The history of Reykjavik starts with a house built by the Viking and merchant Ingolfur Arnarsson in 877. During the 18th century a marketplace came into existence here. The market place became a town in 1786. Most of the town gets its heating from the warm springs in the outskirts of the town. The town was named after the steam from the warm springs. Iceland's most important industry is fishing, and Reykjavik is the center for the Icelandic trawl-fishing industry.

 

Reykjavik has a big and modern harbor. Among the most interesting buildings in Reykjavik are the governmental buliding, which was built in the 1760's, and the cathedral, which was built at the end of the 18th century. Reykjavik has 108,000 inhabitants

The town of Oslo was founded in the year 1000, but even in pre-historic time there was a settlement where Oslo is standing today. The town was rebuilt after the devastating fire in 1624. At that time, Norway was a part of Denmark, and the Danish king Christian IV renamed the town Kristiania. In 1814, a union between Sweden and Norway was established, and Kristiania became the capital of Norway.

 

In 1905, the union was dissolved and Norway became an independent nation. In 1925 the town was renamed Oslo again. The population grew rapidly at the end of the 19th century. Today there are 500,000 inhabitants in Oslo. The main street and center of Oslo is called Karl Johan.

 

Both the Royal Palace and Stortinget, the Norwegian Parliament, are situated on Karl Johan. The large Frogner Park and the expensive Town Hall, which was built for Oslo's 500th anniversary in 1940, are other places worth seeing.

 

Stockholm is a very old town. There were settlements on the Helgeandsholmen back in the 8th century, and in the 13th century a town was established on the island we today call the Old Town.

 

Stockholm's strategic position where the lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea made the town an important merchant town, and in the middle of the 13th century Stockholm became the capital of Sweden. Over the years, the town expanded to the nearby mainland and islands which surrounded the old town. During the industrialization at the end of the 19th century, the number of people moving into the city rose and the first suburbs were built. Stockholm continued to grow during the 20th century and now has 1.4 million inhabitants.

 

One place worth seeing in Stockholm is the Old Town. Its medieval buildings make it a unique historic monument. The Town Hall, with its characteristic three crowns, was built between 1911 and 1923. The Royal Palace, Skansen, the amusement park, Gröna Lund, and the Wasa Wharf are also well-known and popular places to visit. Globen (The Globe Arena) was built in 1989 for the Ice Hockey World Championships. It is used for both sports events and concerts.

 

The area on which Copenhagen is built has been inhabited since the beginning of the Christian calendar. Around the year 1000, there was a small fishing village in this area, and in 1167 a castle was built.

 

In the Middle Ages, Copenhagen grew quickly thanks to its strategic location, and in 1416 the town became the capital of Denmark. During the 18th century the town was damaged by two fires, and the town was bombarded by the British Fleet during the Napoleonic War 1807. Copenhagen was rebuilt in a short time, and when the first free port in the Nordic area was built here, the town started to grow rapidly. Today, Copenhagen has 1.3 million inhabitants. The town's Danish name is Köbenhavn.

 

The center of Copenhagen is called Ströget. Here you find the majority of Copenhagen's shops and entertainment facilities. Most of Copenhagen's older buildings can be found in the area around Ströget. Tivoli is a well-known amusement park, and the Tuborg and Carlsberg breweries are open to visitors. The Danish Parliament is called Folketinget, and the Royal family lives in the Amalienborg Castle.

 

Helsinki was founded by the Swedish King Gustav Vasa in the middle of the 16th century. At that time, Finland was part of Sweden. The town began to grow in the 18th century, when the fortress Sveaborg was built. Helsinki has been devastated by fires and wars many times. The oldest buildings were from the 16th century and none of them remain.

 

In 1809, Finland became a Russian grand duchy, and the Russian Czar Alexander I decided that Helsinki should be the capital of the grand duchy. In 1917, Finland became an independent republic and Helsinki became its capital.

 

During the 19th century, Helsinki furnished its current look with broad streets, avenues and large buildings. The Great Church is one of the first buildings a visitor sees when he or she arrives from the sea. The center of Helsinki is situated between Esplanaden and Mannerheimvägen, where the Finnish Parliament is found. Helsinki is an important port from which most of the Finnish export is shipped.