A SCANDI DRAMA

There could be nowhere better to start your grand tour of Scandinavia than Stockholm, the region’s most populous city and Sweden’s capital. Vibrant, cosmopolitan and as photogenic as its one million inhabitants, Stockholm is a centre of culture, fashion and cuisine with each of its 14 interconnected islands having a distinct identity.

Recommended activities include Skansen, the world’s first open-air museum and zoo which showcases how Swedes lived in the days before the Industrial Revolution. Another unique museum is the Vasamuseet, where the doomed 17^th-century warship Vasa has been painstakingly restored using almost entirely original pieces.

Your home in Stockholm is Hotel Rival, a luxurious hotel in the city centre with a modern style which reflects its trendy surroundings.

After two nights soaking up some culture in the city, you’ll experience the polar opposite on your next stop, Fjellborg Arctic Lodge deep in the Arctic Circle. Flying to Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost town, you’ll take the surprisingly quick transfer to Fjellborg, which despite its relative accessibility feels like it is in an icy world of its own.

This hotel is all about exclusivity and expertly guided private experiences: you’ll have sole access to the cosy, luxurious Master Cabin, and during the day you’ll enjoy snowy activities such as dog sledding, ice fishing, and ice sculpture. This is also a fantastic spot to view the Northern Lights, and while there can never be any guarantees, the Fjellborg family have lived in this area for 300 years and can give you the best possible chance of experiencing the world’s greatest light show.

Departing Kiruna, you’ll take the train to Narvik, where you’ll fly to the Norwegian town of Bodo and pick up your car for the self-drive section of your journey. Considered the gateway to Norway’s frozen north, Bodo’s main draw is its scenic mountain backdrop, but it is a fast-growing city in itself, with a thriving creative scene. Norsk Luftfartsmuseum, Norway’s aviation museum, is a cultural highlight, as is Nordlandmuseet, which tell the story of Bodo’s history as well as that of the indigenous Sami people.

You will spend one night at the Clarion Collection Hotel Grand, a stylish and contemporary hotel in the city centre with extensive spa and wellness facilities.

The next day, your journey into the tundra of Nordland begins as you take a car ferry to Mosknes before driving to Reine, a small fishing village on Norway’s northern coast. Renowned for its picturesque scenery overlooking the Lofoten archipelago, life in Reine has not changed much over the centuries, and you’ll experience this traditional way of life at the Reine Rorbeur, a collection of 32 fishing huts restored to be cosy and luxurious.

The area around Reine is great for hiking and kayaking, and its beautiful landscapes have made it a favourite of artists and photographers worldwide. The craggy peaks and dotted islands which make up the landscape here also make it a stunning place to see the Northern Lights, which are best viewed between September and April.

Retuning to Bodo, you’ll board a flight to Bergen for the penultimate stop on your Scandinavian adventure. Like Bodo, Bergen is a gateway to some of Norway’s iconic natural scenery - in this case the fjords - but it is much more besides, as a European City of Culture and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With nearly 1,000 years of history, the centrepiece of Bergen is the trading wharf of Bryggen, which is famous for its colourful shopfronts. Bergen is Norway’s second-largest city, but with its population of 250,000 a relatively small one, the city punches above its weight culturally speaking, with a thriving music scene, fantastic food and no end of museums. These include KODE 3, which is home to one of the world’s best Edvard Munch collections, and the Edvard Grieg Museum, a wooden villa with beautiful gardens where the composer lived at the turn of the 20^th century.

You will spend two nights at Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret, a chic hotel just across the road from Bryggen.

The final stop on your luxury Scandinavia holiday is Aurland, which you’ll reach after one of the most scenic journeys imaginable through the Sognefjord, the largest and best known of Norway’s fjords.

Aurland itself is a peaceful area whose main draw is the majesty of the fjords and surrounding countryside, and your time here would be best exploring the area on foot or by bike, kayak or row boat, and guided tours are also available from your hotel, 29/2 Aurland. A collection of converted wooden barns, lodges and cabins, this traditional farm-turned-hotel has played host to local and visiting fisherman for generations: fly fishing in the Aurlandselva River is a great way to spend an afternoon.

If you’re feeling adventurous, then fjord skiing is perhaps the most spectacular way to take in the scenery, and the hotel offers a programme of guided ski trails interspersed with traditional local meals, local folk tales and visits to nearby sites of interest, such as the legendary fairy stone.

After exploring the fjords, your Scandinavian adventure has come to an end and you will take the train to Bergen for your flight home.