Months ago, we signed up to two tours: Majestic Scandinavia and Iceland Discovery. The first was with TripaDeal, due to fly out on Tuesday 19th May, on Singapore Airlines flights to Copenhagen. In true style, the weather gods decided to make our departure more interesting; a major rain event which flooded the creek crossing below our house.
It also moved the concrete barrier being used in the construction of a new bridge, making escape completely impossible. With the road above us regularly getting blocked by slips and tree-falls in heavy weather, we decided to make a run for it up the mountain to get to Brisbane the night before our flight. A major pile-up on the M1 made that a 3½ hour exercise!
Copenhagen
But we made it and had an 8 hour flight to Singapore, followed by a 13 hour flight to Copenhagen arriving exhausted on the Wednesday 20th.
Thursday May 21st. Copenhagen City Tour
'After breakfast this morning, meet your local guide at the reception and enjoy a half day city tour of Copenhagen (approximately 3 hours). You will discover charms from the past and present, including the famous Little Mermaid and the Royal Palace Amalienborg. Take a stroll around Nyhavn, originally a busy commercial port, but nowadays a popular tourist hotspot known for its colourful 17th-century houses. Some of the houses within the port provide great historical significance, such as house number 20, which was home to the famous Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen.
Navigate Copenhagen's scenic waterways to discover famous
landmarks and waterfront architecture at the very heart of this
historic city.
Overnight: Scandic Copenhagen Hotel.'
Nyhavn
Danish women house-painters
Bishop Absalon, who founded Copenhagen in about 1167.
Christiansborg Palace on the right; site of the excellent TV series ‘Borgen’
Royal Danish Opera House
Royal Yacht
Amalienborg Palace
Nordhavn
Danish Architecture Center
The Design Museum Denmark, a very interesting place to visit
Freetown Christiania, an intentional community and anarchist commune.
Boat in Nyhavn
Replica 30 metre 'Sea Stallion' Viking longship at the Viking Ship Museum
Impressions of Copenhagen
Happiness. The World Ranking of Happiness rated Denmark second after Finland, and above Iceland and Sweden. Our impressions were consistent with that. People were friendly to each other, and to us, as tourists. We didn't see any of the signs of tourism hospitality fatigue that we have seen so much in Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Czechia, Austria and Hungary. Wherever we looked we saw joviality and happiness. None of the signs of disgruntlement that one commonly sees in Australia, NZ and the UK.
I was interviewed by this happiness researcher
Bikes. Copenhagen is very flat. Lots of people use cheap-looking pedal (non-electric) bikes. They hoon along dedicated bike paths at great speed. Crash-helmets are rare. Our guide advised us to be very careful to look out for them when crossing a road. 'More dangerous than sharks in Australia!'
Conspicuous consumption. Relatively low. While clearly a wealthy country, the cars and boats on view looked to us to be modest, and certainly a lot less flashy than on the Gold Coast. Denmark has a higher GDP per capita than Australia. (A$108,000 vs A$93,000), although by the measure of median wealth per capita Australia is wealthier (A$376,000 vs A$303,000). This largely reflects Australia’s high levels of home ownership and compulsory superannuation.
Hygge, pronounced 'Hoo-gah'. A central Danish idea; it roughly translates to friendly coziness. One can see people enjoying it all around. We did wonder whether the flip-side of it might be a certain amount of complacency. The high-tax, high welfare model combined with a sort of ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ attitude seemed to verge into smugness. Just a suspicion, not a certainty.
Norway
Saturday May 23rd. Oslo City Tour - Geilo, Norway
'Welcome to the Kingdom of Norway, a country with some of the most beautiful fjords on Earth. Upon arrival, meet your local guide at the cruise ship terminal and depart on a half-day city sightseeing tour (approximately 3 hours). You will take in the main highlights of Oslo including the Royal Palace, Fram Museum, about Norwegian polar exploration. You will also get to enjoy a visit to the famous Frogner Park. The largest park in the city, it is home to an assortment of 200 bronze, granite ;and cast-iron sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The park is one of Norway’s premier tourist attractions with upwards of one million visiting the park each year. Drive on to the picturesque resort town of Geilo. You'll pass Lake Tyrifjord and the magnificent Hallingdal Valley after an approximately 220 kilometre travel day. Overnight: Geilo Ski resort.'
Ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo
Leaving Copenhagen
Island in Oslo fjord
Oslo fjord
Oslo Opera House
Suburban street in Oslo
We visited the Vigeland Park, with a mass of sculptures by Gustav Vigeland illustrating 'The Cycle of Life'. More images here.
