Scandinavia

The program aims to offer students an in-depth cultural encounter.  Thus, we’ll spend some time getting to know Copenhagen neighborhoods not often frequented by tourists. Each one has its own character and vibe. Students will talk to residents and learn what locals think of life in their Copenhagen neighborhood.

Denmark’s “Birthplace”, Jelling, features two massive burial mounds that connect it to both the country’s pagan and Christian pasts.  The brand-new, technologically sophisticated museum opens up a challenging exploration of all the site has to offer.

We will explore Iceland’s vibrant urban scene as well as its historical sites, such as Hallgrimskirkja (Hallgrim’s Church).

A highlight of the program, this Viking ship-stone cemetery offers the opportunity to sit close beside an ancient grave, and integrate learning in significant ways. Mapping, grave typology, and an eyewitness account of a Viking chieftain’s funeral enable you to think deeply about what may have happened, graveside, at this important place, over a thousand years ago.

We will visit homes and other sites associated with Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, including Copenhagen’s famous Little Mermaid statue. Among other themes, H.C. Andersen's fairy tales present lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity.

In Denmark’s medieval capital of Roskilde, students explore the renowned Viking ships museum, which houses the reassembled remains of five Viking ships from around 1000 A.D.  Additionally, we will sail sea-worthy replicas of these ships! At the majestic state cathedral, we’ll view the burial place of Danish kings and queens.

We will travel along north Iceland’s scenic Skajafjord, with spectacular views of Drangey Island, a volcanic remnant, and the last refuge of the famous saga-era outlaw Grettir.

Banished from Iceland, Erick the Red founded the Viking settlements of Greenland, and was father to Leif Erickson, “discoverer” of the New World. We explore inside his reconstructed longhouse, as well as where excavations uncovered his original home.

Hólar was northern Iceland’s center of religion and learning for nearly seven centuries (1106-1798). Here was the final stronghold of Catholicism during Iceland’s Reformation, a contentious era that ended when Hólar’s bishop was beheaded at Skálholt Cathedral, in southern Iceland, which we also visit.

We will explore inside a traditional turf farmstead from the 18th century when life in rural Iceland was particularly close to the land.

The castles of Frederiksborg and Kronborg, two among many in Denmark, highlight the country’s past as a mighty empire and a powerful Baltic state.  Kronborg claimed such renown in its day that William Shakespeare used the castle as the setting for his play Hamlet.

Beautiful Tivoli Gardens—right in the middle of Copenhagen—opened in 1843, making it one of the world’s oldest amusement parks and pleasure gardens. The program provides each participant with a five-day free admission pass to this delightful Copenhagen must-see. The pass is also good for free admission to many other Copenhagen museums, sites and attractions—some 70 sites in all!