At the time when southern Sweden was in the hands of the Danes this castle was nicknamed "the key to Sweden" due to its strategic position. The initial keep (12C) belonged to a defensive line reaching from Öland island to the coast. King Gu..

The traditions of "parish villages" live on here, and the houses are still inhabited by parishioners during religious festivals. The large medieval church is of late Scandinavian Gothic style (15C) with a richly decorated interior. The pret..

The building dates back to the 13C but it has since been altered. The tower topped with an arrow, for example, is the work of Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. Among the funeral pieces, the monument dedicated to King Erik XIV (south side of the ambulat..

The blue-tinted limestone abbey-church has a narrow chancel, which, strangely, faces west. The sobriety of the decor is reminiscent of the Cistercian spirit. The star-shaped vault rests on two limestone pillars. The church has a group of medieval ..

Baroque decoration is predominant througout these apartments, in spite of the changes made since. The rich stucco decoration of the majestic staircase is the work of Italian master Giovanni Carove. Other renowned artists have also left their mark: ..

Den Gamle By is in parkland along Viborgvej in the western part of Århus. It is one of the most picturesque and beautiful open-air museums in Denmark. Old houses and buildings from towns across the country, dating from the 17C to the 19C, have been c..

Set in parkland, this museum traces the cultural history of Norway from the Middle Ages. 140 wooden buildings illustrate a variety of traditional Norwegian wood dwellings, with examples from Setesdal, Numedal, Telemark and Gola (fine stave church )...

The best way to enjoy the full splendour of this fjord set in a mountainous landscape of sheer rock faces and snow-capped summits is by boat. Every day from May to September, a ferry makes the 70min crossing between Hellesylt and Geiranger, but bet..

The road between Geiranger and Eidsdal is known as Ørnevegen (Eagle Road). The last turn is a hairpin bend known as Ørnesvingen (Eagle Bend) and offers an extraordinary view over the Geirangerfjord. Beyond a wooden gate, a steep path leads you ..

The centre of a pilgrimage dedicated to Saint Olav and burial place of the Norwegian kings, this 12C cathedral of grey stetite is an example of Romanesque (the oldest parts) and Gothic styles and the national sanctuary. A superb rose window ornates..

Founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius (1833-1901), this is the world’s oldest open-air museum and is often described as “Sweden in a nutshell”. The different areas are located around the site in accordance with their actual geographic situation. The cult..

This island, the second largest in the South Funen Archipelago, is just 30km long and 9km wide. Ærøskøbing , one of the island's three "towns", is a little gem of a place. The majority of the buildings date back to the 17C and the old phar..

The Art Deco building of the Bergen Kunstmuseum, at n o 9, houses an interesting collection of Norwegian and international art: icons and paintings by old Flemish masters, an overview of Norwegian painting (with Johan Christian Dahl ), the Steners..

Travelling up the Olden Valley to Briksdalsbreen is a magnificent experience. The turbulent torrent that descends from the glacier broadens out into three successive lakes framed by steep mountain slopes. From the stolkjerre , or pony-drawn cart, ..

Numedal is without a doubt the most characteristic and picturesque of the valleys in southern Norway, with its lovely old farmhouses, many of which have been built high up, and its unique wooden stave churches , built in the 12C and restored or exte..

Kunstnerdalen or the Valley of the Artists is named after the large number of famous painters, such as Munch, Thaulow, Krohg, Kittelsen, Skredsvig, Tidemand and Gude who lived here in the late 19C and early 20C. The valley of the Simoa River has kept..

The Otra River wends its way southward along the Setesdal Valley, part of the high plateaux, before flowing into the Skagerrak at Kristiansand. The valley is littered with little villages and remote farms with characteristic architecture: houses with..

Take a boat trip to explore the Gjesværstappan Nature Reserve (15km west of North Cape ), which reaches over three rocky islands: Storstappan, Kirkestappan and Bukkestappan. 360 000 birds nest here, including gulls, cormorants, penguins and Northe..

The Art Museum, inaugurated to coincide with the 1994 Olympics, presents a remarkable overview of Norwegian painting, from the so-called Romantic period up to works from the early 20C : Johan Christian Dahl, Hans Frederik Gude, Frits Thaulow and Chr..

This long valley where the Lågen flows reaches from Bjørli in the north to Lillehammer in the south, over more than 203km. Head to Hunderfossen Family Park , a theme park in Grandrumoen, where you can see the re-enactment of local folk stories. In ..