Table of contents
Photos: Deleker
to travel
Scandinavia: travel advice
Scandinavia: travel advice
Short north
A lot of landscape without side effects, but already highly addictive at the first contact. Norway and the way to the Cape: Europe’s answer to the Dempster Highway.
Monika Schulz, Annette Johann
05/24/2005
Deep blue fjords, mighty glaciers, raging waterfalls, rough fells: Norway is the most extreme terrain in Scandinavia next to Iceland and offers high-end landscapes like the Alps in Europe. Its mountains are only half as high, but often rise vertically up the fjords directly from sea level. These inlets are the topographical trademark of the kingdom, they stretch from the rugged, approximately 20,000-kilometer-long Atlantic coast deep inland to the high mountain and glacier regions.
Norway means permanent transition between mountains and sea. And the best thing about it: The highlights of this natural spectacle are in the easily accessible south of the country. His Majesty Hardanger as well as the Geiranger Fjord and Europe’s largest mainland glacier Jostedalsbreen. With mountains that are roughly at eye level with the striking Scandinavian lion’s head, southern Norway is also home to the most interesting city in the country.
Roads, some of which are high alpine, lead in countless curves through wonderful worlds of granite, lakes and ice that can easily rival Alaska or Yukon. Shortly before Trondheim, however, the high mountain fireworks go out. And after the Arctic Circle at the latest, you have to make the route. On Europe’s Dempster Highway, the endless, dead straight E 6, line up at 80 km / h behind the motorhomes that all want only one thing: to the North Cape.
Straightforward – there are more attractive spots, but none more northerly in the old world. If you want to go there, and that’s 200,000 people a year, you should definitely plan three to four weeks, because the road is long. It is 1580 kilometers from Trondheim, almost 2100 on the direct route from Oslo. And if you accelerate too much, you may be on the line: the otherwise friendly Norwegians have no fun at all when the speed is exceeded. Six to ten km / h too much costs 200 euros, 36 km / h the driver’s license.
Further information: Norwegian Tourist Office, Neuer Wall 41, 20354 Hamburg, phone 040 / 229415-18; www.visitnorway.com. Literature: »Sudnorwegen« (15.90 euros) and »Norway« (22.90 euros) from Michael Muller Verlag. Article in MOTORRAD 10/2001, 17/2003 and 13/2004. Maps: Freytag & Berndt – five sheets in 1: 250000. Organized motorcycle tours: Feelgood-Reisen, phone 04542/826500, www.feelgoodreisen.de, and Edelweiss Bike Travel, phone 02681/5904, www.edelweissbike.com.
Sweden
Cancer on crispbread next to Coca Cola and hot dogs, Nordic picture-book atmosphere
alongside American sages.
Sweden’s Bullerbu image has clearly been attacked since the murder of Foreign Minister Anna Lindh. And the heroes of our childhood days, which Astrid Lindgren created, have now been replaced by Henning Mankell, who runs the modern Sverige from the police station in the port city of Ystad
viewed from. Nevertheless, the picture dominates
quiet nature and cozy places with colorful
painted wooden houses all fantasies:
Because it’s true!
The larger neighbor cannot offer the huge landscape appearance of Norway. The mountain ranges of the Skanden sound like
the border gradually to the east, the
Topography is becoming gentler, shaped by expanses
Coniferous and mixed forests and an incredible collection of sometimes huge bodies of water.
First and foremost Lake Vanern near Gothenburg: with 5390 square kilometers, the third largest lake in Europe. The country’s 222,000 islands are also at a record level ?? not least a result of the archipelago. The density of curves is less intoxicating, contemplative driving straight ahead and enjoying the hidden paths is the leitmotif for a motorcycle trip.
As in Norway, a kind of American mood can be felt in central Sweden, in which life takes place around petrol station all-round shops, hot dogs and Coca Cola are staple foods alongside smørebrød, crabs and salmon and the inspiring summer nights under the midnight sun for cruising in invite fat cars.
It gets really lonely in the sparsely populated Lapland on the rough plateaus of the fell, where villages are rare. For a long time, Kiruna was the last outpost
the tar world, but meanwhile an asphalt road is groping its way further into the tundra.
Not only (but also) from a financial point of view, the classic self-catering trip is the most beautiful form of a trip to Sweden. Especially since you can camp anywhere thanks to Scandinavian public rights and simple blocks-
Cabins on campsites are available from around 35 euros. Proper vacation homes should be booked from home.
Further information: Schweden-Werbung, Lilienstrabe 19, 20095 Hamburg. Telephone 040 / 325513-20; www.visit-sweden.com. Literature: “Sudschweden” from Michael Muller Verlag, 15.90 euros, “Schweden Handbuch” from Reise Know-How, 22.50 euros. Map: Freytag & Berndt with a new eight-part series
in 1: 250000. Article in MOTORRAD 15/2000 and 14/2002. Tip for bikers: Husqvarna-
Museum in Huskvarna on Lake Vattern.
Ferries
Nothing goes to Scandinavia without ferries.
