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Echoes of Vaasa – the charming west coast city

Echoes of Vaasa – the charming west coast city

Take a walk with The Arctic Storyteller – Lars – in Finlands west coast pearl. Vaasa’s maritime heritage and artistic expression mingle on every corner. On this walking tour, you’ll discover how this bilingual city rose from ashes to become a cultural stronghold, exploring its architectural landmarks, waterfront vistas, and the stories of resilience that shaped its character. You should navigate to the Kauppatori (Market Square) by the city’s own “Statue of Liberty,” commemorating Finland’s independence, and I will guide…

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Imatra – A border town where the River Roars

Imatra – A border town where the River Roars

Det var en sommerdag i 2023 at jeg tilfelidigvis passerte Imatra for første gang. Ja, du leste riktig – «passerte» – for jeg skulle ikke til Imatra. Men, så ville Vår Herre det sånn at mitt planlagte hotell i Kouvula ble overbooket, og jeg måtte finne et annet sted å bo. Jeg kjørte nordøstover gjennom den sørlige delen av Karelen på praktfulle veier. Finland har fantastiske veier å kjøre på, stort sett over hele landet.Utpå kvelden endte jeg opp i…

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Discovering the Charm of Savonlinna

Discovering the Charm of Savonlinna

I have a «Bucket list» on my mobile phone – an app – and one destination that has been on this app for many years is Savonlinna, in eastern part of Finland. This summer I could mark the destination for «visited» in my app… During my visit to the enchanting lakeside town of Savonlinna, nestled on the shores of Lake Saimaa in eastern Finland, I was captivated by its serene beauty, rich history, and welcoming atmosphere. The weather was warm…

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Lillehammer – A Guide to Norway’s Olympic City

Lillehammer – A Guide to Norway’s Olympic City

August 2025: A brand new guided walking tour for your ears through the VoiceMap app is created at Lillehammer – a city where history, culture and sports meet in scenic surroundings. My tour starts at Lillehammer Train Station, and stroll through the city center and the charming pedestrian street, before passing by the home of author Sigrid Undset – «Bjerkebæk». Continuing along the Olympic Park, where you may see several of the arenas for the 1994 Winter Olympics – the…

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Iceland – The island of my dreams

Iceland – The island of my dreams

Let me start by saying that it is not normal for me to get up at 04:15, and then go and sit down at an Italian restaurant….but, that’s what I did today. Yes, focaccia works well as breakfast when you get up before the rooster crows anyway, and I had to do that today – out on a trip. This year’s “ego-trip” was to Iceland, and the nine days were planned well in advance. Flight tickets, rental car and hotel…

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On tour – Schwangau

On tour – Schwangau

(April 2024) It was a dream I’ve had for a long time – the beautiful castles that lie in the very south of Germany, and that had inspired Walt Disney himself to create his Fairytale Castle. Well, one April day in 2024 I landed at Frankfurt International Airport, and was ready to embark on the journey. I had never been this far south in Germany before, so I was excited in every way. Frankfurt Airport It was an airport that…

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Trondheim – Norway’s historical center

Trondheim – Norway’s historical center

June 2021: Ok, Oslo might be the capital of Norway, but Trondheim is its historical and religious centre. In fact, Trondheim has been the capital a few times in history, when various kings had their seat here. I have created two VoiceMap guided walking tours in Trondheim to help you find the city’s gems. On these walking tours, I‘ll introduce you to the venerable city that‘s attracted both Vikings and kings. I‘ll reveal some of its over 1,000 year history…

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My first visit to Russia

My first visit to Russia

(January 2001) I had just watched the movie “Heftig og begeistret” on TV, but I felt neither hectic nor excited when I passed Storskog, on my way to the first Russian border station in almost 30 minus. It was January 20, 2001, it was my first visit to Russia and even though I was only 2-3 hours drive from home, everything was new….everything! It was going to be a long journey through a cold landscape. Little did I know then…

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