Adventure Guide to Scandinavia : Sweden, Norway, Denmark

480 Pages·2006·12.421 MB·English

by  Henrik Berezin

dventure Guide
SSccaannddiinnaavviiaa
Henrik Berezin
HUNTER
HUNTERPUBLISHING,INC,
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ISBN1-58843-579-2
©2006HunterPublishing,Inc.
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
ThisandotherHuntertravelguidesarealsoavailablease-books
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Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other-
wise,withoutthewrittenpermissionofthepublisher.
This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities
containelementsofrisk,thepublisher,author,affiliatedindividuals
and companies disclaim responsibility for any injury, harm, or ill-
nessthatmayoccurtoanyonethrough,orbyuseof,theinformation
inthisbook.Everyeffortwasmadetoinsuretheaccuracyofinfor-
mationinthisbook,butthepublisherandauthordonotassume,and
hereby disclaim, liability for any loss or damage caused by errors,
omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems
caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from
negligence,accidentoranyothercause.
Coverphoto:BallooningoverGeirangerfjord,Norway,
nagelestock.com/Alamy
Spinephoto:EgeskovCastle,Denmark,bySørenLauridsen,
www.visitdenmark.com
Interiorcolorphotosbytheauthor,unlessotherwisecredited.
MapsbyToniWheeler,©2006HunterPublishing,Inc.
Contents
Introduction 1
History 2
TheVikingAge(800-1050) 3
TheEndoftheVikingAge,950-1050 5
NorwayGrowsStronger(1240-1319) 8
DenmarkDominates 10
Sweden’sRise&Fall 14
TheSweden-NorwayUnion 16
Population 18
Religion 20
Language 20
CulinaryTraditions 22
Myths&Legends 23
Climate 25
Environment 26
Geography 27
Economy 29
Government 31
PlanningYourTrip 32
GettingHere 34
GettingAround 36
Practicalities 48
Customs 48
Money 49
PostOffices 53
Shopping 53
ElectricalAppliances 55
Pets 55
Phones 55
EmergencyNumbers 55
Smoking 56
PublicHolidays 56
PlacestoStay 57
Hotels 57
Camping 58
Hostels 59
Bed&Breakfasts,RoomsforRent 61
OtherFormsofAccommodation 61
CabinsinNorway 61
InnsinDenmark 62
Farms 62
iv (cid:1) Contents
PlacestoEat 62
Adventures 63
Sweden 67
TheSouth 67
Gothenburg 67
BriefHistory 67
Orientation 70
PracticalInformation 71
TouristOffices 71
GettingHere 71
GettingAround 72
Sightseeing 74
Shopping 76
Adventures 77
PlacestoStay 78
PlacestoEat 79
ExcursionstoBohuslän 80
Kungälv&theBohusFortress 80
Marstrand 81
Smögen 82
AdventuresinSmögen 82
AdventuresonWaterinBohuslän 82
TheKosterIslands 83
GettingThere 84
AdventuresonKoster 84
PlacestoStay 84
PlacestoEat 85
ExcursionstoHalland 85
Varberg 86
Falkenberg 87
AdventuresonFootinHalland 87
AdventuresonWater 88
OnWheels 89
Biking 89
PlacestoStay&Eat 90
Scania 91
GettingHere&GettingAround 91
Österlen 93
Tomelilla 93
Ystad 93
Simrishamn 94
Kivik 94
GettingHere&GettingAround 94
AnimalLife 94
Contents (cid:1) v
Sightseeing 94
Adventures 96
PlacestoStay&Eat 98
Malmö&Lund 99
GettingHere&GettingAround 99
Malmö 100
Lund 108
TheNorthwest 111
Ven 111
Kullen 113
Blekinge 116
GettingHere 117
Karlskrona 118
Karlshamn 119
Ronneby 119
Sölvesborg 120
Kristianopel 120
SightseeinginKarlskrona 120
TheArchipelago 122
SightseeingintheKarlskronaArchipelago 122
GettingAround 123
CulturalAdventures 123
AdventuresonFoot 124
AdventuresonWater 125
AdventuresonWheels 126
PlacestoStay 127
PlacestoEat 128
Småland 128
Introduction 128
BriefHistory 129
Kalmar 129
ExcursiontoÖland 131
GettingHere&GettingAround 132
