Picture yourself gazing out a train window as snow-capped mountains give way to deep fjords, while traditional red wooden houses dot emerald valleys below. Scandinavia’s railways offer some of the most breathtaking journeys on Earth, combining Nordic efficiency with landscapes that seem plucked from fairy tales.
Whether you’re watching the midnight sun paint the Arctic tundra in golden hues or catching glimpses of the northern lights from a cozy compartment, these train routes showcase nature’s grandest theater. From Norway’s dramatic coastal passages to Sweden’s pristine lake districts and Finland’s endless forests, each journey tells its own story through ever-changing scenery and cultural landmarks.
Here is a list of 20 scenic train routes through Scandinavia that transform ordinary travel into extraordinary memories.
Bergen Railway, Norway
The Bergen Railway stretches 308 miles between Oslo and Bergen, climbing to 4,058 feet at Finse station, Northern Europe’s highest point accessible by train. Passengers witness the dramatic transformation from urban landscapes to the barren beauty of the Hardangervidda plateau, Europe’s largest mountain plateau.
During winter, the route passes through a white wonderland where ski tracks crisscross frozen lakes, while summer reveals wildflower meadows and cascading waterfalls.
Flåm Railway, Norway
This engineering marvel descends 2,838 feet in just 12.4 miles, making it one of the world’s steepest train rides on normal gauge tracks. The journey from Myrdal to Flåm includes 20 tunnels carved through solid rock.
It offers views of the magnificent Kjosfossen waterfall, where, during summer, dancers appear as if they were mountain spirits beside the thundering water. The train moves slowly enough that you can practically count the goats clinging to impossibly steep mountainsides.
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Inlandsbanan, Sweden
Sweden’s Inlandsbanan runs 808 miles from Kristinehamn to Gällivare, taking travelers through the country’s wild heart where modern civilization feels wonderfully distant. The summer-only service stops for wildlife crossings, allowing passengers to photograph reindeer and moose wandering across the tracks.
Small stations along the route often double as local museums, offering glimpses into Sweden’s forestry and mining heritage.
Rauma Line, Norway
Connecting Dombås to Åndalsnes, this 71-mile route showcases the Romsdalen valley’s vertical rock walls and the famous Trollveggen (Troll Wall), Europe’s tallest vertical rock face. The train crosses the impressive Kylling Bridge, a stone arch 236 feet above the rushing river below.
Late afternoon light transforms the valley into nature’s cathedral, with sunbeams filtering through peaks that locals say resemble sleeping trolls.
Arctic Circle Train, Sweden
The overnight journey from Stockholm to Narvik carries passengers 953 miles into the land of the midnight sun, crossing the Arctic Circle near Boden. Winter travelers might catch the aurora borealis dancing above frozen forests, while summer brings 24-hour daylight that bathes the landscape in a perpetual golden hour.
The train passes through Abisko National Park, one of the world’s best spots for viewing the northern lights.
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Copenhagen to Malmö, Denmark/Sweden
Though just a 35-minute journey, the Øresund train offers spectacular views while crossing the famous Øresund Bridge, an engineering feat combining bridge and tunnel that spans 10 miles across the strait. The contrast between Copenhagen’s historic spires and Malmö’s modern skyline creates a visual timeline of Scandinavian architecture.
On clear days, passengers can see both countries simultaneously while suspended above the Baltic Sea.
Dovrefjell Railway, Norway
This route between Oslo and Trondheim crosses the Dovrefjell mountains, home to Europe’s last wild musk ox herds. The train follows ancient pilgrimage paths once traveled by medieval monks heading to Nidaros Cathedral.
Spring journeys reveal carpets of purple mountain saxifrage, while autumn transforms the landscape into a patchwork of gold and crimson tundra vegetation.
Helsinki to Rovaniemi, Finland
Finland’s most famous railway journey covers 534 miles from the capital to the official home of Santa Claus, passing through forests so dense they seem to swallow the sunlight. The landscape gradually shifts from coastal archipelagos to the endless taiga of Lapland, where trees wear thick coats of snow like nature’s Christmas decorations.
Night trains offer cozy sleeping compartments perfect for waking up to the Arctic sunrise.
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Trondheim to Bodø, Norway
The Nordland Railway spans 452 miles of Norway’s rugged coastline, crossing the Arctic Circle at exactly 66°33′ north, marked by a modest monument visible from the train. Passengers experience dramatic seasonal contrasts: summer’s midnight sun versus winter’s polar night.
The journey includes Norway’s second-longest railway bridge at Saltfjellet and views of glaciers that seem close enough to touch.
