Cathy in Scandinavia

By Cathy Knutson

Don’t be afraid to travel to Scandinavia in winter. Our trip to Sweden and Denmark in February was delightful! The cities are still bustling with locals while most tourists are waiting until the summer.

Make sure to bring your warm layers and live life outdoors like the locals. We saw many people in full snow suits while others were in full length fur coats riding their bikes through the Copenhagen city streets. We even caught sight of a couple locals riding their bikes through the snowy Stockholm streets with their cross-country skis in tow. As they say… “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes”! Many restaurants have outdoor seating with cozy blankets and heaters to make it enjoyable.

It’s true that the amount of daylight is shorter in winter especially in Scandinavia. We spent our days outdoors as much as possible to take advantage of daylight and warmer temps. We even braved a Stockholm archipelago cruise sitting on the top deck under fur blankets – seeing the lovely city from the water. We enjoyed a warm up “fika” at Skeppsbro Bakery with a sea view – coffee and a cardamom bun are a must!

In the evenings, we looked for museums that were open late – the Stockholm Fotografiska Museum is open until 11pm! They have a great restaurant and visitors can walk the galleries with their favorite beverage in hand. We also just bundled up and enjoyed the lit-up city in the evening – it’s makes for a lovely stroll. And there is no shortage of cozy candle lit restaurants throughout Stockholm and Copenhagen.

We ventured out to eat the local specialties – the Swedish meatballs at Meatballs for the People in Sodermalm were delicious – I recommend the reindeer. And you can’t leave Copenhagen without trying a high-end hot dog and a smorrebrod (open faced sandwich) – a private food tour is a great way to experience the interesting food culture.