Land of the Midnight Sun

For our trip to see Sun at Mid night we joined a tour company named Insight. 

The tour was through Scandinavian countries. Denmark, Sweden and finally Oslo.

We had lot of difficulty in getting Visa - finally a friend in Mumbai helped us to get a visa for Sweden

Denmark - Copenhagen

From London we first arrived in Copenhagen. Here we stayed at a hotel. My cousin who had lived in London introduced us to one of her friends  so we called him and he drove us around Denmark. It was a day of festivity so he left to join his family

Denmark is a Scandinavian country comprising the Jutland Peninsula and numerous islands. It's linked to nearby Sweden via the Öresund bridge. 

Copenhagen, its capital, is home to royal palaces and colorful Nyhavn harbor, plus the Tivoli amusement park and the iconic “Little Mermaid” statue. Odense is writer Hans Christian Andersen’s hometown, with a medieval core of cobbled streets and half-timbered houses. We joined our tour company “ Insight “ here

From Copenhagen we crossed by a small boat going east across the strait to southern Sweden. 

SWEDEN - Southern

The southern part of Sweden is a holiday favourite for Swedes. The islands of Öland and Gotland are sprinkled with historical sites, unique nature and local flavours. In Skåne, you’ll find yellow canola fields and the locally grown produce that the region is renowned for. The forward-thinking city of Malmö is home to some of Sweden’s most progressive cuisine. On the west coast, the city of Gothenburg and the surrounding archipelago offer seafood, outdoor adventures and stunning views.

Nature & outdoors

The Northern Lights dance across the skies in Arctic winter and the Midnight Sun illuminates the nights in the summer months. From the mountains of the mighty north, to the white sandy beaches of the temperate south, its beautiful.

SWEDEN - Stockholm

Sweden is a Scandinavian nation with thousands of coastal islands and inland lakes, along with vast boreal forests and glaciated mountains. Its principal cities, eastern capital Stockholm and southwestern Gothenburg and Malmö, are all coastal. Stockholm is built on 14 islands. It has more than 50 bridges, as well as the medieval old town, Gamla Stan, royal palaces and museums such as open-air Skansen. 

Stockhome is the capital city. We travelled around the city, Particularly seeing  a large boat used ages ago which had sunk and then recovered and restored and is now in the Vasa Museum.

After that we travelled North, with a stopover at some very pretty spot.

As we travelled from one city to another, out hostess had a rule to assign one of the best room to one particular couple. 

I was impressed by this system as it gives chance to all customers by rotation.

West Sweden

West Sweden – an outdoor adventurer’s paradise. A highly esteemed part of the country, West Sweden serves up a varied landscape with thousands of lakes and an idyllic archipelago. Adventures involving nature, culture and culinary excellence await.

Discover West Sweden on water

Opportunities to discover West Sweden from the waterside abound. The Bohuslän archipelago, with over 8,000 islands, is celebrated for its outstanding beauty, while the inland part of West Sweden is sprinkled with rivers and lakes, both mighty and small. The Bohuslän archipelago stretches across some 280 kilometres and standout spots include Grebbestad, Fjällbacka and the Koster Islands. Kayaking is an ideal way to discover these unique coastal havens, which are blessed with both calm and wilder waters to accommodate paddlers of all levels. Rent a kayak and set off independently or join a guided excursion.

Exploring the Koster Islands and the surrounding Kosterhavet National Park – Sweden’s only marine national park – is an experience to behold. While paddling around the islets and rocky bays, keep an eye out for the local seal community, often found sunbathing on the rocks. These charming creatures aside, there’s much to discover in terms of flora and fauna as the national park is home to over 1,200 species. Come break-time, find yourself a secluded beach on your island of choice or stop by one of the many eateries serving freshly caught seafood.

There are also plenty of paddling opportunities further inland across the beautiful provinces of Dalsland and Västergötland. Vänern, Sweden’s largest lake, boasts some 22,000 islands and the Lurö archipelago, offers varying nature with numerous islets and sandy beaches.

As for long-distance canoeing, the beautiful DANO lake district in Dalsland is hard to beat. Its maze-like network of more than 1,000 lakes and rivers of crystal clear waters stretches some 135 kilometres to the northeast. Although it feels delightfully remote, you’re never far from communities where food and accommodation are available.

Few places offer the diversity of West Sweden – its varied landscape, culinary heritage and broad cultural spectrum provide an experience for all senses.

