The Nordics is a coalition of the seven Nordic tourism boards of Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden co-funded by the European Union and supported by the European Travel Commission and The Nordic Council of Ministers.
The region is renowned for its natural beauty with fjords cutting its way through mountains, geysers erupting into the sky, hot springs to relax in, white sandy beaches, mountains, archipelagos and much more.
A great way to explore these natural wonders is through National Parks.
In Denmark visitors have 5 national parks to choose from, with everything from heathlands to royal hunting grounds to fairytale-like forests and shallow waters offering oyster safaris. A must-visit is Denmark’s oldest national park, Thy National Park, in Northwest Jutland. Here, you can try surfing at Cold Hawaii Surf Camp or dine at the newly appointed Michelin starred restaurant, Restaurant Tri. Visitors can also explore the park via self-guided foraging tours through a Taste of Thy, or book a guided tour through EvenThy.
Faroe Islands is working to protect its pristine natural places. (Photo Credit: The Nordics)
The Faroe Islands does not have an official National Park yet, but the islands boast pristine, untouched nature with unbeatable views. The National Museum in the Faroe Islands has established a project called “Lendisbati”, which aims to ensure that nature areas are regenerated and become resistant to climate change. The small island of Koltur is only inhabited by one family and works are in place to make it an official national park. The island is beautiful with a high mountain on one side and a flat meadow on the other side. You can only access Koltur by local helicopter!
Finland has 41 national parks. (Photo Credit: The Nordics)
In Finland travelers will find no less than 41 National Parks, all of which are free to enter. The first national parks in Finland – Pallas-Yllästunturi and Pyhä – were founded in 1938 and the newest park is Salla National Park which was established on January 1st, 2022. National Parks are important to Finland and the Finnish Forest Administration has a 2023 initiative to gather 1,000 people to become members of the Wilderness and Nature Community. The National Parks offer everything from vast lake lands and archipelagos to MTB tracks and hiking.
Northeast Greenland National Park (Photo Credit: The Nordics)
Greenland has the world’s largest National Park located in northeast Greenland. In fact, it is 100 times larger than Yellowstone National Park. The area is not populated besides a few people working in the park. To enter the park as a visitor you need a special permission. Few places on earth offer truly pristine wilderness untouched by humans, so the Northeast Greenland National Park is a unique place to visit. The scenery includes tundra landscapes, mountains, and deep fjords with icebergs. The best way to explore the national park is to join an expedition cruise.
Aldeyjarfoss (Photo Credit: The Nordics)
In Iceland visitors find 3 national parks, 2 of which enjoy UNESCO world heritage status. For visitors who are staying in Reykjavik, the UNESCO National Park Þingvellir is perfect, as it is only 45 minutes driving from the capital. The nature of Þingvellir were formed by the unique geographical setting of a rift valley in the divide between the North American and Eurasian continental plates. On the west of Iceland visitors can explore Snæfellsjökull National Park, which includes both the coastline and the Snæfellsjökull volcano. On the middle/eastern side of Iceland you find Vatnajökull National Park and UNESCO world heritage site, which covers 13% of Iceland, making it one of Europe’s largest national parks. The park boasts Europe’s largest glacier Vatnajökull as well as mountains and volcanic activity.
ArkNat (Photo Credit: The Nordics)
Sweden has 30 National Parks, and they offer both caves, flower meadows, mountains, and hiking routes. Sweden was in fact the first country in Europe to establish a system of National Parks. The parks run from the cold, rugged north to the warm, sandy south. All National Parks have free entry. A new way to explore nature in Sweden is ARKNAT, a concept merging architecture and nature. The project spans from north to south and it includes the best architect students of Scandinavia, who designs new hideouts and shelters for public use.
Snohetta Viewpoint (Photo Credit: The Nordics)
Norway tops the number of National Parks with a staggering 47 in total! Visitors might have heard about Gjermund Nordskar, who hiked in 37 of the national parks and wrote a book about it. Nordskar describes how the Norwegian nature stretches longer than the eye can see. His favourite 5 lesser-known parks are: Lomsdal-Visten, Seiland, Breheimen, Rago and Sjunkhatten. The parks in Norway are a sanctuary for rare plants, reindeer, musk ox, birds and more. You find more than 20,000 km of hiking trails and cross-country skiing tracks. By the entry to most parks, you find modern visitor centres. Visitors can also explore 4 marine national parks.
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