5 American cities that offer you a style of Scandinavia

There are small pockets of American soil that maintain a European aptitude virtually indistinguishable from the nation from which their settlers hailed. Some are well-marketed and others have Nordic historical past buried within the threads that maintain the city collectively. These small American cities had been solid by settlers from Scandinavia, Finland, and Iceland, and their fjords, meals, and folklore symbolize their Northern European roots, giving guests a style with out the lengthy haul or the jet lag.

Hancock, Michigan

Hancock is the American kingpin of Finnish tradition, with a inhabitants of simply over 4,500 individuals with greater than a 3rd of Finn descent. Street indicators are bilingual, the nation’s longest-running Finnish-language radio program nonetheless performs, and it’s one of many solely locations within the U.S. the place Finns stay the biggest ethnic group.

Finnish immigrants first settled in Hancock within the late 1800s, drawn by copper mining. Long winters, dense forests, and onerous labor made the Keweenaw really feel like house. Hancock turned what Finns referred to as a “nesting place,” says Jim Kurtti, former director of the Finnish American Heritage Center, a city the place employees returned between mining jobs to reconnect with buddies, acquire mail, and get well earlier than heading again out once more. Over time, Hancock turned an anchor for Finnish life in America, and right this moment it holds the title of the 2026 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture, a designation new for an American metropolis,  beforehand reserved for European cities working to protect Finnish and Ugric heritage.

A go to right here should embrace Takka Saunas. Rotate between warmth and a frigid polar plunge on the Portage Canal. From there, head to the Finnish American Heritage Center, house to the biggest assortment of Finnish-American archives within the nation.

Time your go to to align with one in all Hancock’s Finnish festivals, like Heikinpäivä, created in 1999 to rejoice the lengthy, harsh winters. “We celebrate winter instead of complaining about it,” says Kurtti. “We get out and play in the snow.”

If you’re not up for the chilly, try Juhannus, the Finnish midsummer celebration the place the neighborhood gathers to bop round a midsummer pole, many wearing conventional people costumes, sipping Finnish lengthy drinks, and taking part within the annual wife-carrying contest.

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Poulsbo, Washington

Across the nation, nestled on Liberty Bay, you will discover vibrant murals depicting Viking quests and Scandinavian landscapes. “Velkommen til Poulsbo” greets tourists in Norwegian to Poulsbo, the Pacific Northwest town that proudly earns its nickname, “Little Norway.” Poulsbo was settled in the 1880s by Norwegians who felt at home amongst its fjord-like inlets and forested hills.

Originally meant to be named Paulsbo (or Paul’s Place, in Norwegian) after a town with the same name in Norway, an accidental misspelling earned the city the name Poulsbo. Today, its historic downtown is a postcard of Scandinavian flags and quaint boutiques combined with iconic Pacific Northwest flair.

If you wish to see Vikings sail into Poulsbo on ships and carry torches to mild the annual bonfires, go to throughout Viking Fest, held the third week of May (coinciding with Norwegian Independence Day). It is three days of meatballs, parades, carnivals, avenue gala’s, and extra horned Viking helmets (which actual Vikings by no means really wore) than you may think about.

Solvang, California

Between Los Angeles and San Francisco, there is a Scandinavian haven in the rolling vineyards of California’s wine country. Slovang was founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, but what really put it on the map was after WWII, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when the town’s five Danish bakeries, known locally as the “Fab Five,” became its calling card. Birkholm’s Bakery & Cafe, founded by Carl Birkholm Sr. and set to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2026, helped turn pastries into promotion.

His Danish treats were served on major airlines flying out of California and his delivery trucks rolled through Los Angeles. When people began to notice, he painted maps on their sides showing exactly how to get to Solvang. Billboards followed. Visitors flocked, and Solvang leaned in. The town erected the Northern European facades that define it today, with windmills, half-timbered buildings, thatched roofs, and Danish storks perched on rooftops—a symbol of good luck.

Time your go to for September and also you’ll catch Solvang Danish Days, a three-day celebration that’s been operating for almost 9 many years. Visit in December for Julefest, a month-long vacation celebration so elaborate it’s earned Solvang a status as one of the vital Christmas-obsessed cities in America.

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Visitors can see Thomas Dambo’s Troll, the first permanent installation in the U.S. by the internationally known Danish artist. Stop into The Copenhagen House, a Danish design shop, and head upstairs to the Solvang Viking Museum, home to two hand-built replicas of Viking ships, sent from Denmark. And don’t leave without trying all five of the Fab Five Danish bakeries and attempt to decide which one is best. You won’t reach a verdict, but you’ll enjoy the research.

Spanish Fork, Utah

Nordic strongholds near the settling grounds of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), may seem shocking, but Spanish Fork is home to the first continuous Icelandic settlement in the U.S. Between 1855 and 1914, more than 400 Icelandic immigrants trekked to Utah, all of whom were LDS converts relocating for spiritual freedom. Brigham Young, the church leader, directed them all to settle in Spanish Fork, near other Scandinavian immigrants.

In 1914, the Icelandic LDS Mission ended due to the start of WWI, and Icelandic immigration to Utah halted. Today, the immigrants’ heritage is preserved at the Icelandic Monument, a lighthouse-topped tribute honoring the early settlers. Visit in the course of the Icelandic Days festival, which is held every summer season to rejoice descendants of the land of fireplace and ice.

Although there are not any black sand seashores or energetic volcanoes close by, the snow makes for a convincing Iceland impression. Spanish Fork is an outside recreation jumping-off level to Utah’s beautiful mountains and world-class snowboarding.

Lindsborg, Kansas

At first glance, central Kansas doesn’t exactly scream Scandinavia. But follow the Swedish dala horse statues (dubbed the Wild Dala Herd) down Main Street and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Lindsborg, known as “Little Sweden USA.”

Swedish immigrants founded the town in the late 1800s, part of a wave of young people leaving Europe in large enough numbers that Sweden adjusted national policies to slow the exodus.

Today, lingonberries are easy to find without a trip to Ikea, and the grocery store carries Swedish rye bread that is raved about across the country. Visit in March for Våffeldagen—waffle day—which is exactly as the name suggests.

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Midsummer fills the city with maypoles and Swedish people dancers, and Saint Lucia Festival lights December nights with candle-lit crowns. And each different October (odd years solely), Svensk Hyllningsfest is held, which is a celebration of the Swedish immigrants.