Already fed up with grey skies and dark mornings? Take a lead from the Nordic nations and you may look forward to winter – and even be tempted by a holiday that makes the most of the cold climate.
Quite apart from being a centre of contentment – Finland is the world’s happiest country, followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden, according to the World Happiness Report, while Danish Aarhus holds the title of the “world’s happiest city” – the region leads the way in weathering winter’s hurdles, becoming synonymous with habits that embrace the season, from hygge (getting cosy) to sisu (perseverance in adversity) and friluftsliv (outdoor life).
Snow might be falling, it may turn dark in the afternoon, and you should pack your thermals, but while living in Copenhagen for seven years, I have come to learn how Danes enjoy the season, including by spending time outdoors.
As one of my Finnish friends put it, the best way to have a good time in winter is to make friends with the cold. Here are seven Nordic holidays to get you in the mood…
Escape to the islands
Cabin life is filled with cosiness: snuggling up, lighting candles and wearing wool socks. Head to the Lofoten islands in Arctic Norway, a divine archipelago of jagged peaks, fishing villages and white-sand beaches.
In the summer, they are one of the country’s most-visited spots, but in winter, you will have them almost to yourself. Stay in a former fisherman’s cabin and enjoy the scenery during a nature-led photography tour on which you might spot moose and orcas.
Winter shows a different side to Lofoten: hiking is possible, but trails are quiet; and the Norwegian experience of kos – their word for “cosiness” – comes to the fore. It’s a time to watch the northern lights, go sea kayaking alongside mountains and try snowshoeing.
Sea safaris take you to see white-tailed eagles soar above the surf, while an afternoon in the fishing village of Henningvær offers time to meet craftspeople. And you can visit KaviarFactory – a world-class modern art gallery, set in an old, yes, caviar factory.
Stay in a cabin in the island’s compact capital, Svolvær, where you can warm up in your private sauna or relax with a book in front of a roaring fire.
A four-night, tailor-made winter break to Lofoten, including a half-day of nature photography with a guide, from £1,225pp including flights, regent-holidays.co.uk
Snow days in Oslo
Oslo has winter activities sorted. Its harbour is lined with saunas built on floating platforms so you can get from hot hut to icy water and back in seconds. And winter swimming is a growing trend: Trosten, an architect-designed sauna, is on the Oslofjord, right by the Munch Museum.
Then there is the skiing. Norwegians are said to be born with skis on their feet, such is their obsession with the slopes.
Test your skills just outside the city at Holmenkollen, the site of a 58m-high ski jump tower, which gives the best views of Oslo. Steel your nerves on the ski-jump simulator and learn more about the Norwegian love for snow at the ski museum.
Best of all, winter unlocks the Korketrekkeren (“corkscrew”) toboggan run, originally the bobsleigh run from the 1952 Oslo Olympics. Rent a sledge, take it on the metro (get off at Frognerseteren) and join at the top for a 10-minute race down the snowy hill – a popular pastime for Oslo residents.
A two-night stay at the Scandic Helsfyr Hotel, including flights from Gatwick, from £196pp, norwegianholidays.com
Icelandic lights
Swimming is central to the Icelandic psyche: lessons are compulsory at school, and the pool, just as much as the pub, is the place you go to chat, see friends and relax after work. Swimming spots heated by hot springs are the place to be in winter – especially when they come with views of the northern lights.
For the best chance of catching the aurora, head as far north as you can – they are likely to be remarkably strong this year. Base yourself in Iceland’s remote second city, Akureyri. The best hot springs in the area are Forest Lagoon, which overlooks one of Iceland’s longest fjords, and Myvatn Nature Baths, a swimming pool complex surrounded by a moon-like landscape.
This part of the country is also close to the 12m-high Godafoss waterfalls. It is known as the place that Iceland’s one-time ruler threw the Old Norse gods when the country converted to Christianity and it has been called “God’s Falls” ever since.
In Husavik, an hour’s drive away, whale-watching opportunities await with North Sailing (from around £73, northsailing.is). While winter isn’t peak season for whales, the bay around Husavik is one of the best places in Europe to see them, especially minke and humpback.
A four-day short break in Akureyri, from £414pp, including accommodation but excluding flights, discover-the-world.com. easyJet has direct flights to Akureyri from Gatwick and Manchester, easyjet.com/en
Sweden’s frozen lakes
Forget watching Dancing on Ice; try some spins yourself with the help of Nature Travels, a Nordic adventure and outdoor holiday specialist. Its ice-skating trips (suitable for travellers over the age of 16) take place on archipelagos and frozen lakes in Sweden.
