House of travel Northern, Central & Eastern Europe Brochure 2017 | Page 33

Experience
Nordic Countries
Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
N
orthern lights, midnight sun, long cold winters, cutting edge design, fjords and
Santa’s home are what come to mind when you think of Scandinavia & Iceland –
oh, and of course those Abba songs that just get stuck in your head. Sweden gave
us Abba and the Smorgasbord, so dig in and explore the 24,000 islands and islets
around Stockholm, head north to the Arctic Circle, visit Iceland with its dramatic
landscapes or travel south to the waters of the Baltic Sea. Take a ferry across to
Finland and sample the nightlife of Helsinki where you can easily get home with
the sun, it starts to rise at 3am! Lapland in the north makes up a third of Finland,
if you visit in the winter you can set out across the tundra on a snowmobile safari
and learn about the Sami (Lapp) people. It’s also home to Santa Claus, who lives
near Rovaniemi – be sure to send a post card from his post office. Cross into Norway
and you’ll find yourself in one of the most remote corners of Europe. It is along the
breathtaking coast of Norway that during the winter you may be lucky enough to
experience one of the world’s natural spectacles – aurora borealis or the northern
lights. Venture south to Oslo, a thriving city founded by the Vikings in the 11th
century. Head across to the southernmost Scandinavian state, Denmark, where
ferries ply the waterways that link its 500 islands – a modern day reminder of its
past as the home to the seafaring Vikings. Copenhagen on the island of Zealand
is made for walkers with Europe’s longest street and the beautiful Tivoli Gardens.
Gimme Gimme Gimme!
Fast Facts
Country Name: Denmark, Finland, Norway,
Sweden & Iceland
Time Zone: 9 hours behind New Zealand
(except during daylight saving)
Electricity: Current is 230V, 50HZ
Plug is a 2 point round-pin adaptor
Festivals and Events 2017
Feb Winter Lights Festival, Reykjavik,
Iceland
01 Mar Beer Day, Reykjavik, Iceland
24 Jun-01 Jul Roskilde Festival, Roskilde,
Denmark
Jun Taste of Stockholm, Stockholm,
Sweden
Aug-Sep Helsinki Festival, Finland
Aug Jazz Festival, Oslo, Norway
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