'Angry Boy' at Vigeland installation in Frogner Park, Oslo
“Pike som ordner hÃ¥ret” (Girl fixing her hair).
Sunday 24th May Geilo, Norway - Bergen City Tour.
'The stage leads you to a deserted area and the beautiful mountains of Hardangervidda, with a stop to admire the Vøringfoss waterfall, one of the highest in the country, before continuing to Bergen.
Bergen is the Gateway to the Fjords of Norway. As a UNESCO World Heritage City and a European City of Culture, the Bergen region has the ideal combination of nature, culture, and exciting urban life all year round. Enjoy a tour of this Hanseatic Capital of Norway. Pass through the most emblematic places such as the Hanseatic Bryggen, with the church of Mary, the Hakon fortress and the famous Fish market. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure in the picturesque city of Bergen, after an approximately 245 kilometre travel day. Overnight: The Zander K Hotel'
Oslo to Bergen coach trip
Icy lake at Sløddfjorden
Coach ride over the Norwegian mountains
George with her brolly on the lookout gives an idea of the scale.
Vøringfoss waterfall
Øystese
Bergen
Bryggen; the Hanseatic League area of Bergen. See more in a video at the end of this blog.
Bryggen
Bryggen
Monday May 25th
'Gudvangen - Flam - Førde, Fjords Area. This morning depart for Gudvangen, a small village in the heart of the fjord’s region. From Gudvangen you will embark on a fjord cruise to Flam. During the trip you will cruise on the stunning Aurlandsfjord and Naeroyfjord, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, and arms of the famous Sognefjord, which is also called the King of the Fjords. Upon arrival in Flam, you will depart to Førde. During the trip, you will cross the Sognefjord once more from Fodnes to Manheller. Upon arrival enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure after an approximately 200 kilometre travel day.'
We drove from Bergen to Gudvangen, a small village in the heart of the fjord’s region. From Gudvangen we embarked on a fjord cruise to Flam. Plenty rain.
Undredal village on Sognefjord
From Flam we drove on to Førde.
Tuesday May 26th.
'Førde - Briksdal Glacier - Geiranger - Alesund After breakfast begin your excursion to Briksdal, where you can explore the arm of Jostedalbreen, the biggest glacier on Europe's mainland. The Glacier falls from a height of 1200m to the narrow valley. Continue to Geiranger where you will board a cruise on the spectacular Geirangerfjord, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before driving towards Alesund via the famous Eagle Road.
The Eagle Road is the name given to the steepest stretch of road up the mountainside from Geiranger towards Eidsdal. The road was an attraction from the very first day and was called Eagle Road because at its highest point it passed through terrain that had traditionally been the domain of a large population of eagles. Enjoy a restful evening after an approximately 250 kilometre travel day.'
Coach route in Norway
Creek below the Briksdal Glacier
Trek to the Briksdal Glacier
Geiranger
Geirangerfjord
Wednesday May 27th.
'Alesund - Troll Road - Otta Region
Today depart towards Andalsnes via the Trolls Road; an exciting series of 11 hairpin bends that descend the mountain. A true work of art with astonishing views, an impressive piece of engineering where the road snakes and climbs its way up and up along steep mountainsides. The scenic drive continues to the villages of Bjorli and Dombas via the beautiful Gudbrandsdal valley, before arriving in Hafjell after an approximately 350 kilometre travel day.'
Icy lake
Trollstigen
Thursday May 28th.
'Today head towards Oslo, enjoying a short stop in Lillehammer to have a look around the Olympic city. In the afternoon arrive in Hamar, a Norwegian city on the banks of Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake. Continue along the coast of Lake Mjøsa, to reach Oslo in the late afternoon. Stay at the Comfort Hotel close to the railway station.
George and the ski-jump at Lillehammer, site of the 1994 Winter Olympics
Martinaz, our Lithuanian coach-driver
Man in Lillehammer
The Law Department of Oslo University
Moslem girl posing in the palace garden
Thursday May 28th.
'Today you will head to the railway station and board your train towards Stockholm.'
We went for a sunny walk around the harbour. Lovely after all the rain we have had on most days since we arrived.
Oslo Harbour
'She Lies' sculpture in Oslo Harbour
Sauna, then swim in the harbour
Floating saunas
Boarding the train to Stockholm
Impressions of Norway.
Fjords. Astonishing! Just magnificent. The waterfalls and cascades were in full flood with the melt from snow and glacier ice in late May. In addition there was a lot of rain while we were there. The boat trips we did gave us a good look at two of the more famous fjords.
