Tórshavn

    Beyond the desert of asphalt that surrounds the modern transport terminal lie the turf-softened bastions of the ruined Skansin Fort. It's topped by a…

  • Storm Petrel Colony

    Tórshavn

    Around an hour's walk from Nólsoy village, a storm petrel colony is claimed to be the world's biggest. They're best observed at dusk. Guided bird tours…

  • Norðlýsið

    Tórshavn

    Moored in the harbour are two beautiful antique wooden sloops, Westward Ho and Norðlýsið . On summer Tuesdays and Thursdays the Norðlýsið offers fishing…

  • Havnarkirkja

    Tórshavn

    The church Havnarkirkja has a distinctive clock tower that peeps above a photogenic row of colourful row of old wharf buildings (Undir Bryggjubakka).

  • Náttúrugripasavn

    Tórshavn

    The child-friendly Náttúrugripasavn has an informative geological section, a minuscule botanical garden and a gigantic whale's skull.

  • Focus Gallery

    Tórshavn

    Intimate private galleries, including Focus, are great places to peruse and potentially purchase Faroese art.

  • Lydersen

    Tórshavn

    Lydersen is a private gallery where you can admire (and potentially purchase) Faroese art.

  • Glarsmiðjan

    Tórshavn

    Glarsmiðjan is a private gallery good for perusing and purchasing Faroese art.