Scandinavians have their very own way to spend the summer. Danes for example take the whole July off to enjoy a good summer break. But what are those people from up north doing in their sunny free time? And how can you enjoy your summer in Berlin the Scandinavian way? We have some suggestions for you:

Gå på tur
Norwegians love to ‘gå på tur‘, especially on Sundays and up some mountains. Since we are in Berlin and as we all know, there’s not so many mountains around here, how about hiking the one we probably all know and love? Take a hike on Kreuzberg and you won’t be disappointed. It’s not too exhausting going up there and you will be rewarded with a fantastic view over Berlin. Take a drink, some food and your friends with you and enjoy the day on top of Kreuzberg.

Utepils
The Norwegians also like to drink, probably as much as the rest of the Nordic nation. As soon as the first glimpse of sun is out, you will see lots and lots of Norwegians sitting outside, enjoying their good old ‚Utepils‘ (which literally means ‚outdoor beer‘). ‚How can I enjoy an Utepils in Berlin?‘ You might ask yourself now. So, you are in Berlin, just take a look to your left and one to your right and there sure will be at least two nice spots to sit down, relax and drink one or two outdoor beers. Otherwise grab one from the Späti and enjoy it wherever you want, cause this is Berlin, the city of free drinking everywhere. 😉

Sommarstuga
Scandinavians are very well known for spending their vacation in one of two distinct destinations: somewhere in the south, getting a nice tan on the beach, or in a cottage in the woods, also known as ‘Sommarstuga‘ In Sweden you’ll find more than 600.000 Sommarstugas all around the country. It sure is not always possible to leave Berlin in summer, so we found a solution for you to enjoy the summer house-feeling via Airbnb in our capital.

Loppis
Another thing Scandinavians love as much as we do here in Berlin: Loppis! You don’t love Loppis? Yes, you do! Loppis, or as we call it: Flohmärkte, are a good way to spend your summer weekends. Thank god there are a lot around here. And with this fleamarket map, you won’t miss any of them! Good luck on your treasure hunt!

Berrypicking
Picking blueberries – it can’t get more Scandinavian than this! But don’t you worry, guys, you don’t neccessarily have to travel into the Scandinavian woods to get a taste of the freshness. You can find huge berryfields all around Berlin, for example in Oranienburg, Falkensee or Gatow. Best thing: you can not only pick blueberries, but also rasperries, strawberries, and currants. Best best thing: eat as much as you can while picking, cause hey, nobody will force you to step on a scale afterwards. 😉

Barbecue
Another thing you will find when strolling through Scandinavian parks in summer: People having barbecue! They seem to love it so much, they even have their very own disposable barbecue grill- trashcans. But obs! (Or for all non-norwegians: attention!) You can’t just fulfill your barbecue-feast in every park in Berlin. Some parks where it is allowed to throw a fresh mackarel on the grid on specific spots: Tempelhofer Feld, Görlitzer Park, Monbijoupark, Volkspark Friedrichshain and Mauerpark.

Swedish Fika
‘Writing a guide on spending a Scandinavian summer and not even mentioning the traditional Swedish Fika once. Hallelujah!‘ If that’s what you think right now, we can ease your displeasure: of course we didn’t forget about the Fika! Berlin is THE place to be for having a good coffee in the afternoon, but if you want to enjoy a real Swedish Fika-experience, you should try Café Stockholm, Café Valentin or Café Kanel.

Midsommar
And of course there is no Scandinavian summer without the typical Midsommar celebration.  Nordic by Nature is your partner when it comes to celebrate the longest day of the year in Berlin. Every year we celebrate the traditional Midsommar party with lots of good food, great music and awesome people at Urban Spree. Unfortunately Midsommar is already over for this year, but you can already mark June 22nd in your calendar, because this is when our next Midsommar will take place at Urban Spree. For the time in between, here’s a little insight to this year’s Midsommar Festival.