Scandinavia

On a quest to follow the route of Leif Eriksson to North America, the world's largest modern Viking ship sets sail this week.

Clouds and sun create a dramatic view over Norway's coastal waters as the express boat to Flam leaves from Bergen just after sunrise.

Rovaniemi, Finland—Lapland in the winter—has a surprising variety of attractions and views, making it a popular spot for vacationers.

A German town on the Dutch border hopes to convince merchants, customers, and eventually all of Germany to stop using 1- and 2-cent coins.

Denmark's wildlife is getting a bit wilder, some on its own, and some by careful intervention.  The big news (anything about an elk is big) is the re-introduction of elk to Denmark after a 5000-year absence. Five young Swedish elk have been given a new habitat on Denmark's Jutland peninsula, in an area that is the largest raised bog in Northern Europe. They'll hopefully become part of a self-sustaining ecosystem in the area. Recently, a beaver was spotted building a dam on a golf...

It's not yet a done deal, but a campaign to give Finland a mountain as a gift on the 100th anniversary of its independence is gaining support in Norway. Norway has lots of mountains; Finland is mostly flat. On their common border, Halti rises to 1365 metres, not even one of the top 200 in the country...but one of it spurs, over 40 meters lower, is the highest point in Finland. The proposal, which now has the support of the Norwegian Mapping Authority, would shift the border 20 meters to put...

  Nordea, Norway's number two bank, with operations across Scandinavia, has announced that starting Monday its Norwegian branches will not handle cash. Period.   The bank's plan, surprising as it sounds, is part of Scandinavia's move toward...

Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo, in that order, have been tabbed as Europe's fastest-growing cities in a report compiled for Stockholm's Chamber of Commerce, surveying cities all over Europe.

Norwegian Brown Bear       Photo: Per Harald Olsen In most countries these days, we're familiar with some form of poo control for pets, most often plastic bags to collect the remains and toss it in the trash. Norway's Nature...

Photo: Instagram   A Norwegian couple has just finished the real outdoorfolks' dream: they've spent the last year in Norway's Arctic regions, sleeping in tents and improvised shelters, and living off the land.   The couple, Elise Theoline...

After 3 stiff drinks, SAS wants you to stick to the soft stuff...        Photo: Xianxing / Wikimedia   SAS, the big Scandinavian carrier, is trying a 3-drink limit for alcoholic beverages on its flights in an attempt to curb...

The pictures in this gallery are mainly architectural details—rooflines, entrances, windows—noticed in years of walking in cities and having my eye caught by a strong line, an unexpected contrast, an extended shape...I don't even always know what catches me, and, as here, it's often not the most significant building.