Ben Love is the author of Wild Scandinavia, the wild guide to Scandinavia, and he has written a post for us here showcasing some of the stunning places he has visited and explored to show us the wild guide to Scandinavia.
Presumably it is an eye for Scandinavian design that has brought you to this site. The Scandinavian countries have very diverse yet stunning landscapes, but also there are many common cultural and historical threads linking them together. One of these is the philosophy that through an ‘everyman’s right’, the land is traditionally respected and accessible to everyone. It can be said that the same philosophy permeates Scandinavian design, which is often described as ‘clean’, ’accessible’ and beautiful. This perhaps also extends to Scandinavian cooking. Chefs forage for basic local ingredients and use them to prepare simple yet beautiful meals. These often utilise new culinary techniques in a style known as ‘New Nordic’ cuisine. Scandinavian design, like the landscape, enriches people’s lives and inspires thought. Therefore it can be said that products and designs from this region are made ‘by’ rather than ‘in’ Scandinavia.
I have chosen 5 Scandinavian sunsets to inspire the designer in you:
Island Kladesholmen West Sweden
(1) The island Klädesholmen off Tjörn, West-Sweden. This is in fact two small islands, Klädesholmen and Koholmen, but known collectively as Klädesholmen. Despite their size (0.29km2) nearly half of all the pickled herring in Sweden originates from here. Traditionally the herring was spiced according to a family recipe and then cured in tins or small barrels. Some of the companies here are now in their fifth generation. Image by Henry Blom.
Midnattsolstigen image by Ben Love. The view from the Luossavaara Mountain in Kiruna Swedish lapland.
(2) View from Luossavaara mountain in Kiruna, Swedish Lapland. It is possible to drive to the summit, but the best way is to walk up the Midnattsolstigen trail. From around the 30th of May until the 14th of July the summit is a great place for viewing the phenomenon of the midnight sun. There are also fantastic views of Kiruna town, the LKAB mine and on the horizon, the mountains of the Kebnekaise massif. Kebnekaise is the highest mountain in Sweden, at about 2,100m depending on the ice thickness.
Flosjon Lake Sunset, Dala_ Floda Sweden
(3) Sunset over Flosjön Lake in Dala-Floda, Sweden. During the summer the water temperature is often over 20°C and it is a great place to go to cool down at the end of a hot day. There is a floating platform with a diving board and a wooden jetty out to the deeper water. At the far end of the lake you will find the island of Harpikön. It has a few summerhouses on its southern tip, but the rest is largely very wild with several small, secluded beaches and great places to pitch a tent. Pack everything you need in a kayak and spend a night wild camping by the water – perhaps take a skinny dip in the midnight twilight and dry off by a campfire. Image by Ben Love.
Ofotfjord, Norway, near Narvik, image by Michael Clark
(4) Bathed in the evening light, the mountains surrounding Ofotfjord, Norway. Near the town of Narvik, which since the turn of the 20th century has had a symbiotic relationship with Kiruna, just across the border in Sweden. A breathtaking railway line brings iron ore from the mine in Kiruna to be loaded into ships in Narvik for export worldwide. The line was built because the mine unfortunately also gave the area significant strategic importance and during the Second World War these beautiful fjords and mountains became the scene of a very hard fought campaign. Due to fierce naval battles the bottom of the fjord is now littered with sunken ships and on the rocky plateaus by the Swedish border you can still come across the remains of containers of equipment that were dropped by parachute needs access to a harbour that is ice-free all year round. This relationship in 1940.
The stunning cliffs of Mons Klint on the island of Mon in Denmark.
(5) The cliffs at Møns Klint on the island of Møn, Denmark. Impressive high chalk cliffs characterise this island, which is a unique habitat for numerous rare plants. On the slopes behind the cliffs the landscape is a mix of woodland, ponds and pasture, while the beach below is a great place for fossil hunting. From the geological museum you can explore the path over the cliffs or along the beach. It is also one of the highest points in Denmark with fantastic views. Image by Nils Natorp.
Ben Love is the author of Wild Guide Scandinavia charting the best wild adventures in Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark (from Wild Things Publishing, published 22 April 2016, £16.99 and also available as an app). For 30% off and free p+p visit www.wildthingspublishing.com and enter ‘Cloudberry’ as your coupon code.