Wonderful NORDIC Sojourn

Our trip to Scandinavia in the spring of 2023 surprised on the upside. 

Before I proceed to detail some of what we experienced, a few tips to get a head start: 1. Travel in shoulder season (May or September), 2. Book accommodation and travel at least 3 months prior as prices start to soar closer to the date, 3. Book your own modes of transport rather than rely on tour companies, 4. Buy an eSIM card which covers all the Scandinavian countries to help with Google maps etc. and 5. Buy multi-day public transport passes in the different cities to make the best use of the amazing transport options available.

Our introduction to the Nordic countries started with a touchdown in Helsinki, where we spent the first two nights. In 2012, the city was awarded the UNESCO “City of Design” title, boasting its very own Design District. After checking in, the day was spent exploring the Toolonlahti area and Sibelius Park followed by the Senate Square.

Two things stood out for us. The Sibelius Monument, by Eila Hiltunen, dedicated to the Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius(1865–1957) and the 

Temppeliaukio Rock Church, a Lutheran church, which opened in 1969, built directly into solid rock. 

Besides sightseeing, food is key for the Mantris, so began the hunt for good food 😊 Ravintola Kannas hit the spot for dinner, while the Old Market Hall and all its delicious stalls were the best place to grab lunch. We tried the local delicacies of reindeer meat (which was too gamey for me), pickled herring and, of course, salmon in all its avatars, all of it delicious.

The highlight whilst staying in Helsinki, was the day trip to Tallinn, in Estonia, by ferry. The Old Town was simply magnificent. The meal at Rataskaevu 16 was also one of the best of our trip. Everything we ordered was not only beautifully plated, but also tasted divine. In our opinion, the restaurant is definitely worthy of a Michelin star rating. But thankfully it wasn’t, which meant that the meal was very affordable.

A trip to the 18^th century sea fortress, Suomenlinna, was also well worth the effort. The walk to the King’s Gate was interesting.  Famous for its’ bastion fortifications, Suomenlinna became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Then it was on board an overnight Silja Line cruise to Stockholm, which was an experience in itself. We decided to throw in a couple of cruises as a means of transport in our itinerary, given that we hardly do so. Besides transporting you to the next destination, it also takes care of a night’s stay.

On arriving in Stockholm, we headed to the renowned Old Town, Gamla Stan. A visit to the Nobel Prize Museum was first on the cards. However, an unfortunate turn of events led to that being postponed by half a day. Hardly had we reached Gamla Stan when hubby’s passport was pick-pocketed! Apparently, this is pretty common in the Old Town, given the hordes of tourists. So people, be warned! Thanks to the amazing Singapore immigration authorities in Copenhagen and the prompt police response in Stockholm, we could continue with the rest of our holiday. However, we had to skip the Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace.

Given that there are several must-do museums and boat trips in Stockholm, it is advisable to get the GoCity pass which gives one access to most of the attractions. It also allows one to avail of the Hop On, Hop Off bus, though we refrained from doing so as it is pretty slow and not efficient. We preferred to use the Metro.

On our second day in Stockholm, we focused on seeing the 4 museums on our short-list in the royal parkland, Djurgården – Vasa, Skansen, Viking and Abba. The last is not included in the GoCity pass and it’s best that one books tickets in advance as entry is limited and by appointment only.

Vasa museum  was our favourite. It is one of Scandinavia's most visited museums and here you will find, the unique and well-preserved warship, Vasa, from 1628, embellished with hundreds of wooden sculptures. It is a Swedish warship which sank after sailing just 1,300 m into her maiden voyage because of a design flaw. It was salvaged after 333 years, from the bottom of Stockholm bay.

Skansen is the oldest open-air museumand zoo, opened in 1891 by Artur Hazelius to show the way of life in the different parts of Sweden before the industrial era. After extensive travelling, Hazelius bought around 150 houses from all over the country (as well as one structure from Telemark in Norway) and had them shipped piece by piece to the museum, where they were rebuilt to provide a unique picture of traditional Sweden.

The Abba Museum had lots of memorabilia – cars, outfits, etc. – with a few interactive stations providing entertainment.  While exploring the museums in Djurgarden, lunch at Rosendals Tradgard is a must. The simple offerings of this café were scrumptious. Other lovely cafes to consider for a quick bite in town are the chains Brod & Salt and Fabrique.

A must-do in Stockholm is the Under the Bridges of Stockholm ferry ride which gives one a great glimpse of the city from the water. We enjoyed the ferry ride to Fjäderholmarna, the closest of Stockholm’s Archipelago islands, as well. A lovely, early dinner at Fjäderholmarnas Krog made it worth our while.

So after having had a lovely introduction to the Nordic / Baltic countries of Finland, Estonia and Sweden, it was onward to Norway, which deserves to be dealt with in a blog on its own…