The Nordics
Area Destination Guides

Copenhagen, Denmark

The city of Copenhagen dates way back to the 11th century when it received its first settlers. However, it wasn't until
Copenhagen was under the reign of Bishop Absalon (a Danish archbishop) in the 12th century that it began to receive more attention. A stone wall was put up in the 13th century to barricade the city as it rapidly grew in importance and became a center for trade.

Finland

Lapland was first inhabited about 7,000-years-ago by the Sami people. Between the years 1634 to 1809, it was split between the Sweedish Realm, and in the year 1918, the royal constitution of Finland ordered that it become a Grand Principality. During WWII, Lapland was used by Nazi Germany. In 1944 The Soviet Union used its’ influence to remove the German army. After World War II ended, Lapland entered a stage of voracious growth. The area thrived and prospered after being ceded by The Soviet Union. An intense postwar rebuilding effort resulted in the prosperous Lapland we see today.

Iceland

Iceland was the last European country to be settled, mostly by Norsemen in the 9th and 10th centuries. They came mainly from Norway and elsewhere in Scandinavia, and from the Norse settlements in the British Isles, from where a Celtic element was also introduced. The language and culture of Iceland were predominantly Scandinavian from the outset, but there are traces of Celtic influence in some of the ancient poetry, in some personal names and in the appearance of present-day Icelanders.

Norway

From the ice age to the Viking era to the present day, Norway has a long, rich history. The earliest signs of settlement in Norway date as far back as 4000 BC.

However, it wasn't until the Viking Age began in 793 AD that Scandinavians and Vikings began to expand through trade and colonization.

Stockholm, Sweden

The history of Stockholm, capital of Sweden, for many centuries coincided with the development of what is today known as Gamla stan, the Stockholm Old Town. Stockholm's raison d'être always was to be the Swedish capital and by far the largest city in the country. Stockholm is the most populous urban area in the Nordic countries; 965,232 people live in the municipality, approximately 1.6-million in the urban area, and 2.4-million in the metropolitan area. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Outside the city to the east, and along the coast, is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC, and was founded as a city in 1252 by Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. It is also the capital of Stockholm County.