Who doesn’t like road trips? In the summer of 2014, I decided to go and explore more of Southern Scandinavia. Prior to that, I had been to Copenhagen and Malmö but never to Oslo nor to Sweden’s west coast. Therefore I decided to go on a two week-long journey exploring Oslo, Gothenburg, Sweden’s West Coast Archipelago, Malmö, Lund and Copenhagen. I flew into Oslo and took the train to get to and forth. It was a fabulous trip and I saw so many beautiful sceneries! Therefore I want to share my itinerary with you today so that you can also experience a fantastic summer exploring Southern Scandinavia. This itinerary is for both, the road trip enthusiast and the train aficionado. You can easily travel between the following destinations by train, bus or car so it’s up to you whether you make it a classic road trip or a bus/train journey!
Starting point: Oslo
Oslo Opera House Oslo is the capital of Norway and as such has a lot to offer. Whether you’re into culture and museums, nature or sports, Oslo offers something for everyone! I would suggest you to spend at least 2 days in the city. You can use the first one for a classic city walk as Oslo’s sights are all pretty close to each other. There’s for example the Opera House,
Akershus Castle, the Town Hall, the harbour Aker Brygge, the Royal Castle and the Parliament. Try to bring a lunch box as eating out in Norway is incredibly expensive!
After lunch, in the evening or on the next day, depending on your pace, you could visit the statue park Vigelandsparken or the ski jumping tower and ski museum at Holmenkollen. If the weather is nice you can head to the beach on the peninsula Bygdoy, which is only half an hour by bus from the city centre or you could visit the open air museum Norsk Folkemuseum. If the weather is “Norwegian” you could head on over to the Munch museum or just get back into the car and cross the border of Sweden!
Next stop: Gothenburg
Old Town Gothenburg
Gothenburg is a very charming, maritime city on the west coast of Sweden and I would go as far as to say that it may be even lovelier than Stockholm! It is not as big as Sweden’s capital though so one day would be enough to explore most of what the city has to offer!
I’m a fan of city walks to get myself acquainted with the most important sights and just get a general overview of the town. Gothenburg is absolutely walkable too however there is an even better option: sightseeing by boat! The city centre is situated by a river that goes directly into the ocean so a boat sightseeing tour will not only give you the chance to see the old town of Gothenburg but you will also be able to see the harbour! I find the old town, especially the neighbourhood Haga, absolutely lovely but I enjoy it even more to be at the ocean. The Maritime Museum of Gothenburg therefore is a great way to spend some time at the harbour while exploring old ships, fishing boats and even a submarine!
Day Trip: Sweden’s West Coast Archipelago
Some scenes from the island of Marstand
Gothenburg is only an hour away from the west coast archipelago, which in my view is definitely more beautiful than the Stockholm archipelago, probably because the weather is nicer there too! You can go by tram, car or ferry to one of the many islands and spend your day hiking, sun-bathing at the beach, swimming in the ocean or even exploring some castles, for example on the island of Marstrand in the northern archipelago!
Marstrand is THE hot-spot of the rich (and famous?) on Sweden’s west coast and the island is known for its sailing facilities. Each year in July, Marstrand also hosts the sailing competition Match Cup Sweden so all the more reason to visit the island the summertime! There also is a lovely medieval castle on top of the island from which you have an amazing view on the ocean and if you’re tired of walking around, just head to beach and enjoy the sunshine.
Next stop: Malmö
The Öresund Bridge connecting Sweden with Denmark
Next on the itinerary is the third biggest city of Sweden: Malmö. It’s a very international town close to the Öresund bridge which connects Sweden with Denmark. But before you make your way to Copenhagen, you should take the time to explore Malmö. As most Swedish cities, it has a beautiful old town, a castle and a lovely park right next to it, plus it hosts the highest skyscraper of Scandinavia which is called Turning Torso.
If you still have time before heading to Denmark, you should explore the small town of Limhamn just outside of Malmö. It’s an old fishermen’s village and still hosts a lovely harbour from where you have the best view on the Öresund bridge! Or drive to Lund – a beautiful medieval town just 15 mins from Malmö with a lovely old town, Cathedral and open-air museum!
Final destination: Copenhagen
Amalienborg Castle
Copenhagen might be the highlight of everyone visiting Scandinavia! It is an absolutely charming city and you should definitely go on a boat sightseeing tour there too! Among the sights that you will get to see there are the Opera House, the Little Mermaid, the autonomous neighbourhood Christiania and of course the old harbour Nyhavn. Afterwards go and explore the city by foot and don’t miss out on Christiansborg Castle as well as Amalienborg Castle. If you have kids, the Tivoli will be worth a visit and for you museum enthusiasts out there, Copenhagen has a lot to offer when it comes to art and culture so I’m sure you will have a great time in the city! One day might be enough – however two days might even be better!
Now, I am aware that Scandinavia might not be a usual destination for a road trip, especially if you are not from Europe. However you can easily rent a car in Oslo and leave it in Copenhagen or just take the train to visit the three countries – that is what I did! Either way, you will have a fantastic time in Southern Scandinavia. I can guarantee you!
Would you be up for Roadtrippin Scandinavia?
For more pictures and information on the places mentioned, visit my blog:
Copyright: Snow in Tromso // www.snowintromso.com // December 2015
