Top 10 Places To Visit In Scandinavia

What's up guys my name is Ryan Shirley and I've spent the last few summers exploring Europe's Nordic countries and I want to show you my favorite places so here's my Scandinavia top 10. Scandinavia has to be one of my all-time favorite regions. It's made up of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark. Now what's super interesting is that all these countries are ranked in the top 10 happiest places in the world. They obviously must be doing something right. Now aside from being home to the happiest countries, Scandinavia offers some of the world's most unique landscapes from the fjords of Norway to the sea cliffs of the Faroe Islands. I just can't get enough of this place. Alright so let's start this video off in the Lofoten Islands. Now Lofoten is located in northern Norway and even though it's in the arctic circle it feels like you're on a tropical island there. I was lucky enough to go there about two summers ago. We flew in and road tripped through Lofoten. Our first pit stop was at this little fishing village called Henningsvær to see the world's most scenic football field. When we got there we sadly didn't have a soccer ball but we had a good time playing on the field and enjoying the incredible views of Henningsvær. We kept on driving and made it to the iconic town of Reine. Now when you think of Norway this is it. It has those red houses surrounded by massive sea mountains. In my opinion I'd have to say that Reine is the most beautiful town in Lofoten. When I was planning my road trip to Norway I remember seeing pictures of this place and I just couldn't believe it existed. Now if you want to do an amazing hike I'd recommend hiking to Kvalvrika beach. Now it's about a four kilometer trek and I promise it's worth it. When you get to the beach you're going to be amazed by the landscape. It has mountains that reminded me of Switzerland, ocean that looks like the Caribbean, and it's as green as a tropical island. I just can't believe places like this exist especially in the arctic circle. When we were there we really wanted to get a good vantage point for the sunset so we hiked up to this vantage point and I just got one of my all-time favorite shots. I mean I just couldn't believe those colors from the orange mountain to the green slope to the crystal blue sea. I mean it was just amazing. After Lofoten we're gonna head over to the Faroe Islands located right between Norway and Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago is made up of 18 volcanic islands. Now I have to say that the Faroes are home to some of the world's most dramatic landscapes from sheer sea cliffs to waterfalls straight into the ocean. I mean the Faroes just have so much to offer. While the islands are part of the kingdom of Denmark they are a self-governing archipelago. One of the most scenic places in the Faroe Islands is the Møllefossur waterfall. Now it's located on Vaggaar island and the waterfall descends about 100 feet into the ocean below. I mean the backdrop of the village with a massive green mountain behind makes for one of the most scenic places on earth. One of my personal favorite places in the Faroe Islands is the sea stacks of Dragoneer. I mean the name itself just sounds freaking epic. It's this slanted sea rock with a perfect arch right above the cold Atlantic Ocean. This place looks like a scene out of Game of Thrones. I felt like a dragon was going to fly through that arch. Now while I haven't been to the Faroes yet it's definitely one of the first places I'm going to travel to once it opens up. I just can't believe how beautiful the Faroe Islands are. All right so after we're gonna head to Finland. Now for the past three years Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world thanks to its wonderful health care, education, and obviously its beautiful scenery. On the same note the capital of Finland Helsinki has been ranked the happiest and most livable city in the world. Now Helsinki is one of the northernmost metropolitan areas. The whole city just has a great vibe to it. I mean I would love to spend Christmas there. Now if you want to venture out of Helsinki you can take a ferry across the Baltic Sea to visit Tallinn Estonia or you can even head over to St. Petersburg Russia. If you want to see some of Finland's nature you can head up north to visit Lapland. Now Lapland is Finland's northernmost region and borders Russia, Sweden, and Norway. In the winter months Lapland becomes a frozen wonderland that looks like something straight out of a Disney movie. Now if you can handle the cold Lapland may be one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. The northern lights are abundant throughout the cold winter months. It can get up to negative 50 degrees celsius in the winters so make sure you bundle up. One thing I love about Lapland is the snow-covered trees. They look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. It's believed that Santa Claus originated in Finland and with all the reindeers and pine trees I totally understand why. In the summertime Lapland becomes a peaceful area with wildlife and endless nature. I really just want to spend some time in Finland relaxing in a sauna and seeing for myself why Finland is the happiest country in the world. All right so after Finland we're gonna head over to the neighboring Sweden to visit Stockholm. Stockholm is Sweden's capital. It's made up of 14 islands and 50 bridges. I was able to visit Stockholm this summer and I was just pleasantly surprised. Compared to other Nordic countries such as Norway and Iceland I felt like Sweden was much more affordable. I had a good time just walking around the city and using their