From Stockholm, a short drive takes you to Lake Mälaren in Sigtuna. This vast lake, with more than 1,000 islands, freezes between January and March, creating a natural ice rink.
There are plenty more places in the Stockholm region for wild skating (seek expert advice before taking to the ice), including the horseshoe-shaped Yngern Lake, bordered by pine forests.
Nature Travels selects areas that are cold enough to ensure reliable ice formation, but not too snowy, to give the best conditions for carving and gliding.
In winter, outdoor ice-skating rinks are a feature of most Nordic cities. Most are set up by November, illuminated with fairy lights and surrounded by cabins selling gløgg (Swedish mulled wine) and hot chocolate; this trip is for those looking for the real deal.
A four-day, three-night guided trip, including accommodation, from £742pp excluding flights, naturetravels.co.uk
Scandi skiing
The region’s northerly, pine tree-fringed runs are more snow-sure and less crowded than Alpine resorts in western and central Europe. Along with the usual downhill runs, the Nordics are known for snowshoe and cross-country ski trails: it’s not just about the rush of hurtling down a snowy slope – flat, tree-lined trails are also really popular.
At Trysil, Norway’s largest resort, four interconnected mountain areas offer ski and snowboard opportunities for all comers on 70-plus slopes, which are floodlit after dark. There’s a direct, two- and a half-hour shuttle bus from Oslo airport to the resort.
Dog-sledding, ice-fishing and snowshoeing are also on offer. Fjell Huskies (fjell-huskies.com) has half-day trips and night-time husky adventures with prices from around £157 per adult. Guided snowshoe trips cost £36pp with Wolverine Adventure (trysil.com/wolverine-adventure).
There is also an indoor heated water park with several pools, a surf pool and a sauna.
A seven-night trip including Heathrow to Oslo flights, return transfers and a three-bedroom apartment, on a half-board basis at SkiStar Lodge Trysil from £1,597pp, based on three adults sharing, ski-scandinavia.co.uk
Upbeat city break
You can fly direct from the UK to Aarhus, Denmark’s second city, to find out what the fuss is all about. Named the happiest city in the world by the Happy City Index, which measures quality of life and self-reported happiness, it is known in Denmark as the “City of Smiles” – a phrase dating to a tourist campaign from the 30s. This reputuation is boosted by the student city’s focus on community; volunteering is popular here, for example.
Start with coffee at chic La Cabra, a pioneer in Denmark’s coffee-shop scene for its sommelier-style approach to beans, roasting and flavour. This pared-back café is in Aarhus’s cobbled Latin Quarter – a nod to the Parisian area of the same name. Its streets are lined with houses that date to the 16th century and packed with independent boutiques. Drop in to Les Deux for preppy menswear or find the perfect slouchy blazer in the beautifully curated List boutique.
Then head to Aros, the city’s modern art museum. Its highlight is Your Rainbow Panorama, a coloured walkway on top of the building designed by the celebrated Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. Views stretch across the old town to the city’s modern developments by the sea.
If time allows, visit Banken street food market, near the main shopping street, take a dip in the triangular floating harbour swimming pool at Aarhus Ø, the city’s newest district, and try the rides at Tivoli Friheden, a mini theme park.
Direct flights from Stansted to Aarhus start from £14.99 one-way with Ryanair, ryanair.com. Doubles at the newly renovated Hotel Royal, in the heart of the city, start from £144 a night, hotels.com
The Santa Claus Express
For the ultimate winter experience, catch the night train – also nicknamed the Santa Claus Express – from Helsinki to the Arctic Circle. After two days exploring Helsinki, its sauna culture and art scene, settle into your sleeper cabin.
The ride to Lapland takes eight hours; when you wake, the snowy landscape of Rovaniemi await. It is remarkably remote and winter lingers for more than six months of the year. Temperatures can plunge to below -50°C, and trees are so laden with snow that they look like marshmallows.
Families will love the Santa Claus village experience and meeting reindeer on a traditional Sami farm. Couples might prefer to snuggle up in glass, igloo-like huts, set up with an aurora alarm.
This part of Finnish Lapland also offers dog-sledding, snowshoe tours on frozen lakes and high-octane snowmobile safaris. Tour operators including Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park have hour-long trips from around £100pp.
Six nights, including return transfers, rail travel and accommodation at a four-star hotel, with option to book igloo cabins, from £1,321pp excluding flights, scandi.travel