People. Similar to the Danes; friendly and apparently happy. Lots of outdoor activities, running, kayaking, white-water rafting etc. They reminded me of Kiwis.
The country had a major windfall when oil was discovered in about 1970. The Government established a Sovereign Wealth Fund to garner money from oil sales and develop a base for financial security for the country.
The contrast with Australia is striking. Claude explains the issues here.
In summary, Norway's system has produced a fund that, as of April 2025, holds over US$2.2 trillion in assets — equivalent to about $390,000 per Norwegian citizen. Australia's Future Fund as of March 2025, manages a total of $307.6 billion, which is equivalent to $11,000 per capita. There might possibly be a relationship between Australia's relatively feeble approach to the fossil fuel assets of the country and the donations made to both major political parties by the fossil fuel industry. In the 2025 election, Labor received more than $1.06 million from the fossil fuel industry, while some $2.92 million went to the Coalition.
Famous Norwegians. When I was researching for this trip, I collected a number of stories about famous Scandinavians. The largest group were Norwegians.
Fridtjof Nansen. Polar explorer, neuroscientist, diplomat and humanitarian. Amazing man!
Roald Amundsen. Polar explorer.
Henrik Ibsen. Playwright
Edvard Munch. Artist
Edvard Grieg. Composer
Thor Heyerdahl. Ethnographer.
Historical Events
Stockholm
Train from Oslo to Stockholm
Friday May 29th
The train trip was smooth and comfortable, but there was an incident when we arrived. We all needed to follow our guide Stefano from the station along a few streets, trundling our baggage in a line of 35 passengers of varying fitness and strength and down a steep escalator to meet a bus to take us to the hotel. A bloke (79) who had had a knee replacement was managing two suitcases, and he fell on the bottom of the escalator, getting stuck, while further passengers and bags piled into him. Much screaming and panic. the emergency stop button was unmarked and hard to find. It was very lucky that no-one was seriously injured.
Saturday May 30th.
'After breakfast, meet your local guide at the reception of the hotel and enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city (approximately 4 hours).
Stockholm is generally referred to as ‘Beauty on Water’ and ‘Venice of the North’, which is understandable as the city is built upon 14 islands. It is surrounded by Lake Mälaren, and the Baltic Sea. The city's grand public buildings, palaces, rich cultural history, and museums tell her 700-year-old history beautifully. During your sightseeing tour, you will see the Gamla Stan (Old town), where you will be charmed by cobblestone streets, crooked but beautifully preserved buildings, The Royal Palace, gothic churches, excellent cafés, bars, restaurants, and Swedish design-ware shops.
We did a Stockholm Archipelago Cruise. This is the perfect boat sightseeing tour if you're looking to discover the best and most beautiful parts of the Stockholm archipelago in a short period of time (approximately 2.5-3 hours). During the tour, the knowledgeable onboard guide will share little anecdotes and tell you all there is to know about the various historical, cultural, and natural sights you pass on your way. Enjoy a journey full of beautiful attractions and fascinating stories while you relax and take in the famous scenery of the archipelago.'
The plan had to handle the unexpected Stockholm marathon, which featured 25,000 runners and large crowds of supporters.
Stockholm marathon
Runner in the Stockholm marathon
Volunteers for the marathon
Girl in a cafe at Gamla Stan
Gaff schooner on the archipelago cruise
We visited the Vasa Museum. This was impressive and also horrifying. Essentially, the Vasa is a ship which was one of the greatest clusterfucks in history. She built in 1628 at extreme expense for the King of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus, who surrounded himself with people who could not tell him things he did not want to hear. He wanted an extra gun-deck with more cannons. He wanted lots of weighty ornaments. He was told it might be top-heavy, but he had to have his way. Somehow the culture which had earlier produced Viking long-ships and Hansa cogs somehow did not have the cultural momentum to prevent a Trump-like narcissist from forcing a maritime disaster.
The ship set off on its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628 with much pomp and ceremony and much of the population of Stockholm watching. She sailed a short distance down the harbour before a gust of wind caused her to heel. The gun ports were open for a salvo salute. Water rushed in and the ship sank. It was too heavy, with the centre of gravity being too high for adequate stability.
She spent 333 years at the bottom of Stockholm Harbour, and was was salvaged with a largely intact hull in 1961. The Baltic Sea is brackish, rather than normal salty seawater, which may account for the timber's survival.
Vasa
Elaborate carvings on the stern.
Helsinki
Sunday May 31st
'Spend a final morning at leisure in Stockholm, enjoying this time to further explore the city’s fashion, design, restaurants, and cultural experiences as well as beautiful architecture.
