Winter in the Nordic countries
The Nordic countries include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. These countries have cold (or at least cool) winters, attracting travelers who want to practice winter sport or experience a real winter environment. While the summer is the high travel season for most of the Nordic countries, the winter offers sights and events unique to the Nordic countries during the winter. And if you are looking for cold, dark and desolate Arctic landscapes, Nordic countries are likely the most accessible place in the world for this — as compared to far northern Canada, Alaska or Siberia.
The advice here does not apply to Greenland and Svalbard, as their climates and societies differ significantly from those of the Scandinavian mainland.
UnderstandNordic summer (late May to early September) is mild with long daylight, and the most comfortable season for visitors. The winter is a more challenging – and exotic – experience, with snow, ice and limited daylight.
Get inExcept for the Atlantic islands you can get into the Nordic countries from Central Europe overland by car, train or ferry.
Get aroundYou can travel by road or rail, or longer distances by plane. Public transport mostly goes on all year round.
SeeThinking of winter in the Nordic countries, you might imagine snowy scenes and in the northern half of the region you're indeed pretty much guaranteed to see snow from December to March at least.
DoOutdoor activities are limited by daylight and snow cover, as well as deep frost, but snow and ice enable winter sports and ski touring, and the darkness allows magical experiences of travelling in the wilderness under…
Buy). As in other Western countries, there are big sales usually from Boxing Day (some stores start even a few days before Christmas) and into January.
Eat and drinkThe first seasonal specialty during the winter are the S-shaped saffron buns known as lussekatt(er). Lucia day is celebrated on December 13th in Sweden and Finland, and this day is associated with these buns.
SleepThere are hotels built out of snow and ice in Jukkasjärvi (Sweden), Kemi and Kittilä (Finland) and Kirkenes (Norway). Even if you do not decide to sleep there, they are interesting sights.
Stay safeCrime is less of a risk than in much of the rest of the world. Scandinavians are heavy holiday drinkers, so do stay out of drunken brawls.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Winter in the Nordic countries" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Kildor, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons