Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Wilder Side of the Nordics

The Nordic countries are famous for dramatic scenery, from Norway’s fjords and Sweden’s forests to Denmark’s coastlines and Finland’s lakes. But you don’t have to chase the most photographed viewpoints to experience The Nordics’ wild side. Venture off the well-trodden paths and you’ll find boulders that defy gravity, a railway that plunges down a mountainside, and a forest tower that spirals above the treetops. This itinerary pulls together some of the region’s more unusual experiences in nature, architecture, and the outdoors. Hike to a boulder suspended above a fjord, peer into the blue ice of a glacier, walk where two seas collide, and sleep among the pines in an architect-designed treehouse. This route favors places where the landscape itself is the attraction, and where exploring it can mean hiking, riding a ferry, or simply slowing down long enough to notice what’s around you.