In the afternoon you will be transferred to the cruise-ship terminal where you will board an overnight ferry to the beautiful city of Helsinki.'
Monday June 1st
'This morning the ship will arrive in Helsinki. Upon arrival, be met by a local guide and enjoy a 3-hour sightseeing tour of the city.
Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is a vibrant seaside city encased by beautiful islands and great green parks. During your tour see the highlights of the city. Amongst others, you will see Senaatintori, the Senate square and its magnificent architectural ensemble. Right around the corner near the harbour, you will find the Kauppatori, a picturesque market square, characterised by an abundance of flowers, fruits and busy traders.
Next, see the Tuomiokirkko (cathedral), It was built in the 19th century and has an impressive copper dome - Concerts regularly take place inside. Another church, the Temppeliaukio kirkko, is carved into the rocky earth which enhances the excellent acoustics. Your last stop is the Uspenski Cathedral - the neo-Byzantine Orthodox Cathedral rears its mighty mass of red brick in the Katajanokka Island (entrances not included). Enjoy the afternoon free at leisure.'
Sweden - Helsinki - Tallinn
Leaving Stockholm on the way to Helsinki, through the many islands of the Stockholm Archipelago.
We sailed close to the area where the Nord Stream pipeline was sabotaged in 2022.
The Helsinki library is very impressive.
Spiral staircase in Oodi
Guitars for loan in the Helsinki Public library
Boys playing video games in the library
3D printer for loan
Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often credited with having helped Finland develop a stronger national identity when the country was struggling to escape from several attempts at Russification in the late 19th century.
Tallinn
Tuesday June 2nd
Tallinn Full Day Tour - Helsinki, Finland
'In the morning you will be transferred to the cruise ship terminal where you will board a ferry to the medieval city of Tallinn, Estonia.
Upon arrival, be met by a local guide and enjoy a 2-hour sightseeing tour of the city. Tallinn offers a charming blend of medieval tranquillity and modern urban life. The medieval Old Town is a busy place with its many shops, galleries, souvenir markets, outdoor cafés and restaurants. The tour takes you around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town where you will see; Toompea Castle, Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, medieval Old Town Hall and the Great Guild Hall. After the tour, enjoy some time at leisure. Alternatively, you may like to join an optional lunch at a medieval restaurant in Tallinn.
In the afternoon you will embark on a short cruise back to Helsinki by ferry and be transferred to the hotel.'
History of Estonia.
1918 - Estonian Declaration of Independence
1939 - Estonia declared neutrality, but this proved futile in WWII.
1940 - Estonia was formally annexed by the Soviet Union. Hundreds of people were executed and, on 14 June 1941 - c. 11,000 Estonians were deported to Russia, where most were killed.
1941 - Nazis invaded as part of Operation Barbarossa.
1944 - Soviets invaded again.
1949 - About 20,000 Estonians were deported to Siberia.
1987 - Introduction of perestroika by the Soviet government led to the independence movement.
1989 - Two million people formed the Baltic Way.
1991 - Declaration of Independence.
1994 - Last units of the Russian army left Estonia.
2004 - Estonia joined both the European Union and NATO.
2011 - Estonia joined the eurozone and adopted the EU single currency.
After existing as an independent country for twenty-one years, Estonia was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in June 1940 during World War II.
In 1941–1944, Estonia was occupied by Nazi Germany.
From February to November 1944, the German forces were expelled by the Red Army. The Soviet rule was re-established by force, and sovietisation followed, mostly carried out in 1944–1950. The forced collectivisation of agriculture began in 1947, and was completed after the mass deportation in March 1949. The Soviet authorities confiscated private farms and forced peasants to join collective farms. An armed resistance movement of forest brothers was active until the mass deportations. A total of 30,000 participated in or supported the movement; 2,000 were killed. The Soviet authorities fighting the forest brothers also suffered hundreds of casualties. Some innocent civilians were killed on both sides. In addition, a number of underground nationalist schoolchildren's groups were active. Most of their members were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment.
The punitive actions decreased rapidly after Joseph Stalin's death in 1953; from 1956 to 1958, a large part of the deportees and political prisoners were allowed to return. Political arrests and numerous other kinds of crimes against humanity were committed during the occupation period until the late 1980s. In the end, the attempt to integrate the Estonian society into the Soviet system failed. Although the armed resistance was defeated, the population remained anti-Soviet. This helped Estonians to organise a new resistance movement in the late 1980s, regain their independence in 1991, and then rapidly develop a modern society.
As you can imagine, Estonians are very wary of their neighbour Russia, and sympathetic to Ukraine. The Russian embassy is closed because of the Ukrainian war, but people attach posts to the embassy fence, being watched by an Estonian policeman.
