Viking Trade Routes: From Scandinavia to the Silk Roads

Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads While much is talked about Viking activity westwards into the North Atlantic, their journeys eastwards are just as – if not more – varied and intricate. From Scandinavia, they travelled across the Baltic Sea, then down a network of rivers through Central and Eastern Europe to reach the […]

Viking Trade: The Merchants Who Connected the Medieval World

Trade in the Viking Age Although the Vikings today have a reputation for being violent raiders and conquerors, they were also peaceful traders in their time. Many individuals combined activities, even switching in the course of their voyages, trading or raiding depending on the circumstance. Their advances in shipbuilding, so important in their success in […]

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

Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, Hammerfest, Norway

The Society is dedicated to preserving the culture of Hammerfest. The polar bear is the city’s coat of arms and was therefore chosen as the society’s logo.

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 […]

Tromsø, Norway

Tromsø, Norway Tromsø is the largest city of Northern Norway and one of the most popular destination in the country to watch the Northern Lights for a memorable holiday. Tromsø lies 350 km north of the Arctic Circle on the island of Tromsøya with amazing scenery. Due to it’s latitude, depending on their time of travel, […]

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 Norway for senior travellers

Odyssey has built up a reasonable knowledge bank to answer questions about Norway that travellers are likely to ask, as they make their plans to tour independently, or with us as part of a small group tour.

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 […]