public transportation. I swear I rode on the world's biggest escalator. The buildings and architecture there are so unique. I mean it's just such a wonderful city I think everyone should visit. When I was in Stockholm I road tripped five hours to this little town called Vindalen in the middle of Sweden. I had to go film an interview out there. Anyways I just had a great time driving. I was just amazed by the endless pine trees that seemed to go on forever and ever. It was such a beautiful yet strange place. All right so after Sweden we're gonna head over to Liseboten to drive down Norway's craziest road. Now Liseboten is a small village that's about a six hour drive from Oslo. Now what I think is so scenic about Liseboten is the road that leads down to it. It consists of 27 hairpin turns that descend down the fjord to the village below. When you're at the bottom you're going to be amazed by the surrounding walls of the fjord. If you're down for a hike you can trek 12 kilometers which is this famous for its rock wedge between two cliff walls. Looks a little sketch to me but hey I'd send it. After Liseboten we're gonna head over to the nearby Pulpit Rock. Located in the same fjord as Liseboten, Pulpit Rock is a famous flat top cliff with a straight drop of over 600 meters. To get there you can park in the base camp and make the six kilometer hike. The rock can be super packed so if you want to avoid the crowds you can wake up super early and get to Pulpit Rock to enjoy the sunrise. I mean I can't think of a better place to watch the sunrise. I just can't believe how big the cliff walls are. I mean just go straight down the fjord below. It's just such a stunning place. All right so another hike to do in Norway is the trek to Trolltunga. Now Trolltunga is possibly the most iconic rock formation in Norway as it shoots out over 2,000 feet from the lake below. Trolltunga is definitely the hardest hike of the three. It's a 28 kilometer round trip trek that takes anywhere from 8 to 12 hours to do so make sure you give yourself plenty of time. You can start the hike at the main trailhead and hike in 14 kilometers in to reach the famous Trolltunga rock. If you go between June 1st and September 30th you don't need a tour guide but if you go in the winter months you definitely need one because there's a little sketch. While it is a strenuous hike it offers some of the best views in Norway. All right so after the fjords of Norway we're gonna head over to Iceland to experience the land of fire and ice. I have to say that Iceland is home to some of the world's most unique landscapes. From volcanic craters to a blue lagoon the country just has so much to offer. I went to Iceland a few years ago and I was just blown away by the country. One of my favorite places was Reynisfjara beach. It's this black sand beach that's about a two hour drive from Reykjavik. What I really loved about the beach is the basalt sea stacks in the ocean. It makes you wonder how the vikings must have felt when they washed up on the Icelandic shores. After Reynisfjara you can check out Skogafoss waterfall. It's one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland with a drop up over 60 meters. You can also drive an hour east on the ring road and visit one of the most scenic canyons in Iceland. I'm not even gonna try to pronounce it but it looks like something straight out of a fantasy movie. Don't be surprised if you see a troll walking around there. If you drive another three hours down the ring road you'll reach Stokksnes. It's such a dramatic view with the black sand and the mountain in the background. On the other side of Iceland you can visit Kirkjufellsfoss. It's this uniquely shaped mountain that looks like Gandalf's hat. There's a waterfall nearby and it makes for an incredible shot. If you go in the winter time you might just get lucky and see the aurora borealis. There's just so much to see in Iceland and I hope everyone can see it at least once in their life. Alright so for our final location we're gonna head back to northern Norway to visit Senja. Now Senja is Norway's second largest island and to get there I flew into Tromsø and rented a car and made the three hour drive. The reason I wanted to go to Senja was because I wanted to hike to Segla. Anyways I drove to this town called Fjordard and I got to the base of the hike. It was a surprisingly difficult hike but eventually I made it to the top and I was just baffled by the view. The rock formation rose hundreds of meters out of the ocean. It was just like nothing I've ever seen before. Now I was just having an amazing time and I decided I wanted to spend the night on top of the mountain so I could see the northern lights. All I had was a blanket and I used my camera bag as a pillar so I found this little mossy cliff ledge and I set up camp there and waited for the northern lights to show up. Around 11 p.m I woke up to the aurora borealis above my head. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. They move surprisingly fast like snakes in the arctic sky and seeing those lights made me feel like a kid again and it will forever be one of the most special nights of my life. Some nights you don't need to fall asleep to start dreaming. Alright well that is it for my Scandinavian top 10. The Nordic is just such a unique region in the world and I hope you all can witness it one day. Where was your favorite place in Scandinavia? Let me know in the comments below. If you want to support the channel consider becoming a patron and you'll get perks such as free travel guide and stock footage just like these clips of northern lights. You can find me on tiktok and instagram at shirley.films. It's Ryan and we will see you later.