HOME AT FIRST's

Scandinavia

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

Experience the Great Variety of Locations—
Choose from 17 very different regions — 5 in Sweden, 8 in Norway,
and 4 in Denmark. Visit them all or only those that interest you.

HOME AT FIRST OFFERS LODGINGS IN THESE 17 REGIONS:
(click on each for more detailed information, or CLICK HERE to see our Map of Scandinavia)

– SWEDEN –

GOTHENBURG: Scandinavia's central city and largest port — with a wonderfully walkable old city center known for its fine restaurants. (Gothenburg is best visited using public transportation. Many outlying day-trip destinations are only reachable via a rental car.)

THE WEST COAST: glittering archipelago dotted with charming coastal villages; a seafood lover's paradise; Europe's greatest number of prehistoric rock carving sites, and numerous remnants of Sweden's own Viking history. (A rental car is necessary for this destination.)

Vasa Ship Museum, Stockholm
Photo courtesy R. Ryan
 

STOCKHOLM: home of Nobel prizes, with its lively old city,
is Sweden's capital and its largest city, home to the Swedish royal family, and the commercial and cultural focus of Sweden. (Stockholm is best visited using public transportation. Many day-trip destinations outside of Stockholm are easily reached by boat, train, or bus, including trips into the islands of Stockholm's Baltic Archipelago.)

UPPSALA: less than 30 minutes from Stockholm — has maintained its medieval inner core town, home to one of Europe's oldest and most respected universities. (Uppsala is a very walkable city with excellent rail connections. However, most day-trip destinations outside of Uppsala are only reachable by car.)

SWEDEN'S LAKELAND: picturesque heartland of Sweden. Spotless villages set along slow-paced, cross-country canals or along the tranquil shores of Scandinavia's great lakes. (Although served by some trains, boats, and buses, the beautiful, vast, largely rural interior of Sweden is best explored by car.)

 
Royal Palace Guard,
Oslo, Norway.
Photo © HOME AT FIRST
 A

– NORWAY –

OSLO/OSLO FJORD: Home of the Nobel Peace Prize, and to Norway's royal family. Capital city; friendly and walkable, with art museums in the park, harbor life and its own fjord, dotted with inlets and islands, with a history dating from prehistory, walled medieval towns, imposing fortresses, Viking and Bronze Age relics. (Oslo is best visited by public transportation.)

SOUTHERN NORWAY: southernmost Norway combines charming coastal fishing villages with a rugged agricultural interior — both with traditional Norwegian lifestyles. One such traditional fishing village is Lillesand on Norway's east coast. The nearby city of Kristiansand is the region's cultural center and embarkation point for ferries to Denmark. (A car is necessary for visiting Lillesand. Kristiansand may be visited by car or by rail.)

 
STAVANGER: Emigration point for many Norwegian-Americans, and fine touring base for Norway's southwest coast fjord region with superb access to the dramatic Lysefjord. Slightly larger than Bergen with excellent genealogical resources. Stavanger's great harbor serves as a primary port for Norway's extensive North Sea oil operations. Its attractive waterfront is home to restaurants, shops, a quaint old town, and a traditional outdoor market. (Stavanger is best visited by rail, but a car is best for visiting its neighboring fjords.)

TROMSØ & NORWAY'S ARCTIC FAR NORTH: Europe's answer to Alaskan frontier towns; native Lapland culture and crafts found side-by-side with oilmen and gold miners; above the Arctic Circle and within reach of the North Cape, northernmost point on the European mainland. (This destination is so far north, it requires a supplemental flight. Once in Tromsø a rental car is indispensable for seeing the city and region.)

BERGEN: The best of Norway's west coast and a microcosm of Norway in one location — a friendly, walkable city center with history, scenery, culture, art, and a saltwater harbor with great mountain views and quick access to spectacular fjords. And an easy touring base for visiting the rugged Norway you always dreamed about. (Bergen city is best seen without a car, and several key outlying attractions may be reached by rail, boat, and bus transport. However, many day trips from Bergen are only reachable via car.)

HARDANGER FJORD: Norway's largest fjord reaches deep into its glaciated, mountainous heartland. Traditional villages amid spectacular scenery. Playground for outdoor activities in all seasons. (This destination available only to those with rental cars.)

SOGNE FJORD: Narrow arms of the North Sea extending far into Norway's mountainous interior. Steep fjord walls reaching from sea level to alpine heights. Remote villages connected by ocean-going ships, convoluted, tunneled roadways, and a spectacular mountain railway. (This destination available to those traveling by car, bus, rail, or boat.)

HARDANGER PLATEAU: Northern Europe's largest mountain plateau is also Norway's largest National Park incorporating much of the high wilderness between Oslo and Bergen. Europe's largest reindeer herds and plenty of moose, too. Spectacular scenery for sightseeing, hiking, skiing, and whitewater rafting. (This destination is possible to visit by train, but best visited by rental car.)

– DENMARK –

   
EASTERN DENMARK — COPENHAGEN, ROSKILDE, & ZEALAND: Lively and lovely. Denmark's Zealand folk history and modern, groundbreaking culture all within a comfortable day-trip. Viking festivals, Hamlet's Castle, mid-summer parades, seaside golf, glittering city shopping malls, and thatched-roof restaurants. Choose to stay in bustling Copenhagen or 30-minutes (by train) south of the city in the charming, pedestrians-only town of Roskilde, ancestral home of Danish royalty. (Copenhagen and Roskilde are easily visited by public transportation. Some out-of-town day-trips are very reachable by public transportation, but most are best reached by rental car.)

CENTRAL DENMARK — ODENSE & FUNEN: Capital of Denmark's central region of Funen island is Odense, university city, cultural center, and birthplace of beloved writer Hans Christian Andersen. Funen island is Denmark's agricultural heartland: pony carts, hay wagons, sun-drenched golden fields, and miles of biking and walking paths. Several offshore islands offer relaxed Danish beach town holidays. Odense is easily visited by Danish Rail, but touring throughout Funen and its satellite islands is best accomplished by car.
  

Blue Viking street
 performer, Copenhagen,
Denmark.
Photo © HOME AT FIRST
 

WESTERN DENMARK — AARHUS, AALBORG, & JUTLAND: The northern finger of
Europe, encircled in white sand, sustained by artists' communities and sunbathers from around the world, and home of some of the finest hotel-castles to be found anywhere. Home, too, to Denmark's second and fourth cities, Aarhus and Aalborg, university towns and culture centers of northern Denmark. (Although served by rail and bus lines, most of Jutland is best seen by car.)

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