20 things that will surprise first time visitors to Scandinavia

Scandinavia has a past full of Vikings and boatloads of Vodka. Yup, a region in Northern Europe that's mostly covered in snow and has a strong historical and cultural, where you need some drink to keep you light warm from inside. But that's not best part at all. There are some 20 things given below that you never knew about Scandinavia and will surprise you to the core.

---

Scandinavia

1. Nope, Finland and Iceland are not all part of Scandinavia.

Even though they share borders with both of these countries, their borders are kind of separate. But don't be surprised because the culture is same and mostly of Nordic backgrounds.

2. Seafood is simply everywhere.

Think about Caviar in a tube. Yup, a big Tube. Salmon, Mackerel, Lutefisk is what breakfast, lunch and dinner are all about.

3. And Bread is their Life!

Denmark is all about Rugbrod. But other than that, open-sandwiches that will get you drooling topped with salmon, veggies, eggs, and fresh brown-cheese that will simply melt in your mouth. So if you have some places to visit in Scandinavia in your bucket list, then Denmark should be the very first on your list if you're a big-time Foodie.

4. How about Sandwich Cakes?

When you combine delicious open-sandwiches stacked on each other like a big cake, Sandwich Cakes are born. Smorgastorta is king of these and should not be ignored when in Sweden.

5. They are better off without clothes.

Yup, for the Nordics, they love living freely, even from their clothes. So when in a sauna in Scandinavia, there's a rule of not wearing any clothes, not even the swimsuit as they consider it to be unhygienic.

6. Leave Your Shoes At The Door.

What? You thought only Indians do that? Think again. So don't go at someone's home wearing shoes inside. They consider as rude and uncivilized. Although for us it's second nature to leave our shoes at the door.

7. What's the Trip without Skiing?

One of the best tourist attractions in Scandinavia for Adrenaline junkies is Norway. You will not fall short of Skiing buddies here. Cross-Country Skiing, and a sport where people Ski and shoot Targets casually while in the middle by stopping also known as Biathlon is kind of famous here.

8. How About Some Fork And Knives?

Have you ever seen some guys eating a Sandwich with a knife and a fork? If you're one of them, no need to feel guilty. Well, people here eat like this all the time. You'll have a great time eating like this because now you're not alone here.

9. Watch Your Clock Bro.

If there are some best times to visit Scandinavia then it would be either summer or winter. In winter the sun doesn't come out all. And in summer, the days are forever as nights don't appear at all. This means in winter people are drinking all the time partying at their best.

10. Minimalism is in Nature.

From the bedrooms to the living room, the whole of Scandinavia looks so clean and clutter free only because of the minimalist nature. In minimalism, Scandinavia thrives.

11. Family Meals are a Favorite here.

What's family without Family meals? Here families love sitting on a dinner table, chatting, drinking, joking and eating in the most memorable way. This trend is way too famous in Copenhagen though.

12. Graduations here are Superb.

Graduations here in Norway, Denmark and Sweden are all about wearing Red Pants, Sailor Caps and travelling around and getting wasted as they could. No one to judge. What a life!

13. No Last Names Please.

In Iceland, people don't have last names at all. The last name is mostly the first name of their Father. Let's say someone is named as Jon, and he has a daughter named Johanna, then she will be addressed as “Johanna Jonsdottir”. The “Dottir” being Daughter. Or if he has a son named Olafur, he would be named “Olafur Jonsson”. The suffix ‘son’ to refer to the son of Jon.

14. How about some Fika.

Most Swedes will get around for a coffee break on a roundtable with their old friends just to chat and relive old moments. Cinnamon, Cardamom and Vanilla are what their coffee is made of. And also a slice of bun.

15. Vikings and Jewelry.

Vikings are known for all kinds of horrible things in the past, plundering and pillage being their main thing. But what you don't know is that they were extremely good artisans when it came to jewellery designs and their ships used to be full of beautiful artworks.

So when you are about to choose Scandinavia tour packages, make sure it includes the trips to Viking Life Museums in Stockholm, Denmark and Norway which will open your eyes to a whole new world of Nordics that you never knew existed before.

16. Celebrating in a Weird and Fantastic way.

Think about dancing around maypoles and singing songs that normally small kids do. Or maybe wear a crown made full of flowers and even drink heavily when the weather's nice. Yup, that's what Festival Celebrations here looks like. You get a second chance to be a kid again.

17. You're NOT Going to be Late.

How about every train stops exactly after 5 minutes at the station so you don't get late for the amazing plans you had in your mind? Yup in Copenhagen trains come at every 5 minutes. And everything here is super-computerized, so no chance for cancelling your plans.

18. The Waiter is more educated than you are.

Yup, that's true. Literally rate here is like 99%-100%. Almost everyone here is literate. And most of all, Education here is free 100%. Now you don't get to see that every day.

19. Do NOT Mess with their Chocolate.

No one lives and breathes Chocolate like these Scandinavians. Winter being dominant here, hot chocolate is simply a must to enjoy the beautiful evenings. Almost everything here feels like Christmas. Go to the mall and you will Chocolates being stacked in boatloads.

20. They simply love to Sail.

Ask them to go on a Sailing vacation with you; they will not even hesitate for a second. They will sail anywhere they can. Sailing is in their Genes. I guess the Vikings were never really simply a part of the history. Scandinavians are the best sailors around the world and will continue so for their love for the oceans. Even storms can't stop them.

Thus, with a different blend of flavours and culture together along with the abundant amount of natural beauty is what Scandinavia is all about. Do not forget to take a trip here to have an experience of your lifetime.