The Nordic countries are rightfully famous for natural beauty, stylish cities, and a very pleasant way of life. The five countries often get lumped together, but each country has its own personality and reasons to visit. (Note that Iceland is also considered as one of the Nordic countries, but we have that listed in a different section.) Here are our recommendations on the best travel books for Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
A5 RECOMMENDATIONS
Rick Steves: Scandinavia
For first time visitors to Scandinavia, we recommend the Rick Steves guidebook. Always a good choice for travel in Europe, the Rick Steves series is known for opinionated recommendations on specifically what to see and do and how best to save time and money. This approach is especially helpful for those staying longer and exploring areas beyond Stockholm and Copenhagen.
DK Eyewitness Travel: Copenhagen
Our recommendation on the best guidebook for those traveling to Copenhagen is the DK Eyewitness Travel Top 10 Guide series. Their books always have trustworthy, detailed information on what to see and do, but what sets DK apart is the quality of their custom maps. This series is known for its beautiful color photography, and for the editorial focus on art, architecture and culture. They also publish a similarly strong guidebook for Stockholm.
North: How to Live Scandinavian
The Scandinavians are often admired for being one of the happiest regions of the world, despite long and cold winters, and a lot of that comes down to their culture. North: How to Live Scandinavian provides an in-depth look into this culture, with inspiration and ideas on design, on cooking, and on their philosophy of life. The book is written by Bronte Aurell, an author of several previous “Scandikitchen” cookbooks.