gottacaseofwanderlust

Wintertime in the Midwest is cold, bare, and dark. So while everyone else hopped on a plane and headed somewhere warm and sunny, I embarked on a solo trip to the Nordic countries of Sweden and Denmark — where it is also cold, bare, and dark. 

Why would I travel to this region of the world during its worst season? 

I’ll give you the reason I told others and the real reason: Sweden was the cheapest flight from Chicago. And a flight or train ride to anywhere else was simply too expensive. While this was actually true, I honestly really wanted to stuff my face with pastries. What better winter vacation is there? 

And so I spent the two-and-a-half weeks of my winter vacation somewhere every vacation guide would tell you not to travel to during winter. 

Was it worth it? Here are my thoughts. 

When I landed in Stockholm a couple of days after Christmas, I immediately questioned if I had made a good choice to spend my holidays here. 

I gazed out of the train window as it passed by buildings similar to the ones in the U.S., densely populated areas of evergreen trees, and dreary gray skies. 

I trust that I am meant to be here, I reflected silently to myself. 

The train pulled into the final destination and I lugged my carry-on suitcase and day backpack out of the station and breathed in the fresh air of a new city. 

I was pleasantly surprised that it was not as cold as I anticipated. In fact, Chicago felt a lot colder!

I followed Google Maps’ directions to my hostel, a short walk from the train, and took in the foreign atmosphere. 

The architecture is what I fell in love with most about the city, as I would find with Copenhagen as well later that week. 

Each building had its own unique charm to it — old and beautiful with uniform windows lining the warm-toned exterior. 

I admired them (only slightly embarrassed that I stand out as a tourist) as my suitcase trailed noisily over the cobblestone sidewalks. 

I was only too eager to enter my first bageri on the way and purchase one of their famous cinnamon buns that I had been daydreaming about weeks prior. 

These cinnamon buns (as well as the cardamom buns) would be my diet for the next couple of weeks.

As a bakery fanatic, Scandinavia was definitely the right choice, and I have a whole article on the best bakeries in Stockholm and Copenhagen. 

I spent my days wandering through the gorgeous architecture on bakery adventures and chilling inside fika and hygge-worthy cafes. 

Fika is a word and time of day in Sweden to take a break with friends or family, often with a warm beverage and pastry. 

Hygge is a Danish concept that encapsulates coziness and comfort. 

Fika and hygge are best experienced during the winter time because it is a time of year when relaxation times and coziness are the most needed. 

I felt I was getting a more intimate, authentic experience because there were more locals than tourists enjoying a fika in Stockholm, or moments of hygge in Copenhagen. 

When I became too stuffed with pastries, I digested my food while touring museums, castles, and churches around the cities. 

In Stockholm, I visited the Nationalmuseum, Swedish History Museum, The Museum of Medieval Stockholm, and Fotografiska. I highly recommend the Swedish History Museum and Fotografiska. 

In Copenhagen, I visited Rosenborg Castle and the Church of Our Saviour. 

I also spent New Year’s Eve in Copenhagen, which was crazy to say the least. You can listen to my podcast episode about it here.

Ultimately, it was great to take advantage of doing indoor activities without feeling guilty, as opposed to the summer months when I would, personally, rather be outside. 

And it was especially great to not have to compete with the crowds of tourists that are around in summer when waiting in lines or taking photos of famous places. 

Though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea to visit Nordic capital cities in the middle of winter, I think there’s hardly anyone that would say the same about viewing the Northern Lights — which are best viewed during the months of December and January. 

I made the 15-hour-long train ride up to the Swedish Lapland above the Arctic Circle to view this incredible phenomenon. 

On my fourth day, I had the privilege of witnessing the Auroras in the village of Abisko, located in the Northernmost town of Sweden: Kiruna. 

It was a surreal sight that I will never forget. 

A wondrous, emerald-green cloud trailed across the sky in a wispy, majestic fashion that made me feel more humbled in my small existence.

I feel so grateful to have seen the production of one of Earth’s miraculous wonders, just as I am grateful to have experienced Stockholm and Copenhagen in the wintertime. 

Scandinavia in the winter is definitely worth it. 

Not only is it a more exclusive experience due to the lack of tourists, but it’s also the perfect time to indulge in the outstanding bakeries, enjoy a warm beverage in an aesthetic cafe, and visit the plethora of museums around each city. 

Of course, I have never visited in summer, so I have no reference to compare whether Scandinavia is better in the winter vs. summer. 

I will say that I definitely did miss the sunshine during my trip, as there was hardly any of it the entire time I was there. 

So be prepared for the lack of sunlight and early sunset if you come here in the winter!

But I strongly recommend looking into a winter vacation in either of these countries before crossing them off your options. 

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Well, I hope that describing my experience of visiting Sweden and Denmark in December/January gave you more insight into deciding whether to travel to this part of the world in winter. 

If there’s any other content or advice you’d like for me to cover, please let me know in the comments below or send me a DM on my Instagram @lydiaschultzz. 

Thank you so much for reading. Now go and chase your wanderlust — the world is waiting for you!