We visited a KGB museum set in the cells in which Estonians had been held and tortured.
Tallinn city wall
Maria the tour-guide holding forth
Inside Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Medieval wench at Olde Hansa restaurant. She addressed me as 'My Lord' and showed me around.
Medieval barmaid at Olde Hansa restaurant
Medieval sword-fighter in costume
Helsinki
Icebreakers
Three-masted schooner
Is that Glebe Island bridge?
George enjoying the sun on the grass. (She had been earlier warned off sleeping on the grass by a policeman on an electric scooter).
We took a ferry to visit the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, an island off Helsinki that was fortified by the Swedes, the Russians, and the French.
Suomenlinna
Fortifications on Suomenlinna
Dressups of 1920s cavalry troops.
Influences on Scandinavia
- Geology. Ice-age. Glaciers. Smooth islands; lots of lakes.
Scandinavian Ice Sheet 20,000 years ago
Vikings (~793 - 1066)
The Hanseatic League (~1200 - 1670)
The Hanseatic League: The Story of the Largest Medieval Trade Network (21 minutes)
Lutheran area in purple (starting from 1517)
- The Ebb and Flow of Danish, Swedish and Russian Empires
- The Napoleonic Wars
- 1917 The Russian Revolution
- 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
- 1939 - 40. The Winter War. The Soviet Union invaded Finland, who fought back bravely. A hero of that war was sniper Simo Häyhä.
- 1941 Operation Barbarossa
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Europe in 1941, before Operation Barbarossa
German advances from June to December 1941
- Nazi occupation
- Soviet occupation
Soviet occupation
- Baltic States declare independence. The Singing Revolution.
- 1991 Collapse of the Soviet Union.
- EU and NATO
NATO (2026)
How Scandinavian countries compare with others, including Australia.
Size and population
The contrast in scale is striking. Australia's landmass is approximately 7.7 million km², making it roughly 17 times larger than all six Nordic and Baltic countries combined — yet its population of 26.8 million is only marginally bigger than Sweden and Finland together. Iceland, with around 380,000 people, is the smallest by far.
GDP per capita and wealth
All five Nordic countries are among the 20 countries in the world with the highest GDP per capita. Norway recorded $79,670 per capita in 2024, while Iceland reached $98,150, placing it fifth in the world nominally. Norway's wealth picture is also shaped by its sovereign wealth fund — the world's largest — worth over USD 1.7 trillion. Estonia, at $20,046 nominal GDP per capita, is significantly lower, though its PPP-adjusted figure is $41,546 — reflecting a much lower cost of living. Australia sat at $61,212 in 2024.
https://statisticsoftheworld.com/gdp-per-capita-by-country
Happiness
Finland led the World Happiness Report 2025 for the eighth consecutive year, with an average score of 7.736 out of 10. Nordic countries again dominated the top four: Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden, in that order. Australia ranked 11th, a strong result outside Europe. Estonia, at 39th, reflects its more recent economic development history.
https://data.worldhappiness.report/table
What We Should Learn From Nordic Happiness New York Times July 4th, 2026.
Healthcare
According to the 2025 CEOWORLD Health Care Index, Australia ranks third in the world, with consistently high scores in infrastructure and government readiness. Sweden ranks fifth globally, Norway ninth. Finland ranks 19th and Denmark 24th on that index. Estonia performs surprisingly well given its size, partly due to its advanced e-health digital infrastructure.
https://ceoworld.biz/2025/09/21/countries-with-the-best-health-care-systems-2025/
Education
Estonia has quietly become Europe's top-performing education system on PISA, with every teacher holding a master's degree and education free from preschool through university. Finland, long the benchmark, has slipped slightly but remains in the global top tier. Iceland leads the world on the UN's HDI Education Index with a score of 0.960. Australia performs solidly, sitting in the global top 10.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/education-index-by-country
Taxation
Denmark had the highest tax-to-GDP ratio among all OECD countries in 2024 at 45.2%. Finland (42.2%), Sweden (41.4%), and Norway (40.2%) also exceed 40%, all comfortably above the OECD average of 34.1%. Iceland sits at 36.9% and Estonia at 35.2%. Australia is among the seven OECD countries with a tax ratio below 30%, at around 29.5% — a stark contrast to the Nordic model, where high taxes fund free tertiary education, universal healthcare, and extensive social safety nets.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/comparing-tax-systems-around-the-world/
Scandiprep Blog
This is a list of some of the research we did before the trip. which might be useful to others.
Scandinavian Historical Events
Scandinavian characters
