Join the National Nordic Museum's Eric Nelson and Professor Terje Leiren on a trip through the Nordic Region!
Monday, August 17–Saturday, August 29, 2020
Monday, August 17, Copenhagen
Start the evening with a short walk to Tivoli Gardens for a festive welcome dinner. You’ll have time after dinner to explore Tivoli on your own.
Tuesday, August 18, Copenhagen
Morning sightseeing tour including a visit to the Little Mermaid, an outside visit to the present day royal palace of Amalieborg and inside visits to the renaissance residence of King Christian IV, Rosenborg Castle, and the National Gallery, Denmark’s largest art museum.
Wednesday, August 19, Copenhagen
Visit Denmark’s National Museum, which houses one of Europe’s best collection of Iron and Viking Age artifacts--and go behind the scenes with the experts!
Thursday, August 20, Copenhagen to Oslo
Take the scenic coastal route north to visit Kronborg Castle, the site of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Spend time in Elsinore before boarding an overnight cruise to Oslo.
Friday, August 21, Oslo
Start the morning sightseeing by bus and visit the Vigeland Sculpture Park and the famed Viking Ship Museum. An afternoon walking tour of downtown Oslo takes you to the roof of the Oslo Opera House as well as Oslo City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, and the brand new Munch Museum.
Saturday, August 22, Oslo
Visit the Fram Museum where you will be able to walk through the polar ships Fram and Gjoa. We’ll also visit Norway’s largest open air museum, the Norske Folkemusuem. We’ll have a late afternoon lecture before dinner on your own.
Sunday, August 23, Oslo to Stockholm
After a morning flight from Oslo to Stockholm, we’ll stop at Sweden’s great university city, Uppsala to visit its cathedral. Enjoy some free time for lunch on your own before continuing on to Stockholm.
Monday, August 24, Stockholm
The morning tour to Djurgården takes you to Sweden’s Nordic Museum and the Vasa Museum, which is built over a large Swedish warship from 1628 that sunk in Stockholm’s harbor on its maiden voyage.
Tuesday, August 25, Stockholm
This morning we’ll have a walking tour to nearby Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s old town. We end at the National Museum, for a visit to Sweden’s art museum.
Wednesday, August 26, Stockholm to Helsinki
Following a morning lecture, visit the Swedish History Museum with its famous Gold Room. Have dinner aboard the Silja Line ship to Helsinki, as it sails along the Stockholm Archipelago with its 24,000 islands.
Thursday, August 27, Helsinki
After arriving in Helsinki, spend the morning sightseeing the Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church), the Sibelius Monument and the National Museum. Afterwards, walk to the nearby Market Square where there are ample choices for lunch on your own.
Friday, August 28, Helsinki
Take a walking tour with visits to the nearby Lutheran Cathedral, Ateneum Art Museum, and the Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum. This evening we’ll finish things up with a dinner at a local restaurant.
Saturday, August 29, Helsinki
Say goodbye to the friends you’ve made on this tour and head home after breakfast.
All tour arrangements made by Tumlare. Please see Tumlare booking/information page for latest updates.
Photos of Copenhagen, Oslo, Upsalla, Stockholm, Helsinki and other destinations by:
Tony Yakovlenko, Ivan Vashchenko, Tapio Haaja, Shubhesh Aggarwal, A6 Reflex, Felix Hoffmann, Christoffer Engström, and Tom Juggins
Courtesy of Unsplash
Professor Leiren teaches courses in Scandinavian history and culture at the University of Washington. He joined the UW faculty in 1977 as professor of Scandinavian studies and history. His courses include the popular "History of the Vikings." Leiren served as Chair of the Department of Scandinavian Studies from 1995 - 2010 and as Acting Department Chair in 2014-2015. Professor Leiren was the first holder of the Department's Sverre Arestad Endowed Chair in Norwegian Studies from 2007 to 2017. He also held an appointment in the Department of History as Adjunct Professor of History In 1996, Professor Leiren was knighted by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway and awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.
Professor Leiren also served as co-General Editor of the New Directions book series with the University of Washington Press between 2006 and 2015. The UW Press New Directions series offers interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the Nordic region of Scandinavia and the Baltic States and their cultural connections in North America. By redefining the boundaries of Scandinavian studies to include the Baltic States and Scandinavian America, New Directions in Scandinavian Studies presents books that focus on the study of the culture, history, literature, and politics of the Nordic region. During his time as co-general editor, eleven books appeared in the series.
His many publications include an updated and revised edition of the Historical Dictionary of Norway for Rowman and Littlefield Publishers published in 2019. Professor Leiren has contributed to, and appeared in, television productions for the History Channel, PBS, the A&E Network as well as NRK and TV2 in Norway.
Eric Nelson joined the National Nordic Museum as Executive Director/CEO in January 2008; at that time, the organization was called the Nordic Heritage Museum. Since that time, he has overseen the expansion of the Museum from a small and beloved local heritage site into a nationally and internationally recognized center for sharing Nordic culture, values, and innovation. Nelson also oversaw the development of the stunning new $52.5M National Nordic Museum on Seattle’s working waterfront, which debuted May 5, 2018 with a grand opening ceremony attended by Nordic heads of state, royalty and other national and international dignitaries.
Under Nelson's leadership, the Museum has become the only museum in the United States – and indeed the world – that showcases the impact and influence of Nordic values and innovation in contemporary society, and tells the story of 12,000 years of Nordic history and culture, across all five Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – and the Sámi people of Arctic Europe.
In addition to its collection and exhibitions, the National Nordic Museum serves as a convener on critical issues including innovation, economic development, environmental policy, cultural identity and societal issues. The Museum presents more than 100 programs annually including contemporary art exhibitions, concerts, lectures, films and educational events.
Nelson is a graduate of the prestigious Getty Museum Leadership Institute and holds a Master of Art degree in History and B.A. in History from California State University. He has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Washington, California State University, Sacramento and San Francisco State University. A native of Napa, California, Nelson previously served as Executive Director of the Napa Valley Museum from 1999 to 2007. Prior to this role, he was Curator of Exhibits and Collections and then Executive Director of the Sonoma County Museum in Santa Rosa for eleven years.
Nelson was named Swedish American of the Year in 2019 by the Vasa Order of America. He was previously awarded Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland by the President of Finland Sauli Niinistö.