Our table shows the most important connections. Usually the prices for the cheapest and most expensive season are listed. And that is a one-way trip, spartan accommodation. Means: deck passage, Pullmann seat, at best inside cabin ?? depending on what the provider
offered. There are no limits to the top. So you can sit down in a reclining chair in Kiel-Oslo for 92 euros or sink over 300 stones in a luxury cabin. So that no misunderstandings arise: We know that Russia is not part of Scandinavia, the Rostock ?? St. Petersburg should only inspire you to further adventures.
Iceland
Icebergs and magma ?? Island of extremes: Nowhere else can you find this combination of black lava deserts,
huge glaciers, adventurous slopes and geothermal areas. 13,000 kilometers of “road” beckon to discover Iceland. All around you go on the well-developed ring road (N 1), into the almost deserted interior of the island (60 percent of the country are
uninhabited) on sometimes extreme stretches with river crossings, lava passages and quicksand. Particularly exciting: the ancient highland piste »Sprengisandur«, the »Fjallabaksvegur« to the hot springs of Landmannalaugar and the difficult »Gæsavatnaleið« north of Vatnajokull ?? the largest glacier in Europe. Travel time
is midsummer, and even then often
only 10 to 15 degrees warm. “Hot days” around
20 degrees are rare, snow fields in the central highlands are not. Alternative to the ferry from Hanstholm (DK) or Bergen (N): Send your bike by freighter to Reykjavik and fly afterwards. Further information: Icelandic Tourist Office, Frankfurter Strabe 181, 63263 Neu-Isenburg. Telephone 06102/254388; www.icetourist.de. Literature: “Island” from Michael Muller Verlag
for 22.90 euros and Polyglott Apa Guide, 19.95 euros. Article in MOTORRAD 17/1997.
Finland
The trademarks of the east-
most important branch Skan-
Dinaviens are cell phones, racing drivers, endless slopes
and an estimated 187,000 lakes.
Finland is different. Other than that
other charming, accommodating Scandinavia. It starts with the language: If you always hear somewhat related tones throughout Northern Europe, you hear Finnish
about as tongue-twisted as Mongolian. Nature also takes an extreme path: it seemed that the motto of the »thousand lakes« had already been realized in Sweden, achieved
there is a new dimension on the Finnish Lake District with almost 60,000 bodies of water. Formed at the end of the last ice age, when the condensation from the glaciers mainly collected in the flat south of the country. In total, Finland has around 187,000 lakes. Theoretically fascinating, but on motorcycle tours at some point in the same repetition of water, reeds, pines
and ending with spruce trees. About two thirds of the
Republic of Suomi are covered with forest.
When trees and shrubbery grow lower, roads become slopes and the reindeer become less and less fearful, then Lapland has been reached. The far and lonely north, where the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk is just around the corner. Finland is not just romance, Mika Hakkinen and Nokia, Finland is also tough and rough ?? shaped by a difficult neighborhood with Russia and the Baltic States. From Tallinn or Saint Petersburg it is
it is only a stone’s throw to the capital Helsinki. With noticeable consequences for Scandinavian basic values such as hospitality and a feeling of security: mistrust and more difficult living conditions than, for example
In neighboring Sweden, the locals unequivocally ascribe the permeable eastern border. Amusement is provided by rustic amusements such as throwing boots or clubs, panning for gold? and of course motorsport. No matter whether by car, enduro or snowmobile. Almost 28,000 kilometers of slopes and deserted expanses have produced the best racing and rally drivers for decades.
Notes: Finnish
Headquarters for Tourism, Lessingstrasse 5, 60325 Frankfurt / M., Telephone 069 / 719198-0; www.finnland-ferien.com. Literature: »Culture shock Finland« from Reise Know-How,
14.95 euros. »Finland Travel Guide«,
Iwanowski’s travel book publisher, 22.95 euros. Map: Shell country map, 1: 750,000.
Article in MOTORRAD 10/2001 and 23/2004. Organized short enduro and snowmobile trips with rental vehicles are offered by Snow Games at Rovaniemi; www.snowgames.fi.
Denmark
Modest 356 kilometers long, 453
Kilometers wide and 173 meters high: It doesn’t sound like a challenging motorcycle terrain. Endless expanse, views to the horizon, extensive beaches and
huge dunes are the main features of Denmark. 7300 kilometers of coastline
is the smallest Scandinavian country booked ?? the politically attached Faroe Islands
and Greenland not included. Clearly visible in fine foam crowns, the waves of the North and Baltic Seas meet in front of the striking northern tip of Jutland. Instead of
Sand-surfing is the order of the day up there: at Blokhus, Løkken and Tversted you can ?? like on the islands of Fanø and Rømø ?? motorcycle on the beaches. Daytona Beach in the oldest kingdom in Europe. The dune areas of Rabjerg Mile and Rubjerg Knude spread that Sahara feeling. It gets cosmopolitan in the eastern part of the country, where Copenhagen, with its 500,000 inhabitants, invites you to go sightseeing and the Oresund Bridge to Sweden (motorcycle passage 17.50 euros). Further information: Danish Tourist Office, Glockengieberwall 2, 20095 Hamburg. Telephone 040 / 32021-0; www.visitdenmark.com. Literature: »Denmark« from Mairs Geographical Verlag, 14.95 euros. Article in MOTORRAD 21/2004.
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