Even when the lockdown restrictions are in place throughout the Scandinavian countries – it looks like international tourism is making its way back to the region. Experts predict a shift in travel patterns in the coming years. When it comes to Scandinavian travel tales, luxurious nature escapades and more individualized travel options make their way to popularity. Tourists are looking for a soulful experience, and a break from their city lives.

Nature Getaways

Scandinavian countries offer the perfect opportunity to immerse oneself in the luxury experiences nature has to offer. A spokesperson from 50 Degrees North said that the traditional image of luxury as fancy items has changed – the image now has evolved into having premium experiences which is available in abundance in the region. She further added that the pre-existing slow travel trend where people wanted to experience the local environment and interact with the locals is further fueled by the Pandemic.

The senior project manager for Visit Sweden’s sustainable nature tourism program said that coming years would see nature tourism blooming as people will find ways to unwind from technology. The program has also seen a shift towards more natural consumption like plant-based food and sustainable architecture.

Luxury Feat Nature

However, it is also noticed that tourists prefer nature-based vacations that are enveloped in comfortable and safe adventures. They show more interest in privately arranged experiences.

The Rise in Demand for More Individual Accommodation

A very clear trend for individual accommodations has emerged in the tourism ecosystem. Rental platforms like AirBnB are further accelerating the trend. People want to travel like locals and experience local culture, and living at such local accommodation fulfills that desire.

People now want to explore local coffee shops, pubs, and cocktail bars instead of famous landmark places. Even the glamping trend is on the rise.

Workations Becoming a Norm

The region is also adequate to meet the changing norms of the workplace. Visit Sweden is also carrying out various research to see the impact of working in nature impacts productivity.

Amber has always been a status symbol associated with elegance and wealth. Protected by Prussian law starting in the 13th century, the fossilized resin was used for the fabrication of religious and royal objects throughout Eastern Europe, and more especially Russia.

The Amber Room was designed for royalty in Prussia and Russia and featured a series of panels mounted on gold-leaf walls adorned with mirrors and mosaics. The room was part of the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg, Russia’s imperial capital.

The Chamber Was Gifted to Russia’s Tsar

The room was created in the early 18th century as an opulent 172sq ft showpiece chamber for Frederick I, the King of Prussia. Approximately six tons of amber were used for the fabrication of the panels. In 1716, the room was gifted to Tsar Peter the Great and was relocated to the Catherine Palace.

To match the palace’s spacious rooms, Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo was called upon by the Tsar and given the task to expand the luxurious chamber. Under Bartolomeo’s guidance, the panels were successfully incorporated into a 592sq ft room, which was decorated with more gilded figures, mosaics, candelabras, and amber.

Nazi Forces Stole the Room

In 1941, German forces invaded Russia and dismantled the Amber Room before moving it to Königsberg Castle. The Red Army seized the castle at the end of the Second World War and was ordered to discover the chamber. However, no traces of the room were found.

After decades of looking, the Soviet government decided to reconstruct the chamber by using 86 black-and-white photographs taken just before WWII and a single box of relics. The project took more than two decades but successfully recreated the Amber Room, which is considered by many to be the “eighth wonder of the world.”

The chamber is displayed at Catherine Palace in the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum and Heritage Site and is one of Russia’s most visited landmarks.