TouristOfficesinKalmar&Öland 132
PlacestoStay&Eat 133
Glasriket 133
GettingHere 134
VisitingtheGlassKingdom 135
Shopping 135
Events 137
AdventuresinGlasriket 138
TouristOfficesinGlasriket&theEmigrantArea 139
PlacestoStay 139
PlacestoEat 140
HeadingNorthontheE4Highway 140
Gränna 140
vi (cid:1) Contents
Visingsö 142
Vadstena 143
GötaCanal 143
HistoryoftheCanal 144
Adventures 144
TouristOfficesalongtheCanal 147
PlacestoStay&Eat 147
Gotland 148
Introduction 148
Orientation 148
BriefHistory 149
GettingHere 150
GettingAround 150
PracticalInformation 151
Climate 151
Visby 152
Sightseeing 152
Events 155
Beaches 156
Excursions 156
Lilla&StoraKarlsö 156
GotskaSandön 158
Adventures 159
CulturalAdventure 159
OnFoot 159
OnWater 161
OnWheels 161
PlacestoStay&Eat 162
Stockholm 164
Introduction 164
BriefHistory 165
GettingHere 168
GettingAround 169
Orientation&Sightseeing 170
PracticalInformation 176
TouristOffices 176
Shopping 177
TheParks 178
GuidedTours 179
CulturalAdventures 180
Events 181
Adventures 182
PlacestoStay 184
PlacestoEat 185
Nightlife 186
ExcursionsfromtheCity 186
Contents (cid:1) vii
TheArchipelago 186
Birka 188
Sigtuna 189
DrottningholmPalace 190
Dalarna 190
Introduction 190
GettingHere&GettingAround 192
Falun 192
TheCopperMine 193
TheRedPaint 193
TheFalukorv 193
ThePetrifiedMiner 194
SightseeinginFalun 194
CulturalAdventures 194
Adventures 195
PlacestoStay 196
PlacestoEat 196
TheSiljanArea 196
Mora 197
Rättvik 197
Leksand 197
Sightseeing 198
Events 199
CulturalAdventures 200
Adventures 202
PlacestoStay 204
PlacestoEat 204
TheNorth 205
Jamtland-Harjedalen 205
Introduction 205
BriefHistory 206
GettingHere&GettingAround 207
Flora&Fauna 209
Jämtland 211
Östersund&theLakeArea 211
Introduction 211
BriefHistory 211
PracticalInformation 211
Sightseeing 212
Events 213
AdventuresonFoot 213
AdventuresonWater 214
PlacestoStay 214
PlacestoEat 215
Ragunda&Indalsleden 215
GettingHere 216
viii (cid:1) Contents
Sightseeing 216
PlacestoStay 217
PlacestoEat 218
TheMountainRegion 218
Åre 218
WhentoGo 219
GettingHere 219
Nightlife 219
AdventuresonSnow 220
OnWater 223
OnFoot 223
IntheAir 224
OnWheels 224
Sightseeing 224
Tännforsen 224
NjarkaSamiCamp 225
PlacestoStay 225
TheNorth 225
TheWildernessRoad&Frostviken 225
GettingHere&GettingAround 226
Adventures 226
Sightseeing 227
PlacestoStay 227
Härjedalen 227
TheMountains 227
Adventures 228
OnWheels 229
OnWater 229
OnSnow 230
PlacestoStayandEat 230
TheBothnianCoast 231
Introduction 231
GettingHere&GettingAround 231
TheHighCoast 233
Introduction 233
Örnsköldsvik 233
Sightseeing 234
Ulvön 234
Skuleberget&Skuleskogen 236
Adventures 238
OnFoot 238
OnWater 242
PlacestoStay 244
PlacestoEat 245
Västerbotten 246
Introduction 246
Contents (cid:1) ix
Umeå 246
Vindeln 246
Skellefteå 247
CheeseCountry 247
GoldCountry 248
AdventuresontheBothnianCoast 251
PlacestoStay&Eat 255
Norrbotten 256
Introduction 256
Piteå 256
PiteHavsbad 257
Luleå 257
Boden 258
Sightseeing 258
Adventures 260
Lappland 261
Introduction 261
GettingHere&GettingAround 261
Plant&AnimalLife 263
Climate 264
Kiruna 265
Jukkasjärvi 266
Abisko 267
Kebnekaise 267
Adventures 269
PlacestoStay&Eat 277
Norway 279
TheSouth 279
Oslo 279
Introduction 279
BriefHistory 281
GettingHere 281
GettingAround 283
Orientation&Sightseeing 283
PracticalInformation 286
TouristOffices 286
Shopping 287
Nightlife 287
Adventures 288
CulturalAdventures 294
PlacestoStay 297
PlacestoEat 298
Excursions 299
TheFjordRegion 299
Introduction 299