IMAGE:
GETTY
. ILLUST
RA
TION:
JO
HN
PLU
MER
HEAD OUT INTO
THE WILD IN
JOTUNHEIMEN NATIONAL PARK
Jotunheimen is Norway’s magnum opus.
The ‘home of the giants’ is precisely that:
a 44 4sq-mile national park capped by
the country’s two highest peaks — 8,100ft
Galdhøpiggen and 8,087ft Glittertind — which
loom high above fjords, glaciers, waterfalls
and lakes of bluest blue.
Come summer or winter, this isn’t a landscape
to observe — it’s one to embrace with abandon:
hiking to sky-high summits, staying in remote
cabins after backcountry skiing, catching
glimpses of reindeer, elk and wolverine,
and wild camping at trail’s end under the
white spray of the Milky Way.
jotunheimen.com
SLIP OFF THE
RADAR ON
SWEDEN’S KUNGSLEDEN
Nowhere shines a light on the vastness of
Sweden’s wilderness like the Kungsleden (King’s
Trail). Reaching from Abisko in the Arctic north
to Hemavan in the south, this 270-mile, 28-stage
route is well-mapped but very remote. Often,
you’ll find yourself alone with the elements and
a canvas of swollen rivers, glacier-carved valleys,
looking-glass lakes and berry-filled forests.
Bathe in streams, camp under the stars, walk
through Sami reindeer-herding lands and make
a brief detour to climb 6,877ft Kebnekaise,
Sweden’s highest peak. September is magical,
with burnished birch forests, the Northern Lights
flickering in night skies and bears lumbering
across the slopes. visitsweden.com KW
24 25
NORWAY SWEDEN
OSLO STOCKHOLM
COPENHAGEN
Tromsø
Bodø Harads
Luleå
DENMARK
NO
RW
AY
SW
ED
EN
FIN
LA
ATLANTIC ND
OCEAN
Ba
ltic
Se
a^
Gul
f of^
Bot
hnia
ILSOLFOATNENDS
SUNNMØRE ALPS
BRORFELDE
BOHUSLÄN
FANØ MØN
SENJA
200 miles
SVALBARD
DENMARK
NORWAYSWEDEN
ARCTIC OCEAN
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Fly direct to numerous cities in Sweden
and Norway from London, Manchester
and Edinburgh; nonstop flights to
various Danish cities operate from
these hubs, as well as Birmingham
and Aberdeen. ba.com easyjet.com
finnair.com norwegian.com
ryanair.co.uk flysas.com
Denmark, Norway and Sweden
have efficient bus, coach and train
networks, plus regional airports
offering connecting flights. Car hire
accesses more remote places: rental
companies can be found in most cities
and at airports. visitdenmark.com
visitsweden.com visitnorway.com
WHEN TO GO
Warm-weather seekers should visit
between May and September when
the days are long and temperatures
can reach 23 C — although book ahead
as this is peak travel for domestic
tourists, too. Seasons here run to
extremes, and winters (November to
February) see temperatures dropping
well below zero and daylight hours
scarce in northerly Arctic regions,
perfect for viewing the Aurora Borealis.
HOW TO DO IT
Discover the World offers a tailor-made
‘Discover West Sweden’ self-drive
trip, following the coastline from
Gothenburg to Fjällbacka for six days,
from £624 per person, excluding
flights. discover-the-world.com
G Adventures has a small-group
‘Norway Fjord Trekking’ tour from
£1,529 per person, taking hikers from
Bergen into the wilds for seven days,
excluding flights. gadventures.com
Inn Travel offers a cycling ‘Danish Castles
& Coast’ itinerary in the North Zealand
region, starting at £960 per person
for four nights, with the option to add
two nights in Copenhagen for £2 50 per
person. Excludes flights. inntravel.co.uk
Reindeer roam across
Jotunheimen National
Park, Norway
82 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL
SCANDINAVIA
