HighlightsHikes
*****Ásbyrgi Canyon
Ásbyrgi, Iceland
Ásbyrgi is a huge horseshoe-shaped canyon in North Iceland, surrounded by steep cliffs and filled with surprisingly lush vegetation.
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Restaurants
***Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
Reykjavik, Iceland
Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur is probably Reykjavík’s most famous hot dog stand. It may not serve the best hot dog you will ever eat, but the Icelandic lamb-based sausage, long history and no-frills experience make it absolutely worth trying once.
HikesHighlights
*****Barnafoss & Hraunfossar
Reykholt, Iceland
Barnafoss and Hraunfossar are two completely different waterfalls sitting almost side by side in West Iceland. One is wild and narrow, the other seems to appear magically from underneath a lava field.
Restaurants
***Bistro Cafe Sommarö
Espoo, Finland
Bistro Café Sommarö is a restaurant where the setting itself might not immediately blow you away, but the food quickly makes up for it.
Coffee and BakeryRestaurants
****Bryggejentene AS
Tromsø, Norway
The combination of homemade baking and cooking, a cosy interior and a spectacular view into Ersfjord? Sounds like a dream, but Bryggejentene makes it reality.
Restaurants
*****Cafe Rantakivi
Punkaharju, Finland
Where to even begin, park the car along the spectactular Road of the Century and enjoy the best food and view of the century.
Coffee and Bakery
*****Cafe Regatta
Helsinki, Finland
Cafe Regatta proves a spot does not have to be hidden to feel special. Sitting right by the sea in its little red cottage, it feels surprisingly peaceful for somewhere so close to central Helsinki.
Highlights
*****Ceramikale
Siracusa, Italy
A beautiful ceramic shop in Ortigia with handmade Sicilian pieces, lovely owners and very fair prices.
HighlightsHikes
*****Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Iceland
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a winding canyon in South Iceland, with steep moss-covered walls and a river cutting through the bottom. It feels almost unreal from above, especially when the canyon twists out of sight between the cliffs.
HighlightsHikes
*****Fjallsárlón
Jökulsárlón, Iceland
Fjallsárlón feels almost too easy to reach for how dramatic it is. Park nearby, walk a short distance, and suddenly you are standing in front of a glacial lagoon with the glacier spilling down behind it.
Bars
****Frescohallen
Bergen, Norway
Frescohallen is set inside Bergen’s former stock exchange, and the building alone is reason enough to step inside. The huge historic frescoes, high ceilings and grand architecture make having a drink here feel like an experience in itself.
HighlightsHikes
*****Geysir
Geysir, Iceland
The Geysir geothermal area reminds you that the ground beneath your feet is very much alive. Steam, bubbling water and Strokkur erupting every few minutes make this one of the most entertaining stops on the Golden Circle.
Highlights
****Glaumbær farm
Skagafjörður, Iceland
Want to get a insight in how people used to live in Iceland? The beautifully preserved Glaumbær turf farm feels almost unreal from the outside, but the real magic starts when you step inside.
Highlights
****Goðafoss
Laugar, Iceland
Goðafoss is North Iceland’s most iconic waterfall: wide, powerful and surprisingly graceful. Sitting right beside the Ring Road, it is also one of the easiest major waterfalls in Iceland to visit.
HikesHighlights
*****Grábrók Crater
Reykholt, Iceland
Grábrók is a small volcanic crater with a short walk to the rim and huge views over the surrounding lava fields. It is one of the easiest places in Iceland to stand on the edge of a crater without committing to a long hike.
Highlights
****Grettirs Pool
Sauðárkrókur, Iceland
A small geothermal pool by the sea, surrounded by mountains and Icelandic wilderness. Grettislaug feels wonderfully simple and remote. Exactly the kind of place that makes you stop and stay longer than planned.
Highlights
*****Gullfoss
Gullfoss, Iceland
Gullfoss is one of the Iceland’s most famous waterfalls, and after visiting three times I still think it deserves its reputation. Powerful, dramatic and completely different depending on the weather, it is a stop I never seem to get tired of.
HikesHighlights
*****Hengifoss & Litlanesfoss
Hallormsstaður, Iceland
Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss make one of the most rewarding waterfall hikes in East Iceland. First you pass the dramatic basalt columns of Litlanesfoss, then continue higher towards Hengifoss and its striking red layers in the cliff face.
Highlights
*****Höfðaskógur forest
Reykjavik, Iceland
Looking for a place to hunt for the Northern Lights? Höfðaskógur is a quiet forested area just outside Hafnarfjörður that makes a great escape from the city lights!
