Denmark
Win a vacation to visit the Happiest People in the World!
VisitDenmark would like to hear your opinion and learn about your travel preferences. We invite you to fill in a brief questionnaire and enter to win a vacation for two to the Copenhagen/Øresund region, where Denmark meets Sweden. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES AND CANADA (excluding QUEBEC), 18 YEARS AND OLDER. Sweepstakes begins at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time 1/1/2009 and ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time 12/31/2009. For Official Rules visit us on-line at www.visitdenmark.com/happy-officialrules. Restrictions apply. Sponsor: VisitDenmark, 655 Third Avenue, Ste. 1810, New York, NY 10017. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
Enjoy the best of Copenhagen at great prices
If you like exquisite food, you’ll love Copenhagen. In the new Michelin Guide 2009, Copenhagen is awarded 14 stars - more than cities such as Rome, Berlin, Vienna and Madrid. Copenhagen now boasts a total of 13 Michelin-starred restaurants and a total of 14 stars. To take advantage of great rates from Scandinavian Airlines and special offers from unique Copenhagen hotels, visit the Copenhagen page on Expedia.
New added style and fun factor in Copenhagen
This spring, Copenhagen has two new “IT” places. Copenhagen's most famous luxury hotel D’Angleterre presents a new taste of the good life with a Champagne and Oyster Bar, open every Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Or chill out at the Icebar. The coolest place in town is the ICEBAR CPH by ICEHOTEL at the Hotel Twentyseven. The Icebar is crafted of ice from the Torne River in Swedish Lapland.
Finland
Kalevala Exhibition at the Ateneum 2/27-8/9
To celebrate the 160 years of the Finnish National Epic, the Kalevala, Ateneum Art Museum presents the most extensive show of Kalavela art in decades. More than 200 works from almost sixty artists are on view. This exhibition introduces the many faces of the Kalevala – how our national epic has appealed to visual artists through the times, from when it was first published up to the present day. Click here for more info.
April Jazz Espoo 4/22-4/26
Jazz Festival arranged in the garden city of Tapiola is the most important annual festival of jazz in the Greater Helsinki area. The festival attracts leading Finnish and international artists in the world of jazz, blues, Latin and ethnic music. This event is hosted by the Espoo Big Band Society. Read more here.
May Day celebrations in Finland 4/30-5/1
The springtime celebration, widely known around the world as May Day, is called “Vappu" in Finland. Traditionally the day has been recognized as a day of the working class and students. Vappu marks the end of a long winter and a coming of summer, and therefore everybody joins in the fun. There are happenings in cities around Finland but Helsinki has the best known street party and long tradition. Click here for more info.
Iceland
New Icelandair Service from Seattle
Icelandair announces new scheduled service between Seattle and Reykjavik, beginning July 22. The airline will offer 4 flights a week departing Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) at 4:30 pm, arriving in Reykjavik at 6:45 am the following morning. Travelers leaving from Seattle will save $130 per person on all packages departing between July 23 and August 10, 2009. Please visit Icelandairs website or call (877) I-FLY-ICE for more info.
Free Reykjavik Walking Tour
The GoEcco Reykjavik free two-hour walking tour sets out daily at 1 pm from the Tourist Information bureau near the harbor at the bottom of the main commercial street, Laugavegur. The tour leaves every day rain or shine from May 1 through Sept. 15, and is the perfect introduction to the city. There’s also a Haunted Walk of Reykjavik at 8 p.m. every night. Click here for more info.
Great Golf in Iceland
Iceland is well known for its midnight golf tournaments, including the famous Arctic Open in Akureyri, June 25-27. More information go to www.arcticopen.is. A new website has been launched by Golf Iceland, in cooperation with the country’s golf courses and travel industry companies. It contains information about all of the golf courses in Iceland including information on how to book tee times. Click here for more info.
Norway
US Airways to Oslo; New Philadelphia–Oslo route starting May 21
The Oslo Region is a perfect balance of city and country. Enjoy Oslo's museums, opera house, Nobel Peace Centre and world-class dining and shopping. Visit nearby Lillehammer, scene of 1994's Winter Olympics, the resort of Trysil or the scenic wilderness of Hedmark. US Airways is giving you 5,000 bonus miles when you book your trip in Envoy/business class, or 2,500 bonus miles in Economy. For more info click here. Image: Courtesy of F.W./Visitoslo.com
Richard Bangs on PBS: Adventures with Purpose—Norway: Quest for the Viking Spirit
A thousand years ago Vikings set out from the fjords of Norway, and today this beautiful country is the home of the Nobel Peace Center, of explorers and adventure travelers and is one of the most eco-friendly countries on earth. Richard’s quest is to discover how such a progressive nation grew from such a violent past. His adventures takes him all over the country. Check your local PBS listings for times. http://www.visitnorway.com/us Image: Courtesy of Terje Rakke/Nordic Life/Innovation Norway
Free Air & Shore Excursions with Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten’s unique, upscale cruises along Norways majestic, rugged coast and through its magnificent fjords, known as the "Worlds Most Beautiful Voyage," are legendary. Book select 12- and 7-day Norwegian Coastal Voyages departing May 1–Aug 31, 2009 and receive free air from New York plus 3 free excursions when booking a 12-day and 2 free excursions when booking a 7-day. For more information click here. Image: Courtesy of Hurtigruten
Sweden
SAS Crew Guide Returns!
SAS Crew Guide, the unique travel guide from the airline industry's most glamorous insiders, is back with a new and expanded fifth edition with hundreds of new listings for cities around the globe.
The 2009 edition of the SAS Crew Guide is available for approx. $20 from www.sasguides.com. To check flight schedules and for more info click here. Image: Stureplan,Photo/copyright: Nicho Soding
www.imagebank.sweden.se
Salt & Sill Floating Hotel
A floating sauna opens in June, following the opening of the hotel in the fall of 2008. Enjoy an authentic Swedish sauna in the most picturesque of surroundings and dine at the hotel’s renowned sea-food restaurant. Read more here. Image: Goteborg archipelago, Photo: Kjell Holmner, Copyright: Kjell Holmner/Goteborg & Company, www.imagebank.sweden.se
Ingmar Bergman International Theatre Festival
The festival will take place May 27 – June 6, 2009. It will be centered on the best foreign performances, the most interesting actors and it will focus on the famous Swedish director Ingmar Bergman’s long and productive career. Films, fashion shows, and more are also planned throughout the city. Click here for more info. www.stockholmtown.com Image: Ingmar Bergman , Photo/copyright: The Royal Library, ww.imagebank.sweden.se