ICELAND
Enjoy Iceland for the Holidays
Travel trends are heading towards a more authentic experience. People want to see what’s beyond the souvenir shops. Why travel to North Pole, New York, or Santa Claus, Indiana, when you could be close to the real North Pole by spending the holidays in Iceland. Come see the awe-inspiring Aurora Borealis in its natural setting, meet elves and trolls as imagined by local artists and don’t forget, one of the biggest New Year’s parties in the world. Please visit Iceland Tourist Board
NORWAY
Fly Icelandair to Norway
Travel with Icelandair to Oslo - the City of Contrasts, and Bergen - Gateway to the fjords, this season. With a stopover in Iceland, experience the land known for the Midnight Sun, the Northern lights and the World Famous Fjords, on your way to or from Norway. Icelandair offer great deals year round, where you can combine one, or both Norwegian cities with a stop in Iceland.
Sir Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson to Host 15th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has announced that two time Academy Award winning actor Sir Michael Caine will join Scarlett Johansson to host the 15th annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert on Thursday, 11 December in Oslo, Norway.
For more events in Norway.
Photo Credit: Patrick Demarchelier
US Airways to start flying from Philadelphia to Oslo
On May 21, 2009, US Airways will begin service to their second Scandinavian city, Oslo. The flights between their international gateway in Philadelphia and Oslo will be their twenty-third transatlantic destination. Start planning your spring or summer trip now. For travel offers to Norway: www.visitnorway.com/us
Sweden
The Magic of Christmas - Celebrate the Holidays in Stockholm
When winter darkness descends on Stockholm, the capital enters a spectacular time, where the beauty and festivities of Christmas illuminates the entire city. Take a stroll around picturesque Christmas markets, listen to beautiful St. Lucia melodies and shop for hours in holiday-decorated stores. Click here for more events in Stockholm
Copyright: Richard Ryan
Icehotel – A truly unique experience
Built out of ice from the mighty Torne River, the Icehotel, in Jukkasjarvi, 200 km inside the Arctic Circle, offers an experience unlike any other. Spend the day on a Moose safari, or explore the surrounding wilderness from a snowmobile or a dogsled, and then dream the night away in a bed made out of ice and snow.
Click here for more on the Icehotel.
Copyright: Peter Grant
Gothenburg – Home to Liseberg
Visit the Christmas market at Liseberg; Scandinavia’s largest amusement park, famous for its spectacular lights, handicrafts and homemade delicacies. Five million lights are adorning trees and buildings in the park and six kilometers of fir garland and more than 700 Christmas trees are used for decoration.
For more information: www.goteborg.com
Copyright: Stig Kälvelid / Liseberg
Denmark
Good Music
Nothing warms a winter night like hot jazz. From January 23 through February 8, the annual Vinter Jazz Festival brings some of the world’s top jazz artists to Denmark, performing everywhere from intimate jazz clubs to “cool spaces” like the glass-enclosed atrium at The National Gallery in Copenhagen. The festival includes some 200 concerts at more than 50 venues throughout Denmark. Find more info at: http://www.vinterjazz.dk
Good Food
Star chef Thomas Herman is shining even brighter since he was named Denmark’s chef of the year by Gudme Raaschou Spiseguide, the definitive dining guide for all of Denmark. Herman is known for his reinvention of traditional Danish cuisine, infusing modern sensibility into dishes such as the home-cooking staple of potatoes, onions and bacon known as “Burning Love.” Visit Restaurant Herman at the beautifully restored Nimb in Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens.
Good Sports
Danes love their bicycles, whether they’re pedaling on the nearly 2,500 miles of designated cycling routes that crisscross the country or around major cities. An estimated 36 percent of Copenhageners bike to work, to the shops and to visit friends year-round. So it was no surprise when UCI, the International Cycling Union, designated Copenhagen as the world’s first “Bike City.” Read more about Bike City Copenhagen.
Finland
Christmas markets in Helsinki
Finland's capital Helsinki has several Christmas markets starting with the Women's Christmas Market (12/3-12/7) in Old Harbor, followed by St Thomas Christmas Market in Esplanade Park (12/8-12/21) and the Indoor Christmas Market at the Old Student's Hall just before Christmas. The many Christmas concerts in Helsinki are a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. For more information go to: http://www.hel2.fi/tourism/en/tapahtumat_paa.asp
Christmas market in Turku, the Christmas City of Finland
In addition to the Christmas market in the Old Great Square, Turku offers hundreds of events. On December 24th, Christmas Eve (most important day of the Christmas season in Finland) at noon in Turku, the oldest city in the country, 'Christmas Peace' is proclaimed. The ceremony is broadcast live on television. The tradition dates back to the 13th century. For more information go to: http://www.turku.fi/public/default.aspx?contentid=20246&nodeid=8172
Christmas market in Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle
The home of Santa Claus, Lapland is a wonderful destination for travelers and offers an unforgettable Christmas Market at the Arctic Circle, 5 miles from the town of Rovaniemi called the "Santa Claus Village" and includes shops with Christmas decor and crafts. There is even Santa's Post Office, from where you can send mail back home.
Read more about the happenings in Rovaniemi.