All three Nordic countries are blessed with long, sunny days and a hygge lifestyle – a term used to describe the sense of well-being that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Architecturaldigest has some suggestions for places to visit in these three happy countries. Especially in winter, don’t forget to look up to see the beautiful aurora borealis, which can be seen from all three countries.
Finland
The ancient Lutheran church is a sacred structure with an open space, located below sea level. It is the center of the churches in Finland. However, by the early 19th century, as the population increased, Lutheran became the center of people's prayer.
Next is a place that is both creepy and interesting. You just need to sit there and close your eyes to feel the strange sound phenomenon. In the town of Parikalla, a journalist named Veijo Rönkkönen spent his life sculpting hundreds of human-shaped statues and planting trees around his house, creating a very unique tourist park that attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year. There are 500 sculptures with many themes, the most famous of which are 250 statues depicting portraits of Veijo Rönkkönen practicing different yoga postures.
Denmark
The largest art museum in Aarhus is one of the largest in Northern Europe, spanning ten floors with over 17,700 square meters of floor space. ARoS houses three permanent art collections spanning Denmark's "Golden Age" of modern and contemporary art. To see Aarhus from a completely different perspective, head to the upper floors of the gallery.
The roof of the Museum is where artist Olafur Aliasson created a spectacular installation: a 150m circular walkway called “Your rainbow panorama”. Visitors enter a rainbow circle at a height of 50m and enjoy a breathtaking 360° view of the city. Daylight filters through the curved glass wall in a spectrum of colours, each band of colour created separately for the purpose, creating the impression of being inside a rainbow.
Denmark is home to two of the oldest amusement parks in the world, one right in the heart of the capital. Since opening in 1843, Tivoli Gardens has been a favorite of locals and visitors to Copenhagen. More than just a theme park, Tivoli Gardens hosts live music every day in several locations and has some of the city’s best restaurants.
Norway
In 2017, Norway ranked number 1 in the list of happiest countries in the world. This country is blessed with many natural wonders of the world. Social support programs in Norway are also very generous. For example, couples who have their first child in Norway will be able to stay home to take care of their child for almost a year with full pay.
Art fans will probably want to check out the architecture and design of the National Library in Oslo, to see exhibits of works by Picassos, Van Goghs, Matisses and Rodins.
There is also SALT, a complex designed by architect Sami Rintala. It is a wooden pyramid-shaped structure on the Oslo coast, with food courts, music venues, and even a sauna.
Ngoc Anh (According to Architecturaldigest)