Highlights
*****Húsavík
Húsavík, Iceland
Húsavík is small, colourful and best known for whale watching, but it is worth much more than a quick stop at the harbour.
Restaurants
***Ill Giardino Panoramico Ristorante
Montecatini Alto, Italy
Come for the view, stay for a long Italian lunch or dinner. Il Giardino sits right in the heart of Montecatini Alto, with a panoramic terrace overlooking the Tuscan landscape below.
HighlightsHikes
*****Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon
Jökulsárgljúfur, Iceland
Every turn reveals something new here. Waterfalls, deep canyons, impressive basalt formations and vulcanic landscapes all come together in one of the wildest parts of Iceland.
Highlights
*****Jökulsárlón & Diamond Beach
Jökulsárlón, Iceland
Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach are two of Iceland’s most famous sights, and for once the popularity is completely understandable. Icebergs drifting through a glacial lagoon, then washing up on a black-sand beach just across the road, make this one of the most surreal landscapes in the country.
Coffee and Bakery
****Kardemomme I Marken
Bergen, Norway
A small bakery café in the heart of Bergen, filled with fresh buns, sourdough, coffee and exactly the kind of cosy atmosphere you hope to find on a rainy Norwegian day.
HighlightsHikes
*****Kirkjufell
Grundarfjörður, Iceland
Kirkjufell is probably Iceland's most recognizable mountain, rising almost perfectly on its own beside the sea. Add the small Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall in front of it and you get one of those views that somehow looks exactly as Icelandic as you imagined Iceland would look.
HikesHighlights
*****Lake Mývatn
Lake Mývatn, Iceland
Lake Mývatn is a place where Iceland’s geology and folklore completely blur together. Lava fields, pseudocraters, caves, volcanic craters and strange rock formations surround the lake, making the whole area feel almost unreal.
RestaurantsCoffee and Bakery
*****PanDiviNo
Scicli, Italy
A tiny local bakery in Scicli serving fresh focaccia, bread and traditional scacce, perfect for a quick and very Sicilian lunch stop.
Restaurants
*****Ravintola Savotta
Helsinki, Finland
Traditional Finnish food and a nostalgic interior. Savotta feels like stepping into an older version of Finland in the best possible way.
Highlights
*****Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Hálsanefshellir, Iceland
Reynisfjara is Iceland’s most dramatic beach: black volcanic sand, huge basalt columns and powerful Atlantic waves all packed into one unforgettable stretch of coastline.
Coffee and Bakery
*****Sandholt Bakarí
Reykjavik, Iceland
Sandholt is definitely not a hidden gem anymore, but some places are popular because they simply deserve to be. Fresh sourdough, beautiful pastries and a warm bakery atmosphere make this one of the easiest stops to recommend in Reykjavík.
HikesHighlights
*****Sherpatrappa
Tromsø, Norway
The Sherpatrappa is not just a hike, it is more than 1,200 stone steps straight up the mountainside above Tromsø. It is hard, relentless and absolutely worth every step for the views waiting along the way.
Coffee and Bakery
*****Søstrene Kafè og Landhandleri
Tromsø, Norway
Even a year after visiting, I still think about this place. The peaceful setting and spectacular surroundings make it absolutely worth the detour.
HikesHighlights
*****Svartifoss
Svartifoss, Iceland
This is easily one of my favorite hikes and places in Iceland. The hike takes you through beautiful Skaftafell scenery before revealing a dark waterfall framed by some of the most striking basalt columns in Iceland.
HighlightsHikes
*****Thingvellir National Park
Þingvellir, Iceland
Thingvellir is where geology and Icelandic history meet in the same landscape. You can walk through a huge rift valley between tectonic boundaries while standing in the place where Iceland’s parliament was founded more than a thousand years ago.
Coffee and Bakery
*****Tim Wendelboe
Oslo, Norway
Tim Wendelboe is one of the best-known names in specialty coffee in Oslo. It’s the kind of place that can completely change your idea of how different two cups of coffee can taste.
Bars
****Torgterrassen Bar & Brasserie
Oslo, Norway
It would classify as a rooftop bar, even though it is not high enough to overlook the whole city. The rooftop is filled with plants which created a top of the world vibe, and makes this a special place right in the city center.
Restaurants
*****U’Sicilianu
Siracusa, Italy
From arancini and cipollina to the best pistachio lasagna I’ve ever had, this tiny locally run spot is one of my must-tries in Ortigia..