Stockholm to Gothenburg, Sweden
Sweden’s main railway corridor transforms a business route into a scenic journey past Lake Vättern, the country’s second-largest lake. The train skims along the eastern shore for miles, offering views across waters so clear that medieval legends claimed it was bottomless.
Historic Granna, famous for its red-and-white peppermint candy, provides a sweet interlude before the landscape shifts to western Sweden’s rolling farmland.
Ofoten Line, Norway/Sweden
Beginning in Narvik, Norway, and ending in Kiruna, Sweden, this 105-mile route serves as a vital iron ore transport and a spectacular passenger journey above the Arctic Circle. The train follows fjords cut deep into mountainsides before climbing into Sweden’s mining heartland.
Winter darkness makes the journey feel like traveling through space, with only scattered lights from remote settlements breaking the void.
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Oslo to Stavanger, Norway
The Sørland Railway hugs Norway’s southern coast for 351 miles, alternating between seaside views and journeys through pristine valleys. The route passes charming coastal towns with white wooden churches and harbors filled with colorful fishing boats.
Summer brings fields of yellow rapeseed that glow against dark pine forests, creating a natural impressionist painting visible from your window.
Turku to Kolari, Finland
This 575-mile overnight journey takes passengers from Finland’s former capital to the edge of Lapland, passing through regions where Finnish folklore was born. The train crosses countless rivers and lakes that inspired the national epic Kalevala, with forests so thick they block out entire horizons.
Winter travelers often spot the ethereal green curtains of the aurora borealis through frost-covered windows.
Myrdal to Oslo, Norway
Part of the famous Norway in a Nutshell tour, this section of the Bergen Railway offers particularly stunning views of the Flåm valley from above. The descent from Myrdal reveals waterfalls that appear and disappear like magic tricks as the train winds through tunnels.
Autumn journeys showcase golden birch forests, contrasting dark evergreens, and grey granite peaks.
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Copenhagen to Hamburg, Germany/Denmark
Though technically extending beyond Scandinavia, this route includes the remarkable Vogelfluglinie (bird flight line), which features a train ferry crossing between Rødby and Puttgarden. Watching your entire train board a ship feels like something from a children’s storybook, especially when seagulls escort the ferry across the Baltic.
The journey combines Danish pastoral landscapes with glimpses of Germany’s northern plains.
Kiruna to Luleå, Sweden
The iron ore railway through Swedish Lapland offers 211 miles of Arctic wilderness punctuated by mining towns that look like settlements on another planet. During the polar night, the landscape exists in perpetual twilight, with only the train’s lights illuminating snow-covered forests.
Summer brings endless daylight that reveals hidden lakes and rivers impossible to spot in winter’s monochrome palette.
Voss to Bergen, Norway
This final section of the Bergen Railway deserves mention for its dramatic descent toward Norway’s second city. The train navigates 39 tunnels in just 63 miles, periodically emerging to reveal fjords spreading like blue fingers between steep mountains.
The approach to Bergen offers tantalizing glimpses of the North Sea, where Vikings once sailed toward distant horizons.
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Helsinki to Turku, Finland
Following Finland’s oldest railway line, this 118-mile journey connects the current and former capitals through a landscape of forests, farms, and granite outcrops polished smooth by ancient glaciers. The route passes Salo, known for mobile phone history, creating an interesting contrast between Finland’s high-tech present and its timeless natural beauty.
Summer evenings paint the countryside in soft Nordic light that photographers dream about.
Saltsjöbanan, Stockholm, Sweden
This suburban railway from central Stockholm to Saltsjöbaden may be short at just 11 miles, but it packs a surprising scenic punch. The route winds through affluent suburbs before reaching the Baltic archipelago, offering glimpses of private jetties and sailing boats.
Local commuters barely glance at views that tourists find enchanting, proving that beauty becomes ordinary when you see it every day.
Flamsbana Museum Line, Norway
Though only operating vintage trains on special occasions, this preserved section near Flåm deserves mention for its living history experience. Steam locomotives that once hauled timber now carry passengers through landscapes unchanged since the railway’s construction.
The smell of coal smoke mixing with pine forest air creates a sensory time machine to Norway’s industrial past.
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Rails Through Time: Where Iron Paths Meet Ancient Trails
These train routes do more than connect cities; they trace paths carved by glaciers, followed by reindeer, and traveled by Vikings long before the first rail. Today’s comfortable carriages carry us through landscapes that once challenged the hardiest explorers, transforming arduous journeys into leisurely adventures where the greatest effort required is choosing which stunning view deserves another photograph.
Modern Scandinavia has mastered the art of making the impossible accessible, turning nature’s most dramatic showcases into day trips that leave travelers transformed by what they’ve experienced.
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