Vikings and the Carolingian Empire

Vikings and the Carolingian Empire When the Viking Age began in the late 700s, the Carolingian Empire was already established as the mightiest political power in Western Europe. Under Charlemagne, the Franks had expanded the kingdom in all directions, eventually stretching from Saxony to northern Italy. Now sharing a common frontier, you can’t blame the […]

Hanseatic League

The Hanseatic League, or German Hansa, was a medieval trading confederation of merchant guilds and market towns along the shore of the Baltic and North Sea, and across great swathes of the north German hinterland.

Sami People of the Arctic

The Sámi people are the only indigenous people of the European Union and are one of the oldest living cultures of our planet.

Viking History of Greenland

One of the most daunting and hazardous sea voyages in Viking history during the Middle Ages (and the Viking Age) was heading west to Greenland crossing the Atlantic Ocean in their longship(s). The sailing conditions were dangerous due to harsh winds, high tides with tumbling walls of water, frost and snow and the impassable layer of the Greenland ice sheet that dominates the east Greenland coastline up in the Arctic circle.

Vikings-explorers, raiders, traders

In the beginning of the 9th century when the Viking era was in full swing, a Viking raid was an uncoordinated and unplanned attack that would usually end in the Norse being paid to return to their homeland.

The Vikings

In the early medieval period, a group of seaborne Scandinavian raiders known as the Vikings left their mark on history as brutal warriors, smart traders, and adventurous explorers.

Sami culture within the Vikings

Our long-standing fascination with the Viking age paired with a slightly apprehensive curiosity for the Viking’s spirit of courage and adventurous minds, and intriguing wildness associated with their conquests, have always been connected to their Scandinavian heritage of Northern Europe

The Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is the most northernly major circle of latitude, at approximately 66°30′ N. It marks the area within which, for one or more days each year, the Sun does not set (June 21) or rise (December 21), and the length of continuous day or night increases northward.

Northern Lights

The science of the Northern Lights Although many are more familiar with the Northern Lights, the natural phenomenon is not exclusive to the Northern Hemisphere. The polar lights are caused by solar activity. When there is a solar storm called coronal mass ejection happening, electrified gas particles travel through space at high speed and reach […]

Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki, Finland Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is a treasure trove for lovers of history and all eras of architecture and design. Dubbed the “white city of the north” due to its buildings constructed from locally available light-coloured granite, it was built in a Neoclassical style, modelled off of the then Russian capital, St Petersburg–constructed, […]

Photographing the Northern Lights: The Definitive Guide

Photographing the Northern Lights. How to Capture the Beauty of the Northern Lights. The Aurora Borealis, commonly called the Northern Lights, as well as the Aurora Australis, the Southern Lights, are two the world’s most majestic natural phenomena. The glowing green, blue, and pink hues that paint the night sky are an incredible sight that […]

Questions about Finland

Odyssey has built up a reasonable knowledge bank to answer questions about Finland that travellers are likely to ask

The Viking’s Woollen Sails

Vikings and Their Use of Wool for Sails This educational article aims to help senior travellers immerse in the world of vikings before they take part in a memorable travel experience across Scandinavia. It helps appreciate viking men and women’s amazing craftsmanship which helped them conquer or at least reach parts of Western and Southern […]