Search online for the “world’s happiest countries” and you’ll see that Scandinavian lands place perpetually high among the ranks. But even if you don’t call Norway, Finland and neighboring countries home, that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate some of their endorphin-inducing lifestyle cues into your own day-to-day routines.
Read on for seven ideals to follow for living the Scandinavian lifestyle, wherever you are — then plan to prioritize a visit to this part of the world for some truly inspiring stays.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
Prioritizing Wellness and Quality of Life
There’s a saying that some cultures live to work, while others work to live. And an emphasis on that latter ethos is alive and well in Scandinavia, where prioritizing wellness and quality of life (over stressing out in the office around the clock) is plain to see and experience nearly everywhere you turn.
In Denmark, you can join the flow of bicycles rolling along everywhere from the streets of Copenhagen to the countryside, where being outside and getting some exercise in all kinds of weather gets your endorphins flowing while increasing your heart rate. The Baltic Sea Cycle Route is an incredible adventure you can embark on in its entirety or piecemeal.
The route travels over 500 miles through some of Denmark’s most scenic coastal regions that include fjords and archipelagos (with bike-friendly ferries and bridges to access them, too).
And in Finland, the wellness culture is most obvious in the country’s roughly 2 million private and public saunas, where refreshing your body by alternating hot and cold temperatures brings on those rosy cheeks and increased blood flow.
Right in the heart of Helsinki, head to Allas Sea Pool to alternate growing toasty-warm in a floating sauna with refreshing dips in the brisk Baltic Sea water lapping the indoor-outdoor complex.
Enjoying the Great Outdoors and Being Close to Nature
Scandinavia’s dramatic, rugged and often extreme landscapes — where plunging mountains often meet a raging sea — are much of the lure of a visit to this part of the world.
And it’s no surprise that the inhabitants of countries like Norway, Sweden and Iceland have codes that make nature more accessible to everyone — like the “right to roam,” which allows public access to public and even privately owned lands in the name of recreation for all.
Scandinavians also love to quip that there’s “no bad weather, just bad clothing.” So as long as you dress for the outdoors, you can be out there enjoying it.
In Oslo, Norway’s largest city, hiking trails lead into the surrounding Nordmarka forest. And more than 50 miles of cross-country ski paths throughout the city get illuminated after dark to make sure visitors and residents can exercise safely in the fresh air, even during long winter nights.
And in Iceland, a cold day never kept anyone from making the most of a warm dip in one of the country’s geothermal pools — whether at a famous spot like the Blue Lagoon or Reykjavik’s Sky Lagoon or at a hot pool or rushing rivulet out in nature that you’ll have to find a local to lead you to.
Practicing Principles That Promote Happiness and Social Responsibility
Caring about the people around you, whether you know them or not, can only be good for your own state of mind and well-being. And when it comes to social responsibility, this part of the world does its part, with effects showing up through general feelings of happiness that are hard to translate into other languages.
Hygge, for example, is a Danish word that refers to a cozy state of contentment. You’ll know it when you feel it — say, in a cozy, book-lined café like Paludan Book & Café Shop in Copenhagen, one of the city’s oldest — but it often comes when spending quality time with friends and family.
And leave it to a Swede to describe the contentedness of lagom — a word that refers to finding a state of balance in something (not too much, not too little) or having just enough of what you need for a happy and balanced life. Where you find that equilibrium will depend on you, but heading out for a hike into Lapland’s spectacular nature in a setting like Abisko National Park is a good way to contemplate the simple pleasures and often austere beauty of life.
Eating Well
It’s no surprise that cultures that revere nature as much as the Scandinavian ones do would also pay close attention to what we can harvest from it, sustainably, for the betterment of our physical bodies.
And feeding your body with thoughtfulness and consciousness from the earth and oceans comes with the territory at celebrated Michelin-starred restaurants in Copenhagen and Oslo. Try René Redzepi’s revered Noma in Copenhagen and Esben Holmboe Bang’s Maaemo in Oslo, both of which have three Michelin stars (and which you’ll need to book well in advance).
When in Norway, sustainably harvested food comes across the plate in the form of wild-caught cod from Northern Norway, diver-harvested scallops from Trøndelag and hand-harvested fjord forest mushrooms. In Tromsø you can try a bit of all that and more at the great little restaurant Fiskekompaniet.
Spending Quality Time with Loved Ones
Quality time spent in the company of the people you love is a surefire way to get the endorphins flowing. And once again, Scandinavians tend to prioritize cultural practices that help make that easier.
Case in point: Sweden’s fika ritual, which basically boils down to a pause with a friend (or friends!) for coffee, something sweet to eat (kardamumbulle, a cinnamon roll spiked with cardamom, is the go-to fika favorite) and conversation. Favorite Stockholm cafés for something sweet and strong alongside a good chat with a friend include Mellqvist Kaffebar (known for its kardamumbulle) and Kaffeverket, where coffee refills are on the house.
The rather complicated Law of Jante is also generally understood across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. It refers to a strived-for equality between persons for a fairer and more just society.
Designing with Minimalism
Scandinavian minimalism is easy to spot thanks to its simplicity in materials and design. The aesthetic has a naturally soothing appeal that often serves to focus your attention not on a home or hotel itself, but on the surrounding views, which often feel as if they are swept right inside.
In Iceland you can experience that appeal at the futuristic ION Adventure Hotel, Nesjavellir, a Member of Design Hotels, “where everything meets nothing” and the glass building’s clean lines invite sweeping vistas of the majestic surrounding lava fields and mountains of Thingvellir National Park inside to breathtaking effect.
Living Sustainably
A sustainable life is a good life. And from recycling bins everywhere and bike-friendly streets to abundant green energy and lofty urban goals (such as the work of the world’s greenest major city, Copenhagen, to become carbon neutral) Scandinavia inspires.
You can help aid and abet that ethos in where you choose to stay, putting on your radar for future getaways hotels like the sustainability-minded Moxy Bergen in Norway, which is cooled by water from the fjord and heated by city central heating (the excess of which is repurposed in the hotel’s refrigeration systems). Also note the LEED Gold-certified Hotel U14, Autograph Collection in Helsinki, Finland, which runs on renewable energy and is as stylish as it is sustainable.
Related Articles