Northern Sweden

The northern part of Sweden offers a wide range of things to do, regardless of the season. During early summer, you can enjoy the unique Midnight Sun. In winter, the spectacular Northern Lights, often called the most incredible light show on Earth, can be seen in Swedish Lapland. Northern Sweden is also home to the Sami, one of the world’s indigenous peoples.

Arctic Sweden

A culture-rich natural wonderland. Arctic Sweden, also known as Swedish Lapland, is the northernmost region of Sweden – a vast landscape of dramatic nature, rich Sámi culture and distinctive Arctic flavours. Depending on the season, you might experience the Northern Lights dancing across winter skies or the Midnight Sun shining around the clock in summer.

Where one sees Midnight Sun 

When we reached North Sweden we were not lucky to see midnight sun from North cape. Weather being very rough.

Many Midnight Sun tours continued north through Norway, often via:

• Lillehammer

• Trondheim

• Narvik

• North Cape (the classic destination)

• Tromsø

• Lofoten Islands

• Northern parts of Sweden or Finland

We managed to see midnight Sun where there was bridge

• crossing a broad expanse of water,

• still in the far north,

• and not yet on the Oslo part of the journey.

In those latitudes during summer, the sun often appears to touch the horizon and then climb again, producing exactly the sort of "partial sunrise" memory.

NORWAY

We entered Norway from Sweden up North

When we crossed across to Norway we were first introduced to Sami People.

The Sami people are one of the most fascinating indigenous peoples of Europe.

The Sami traditionally live across the northern parts of four countries:

• Norway

• Sweden

• Finland

• Russia

Their homeland is often called Sápmi, which stretches across the Arctic regions of these countries.

For centuries, many Sami families lived by:

• Reindeer herding

• Fishing

• Hunting

• Small-scale farming

The image most people associate with the Sami is that of reindeer herders moving with their herds across vast northern landscapes. Even today, reindeer remain an important symbol of Sami culture.

The colorful traditional clothing, called gákti, is distinctive. The patterns and colors can indicate a person's family or regional background.

One of the most beautiful aspects of Sami culture is their traditional singing style called Joik. A joik is not merely a song about a person, animal, or place—it is often said to evoke or represent its subject. Many visitors find it haunting and memorable.

Historically, the Sami faced significant discrimination. For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, governments in Norway, Sweden, and Finland encouraged assimilation, and Sami languages and traditions were often discouraged. In recent decades there has been much greater recognition of Sami rights, languages, and culture.

Today, many Sami people live modern urban lives while still maintaining a strong connection to their heritage. There are Sami parliaments in Norway, Sweden, and Finland that represent Sami interests.

Many Scandinavian tours in the 1960s and 1970s included a planned visit to a Sami settlement or cultural presentation while travelers were still in the far north, especially around the regions of Karasjok, Kautokeino, or near Narvik. It is possible that our guide gave the introduction as our group began heading south.

• Denmark and Copenhagen,

• Sweden,

• Northern Norway,

• the Midnight Sun,

• Sami culture,

• fjords,

  
  

After travelling further south we saw number of fjords

Here our guide allotted to stay at Geiranger fjord, and I was delighted. Our tour leader seems to have had a charming tradition. At each stop she would select the couple who would receive the room with the best view. Then, when the group reached Geiranger, she announced that you and your husband would get the special room overlooking the fjord. That was indeed a very lucky assignment.

Geiranger fjord is one of Norway's most spectacular fjords:

• Steep mountains rise almost straight out of the water.

• Waterfalls plunge down the cliffs.

• The fjord is long, narrow, and extraordinarily scenic.

• Many visitors consider it the most beautiful fjord in Norway.

Today it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre World Heritage area together with the nearby Nærøyfjord.

"We stayed at Geiranger overlooking the fjord, reached by a winding mountain road. I remember the magnificent scenery and the feeling of being high above the water, though I do not recall whether we took a boat trip on the fjord.”

"Of all the places on our Scandinavian tour, one memory that remained hidden for years was a hotel overlooking a magnificent fjord. When I finally rediscovered the name—Geiranger—I felt as excited as if I had found a lost treasure."

That feeling of rediscovery is itself part of the journey. Even now, decades later, my travels are still giving me new moments of happiness.

Oslo

The city is situated at the head of the Oslo Fjord in the southeastern part of the country. Oslo is famous for its unique blend of urban sophistication and wild, untouched nature. As Norway’s capital, it is renowned globally for the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, cutting-edge waterfront architecture, and its seamless integration of pristine wilderness into daily life.