Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki are generally listed among the happiest cities in the world. And they are certainly among the most progressive—especially about sex and sexuality—so it is not surprising that they have a fascinating LGBTQ+ history, from Queen Christina to Greta Garbo, the “Danish girl” and of course Tom of Finland. So come explore three stunning Nordic cities with us. Enjoy splendid landscapes (and waterscapes!) visit historic palaces and great museums (with some great gay art) and bask in the calm tranquility of three splendid—and very gay friendly—cities.

Copenhagen and Stockholm have a lot in common. Both were founded by Vikings in the Middle Ages, but both became the capitals of very European kingdoms, with baroque and Neoclassical palaces and churches. Both are also not only on the water, but criss-crossed by water, since they consist of islands surrounded by lakes, rivers, and canals. And both have extremely comfortable, down-to-earth cultures, with the Danes’ famous idea of hygge and the Swedes’ custom of fika—quiet, private chats over coffee and pastry.

And both have fascinating LGBTQ+ histories—and artists—and very open, gay-friendly cultures today. In Denmark, after taking a boat ride on the canals, we will follow the stories of two famous LGBTQ+ Copenhageners: Hans Christian Andersen (yes, the Little Mermaid is just as gay a story as you suspected!) and Lily Elbe, the so-called Danish Girl, one of the first people to experience a medical gender transition. And of course we will follow some straight Danes’ stories as well, including the story of Prince Hamlet, which we will explore on an excursion to Kronborg Castle in Helsingør (i.e. Elsinore).

 In Stockholm, we will follow the story of Queen Christina in the Royal Palace, ending with her famous silver throne, on which (or on a Hollywood version of which) Greta Garbo lounged her way through her appearance in the movie that contained Hollywood’s *first* kiss between women! We will also do a tour of Garbo’s life in Stockholm and discover some great Scandinavian gay painters of the Thomas Mann Death in Venice period—including Professor Lear’s favorite male nude after Michelangelo. And again, we will see a lot of Stockholm’s straight history as well. Which category would you place ABBA in? No visit to Stockholm is complete without the ABBA museum.

Finally, we reach the acme of our Baltic waterway (and island and forest) theme, taking the overnight ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki, one of the world’s most beautiful boat rides. And we end our tour by visiting Helsinki, a lovely city with elements of Stockholm and of Petersburg—and the home city of several famous LGBTQ+ artists, most famously Tom of Finland. We have a tour of Helsinki, a special Tom of Finland tour with an audiovisual presentation, and a free afternoon to enjoy the city, followed by our farewell dinner—maybe a toast with Tom of Finland vodka?

3 gay-friendly and beautiful cities

Boat trips on canals, lakes, and the Baltic Sea

Scandinavian culinary experiences

Walking tours focusing on LGBTQ+ personalities including:

Hans Christian Andersen

Lily Elbe (the Danish girl)

Queen Christina

Greta Garbo

Tom of Finland

Palaces and museums, such as:

Sweden's Royal Palace

The ABBA museum

And museums with great gay art!

After a morning to rest up after your international flights, we take a tour of Copenhagen, by foot and canal boat, and get to know this charming city, including the statue of the Little Mermaid—whose real story is far from the one most visitors hear! We conclude our tour with a welcome dinner of hearty Scandinavian specialties.

Hotel:  SP34, a charming hotel, and in the perfect location for exploring Copenhagen, right near the Strøget shopping street, but also not far from Tivoli Gardens.  

 This morning we take a walking tour in the center of historic Copenhagen, diving into the lives of Copenhagen’s two most famous LGBTQ+ personalities, Hans Christian Andersen and Lily Elbe—usually known by the movie title, as the Danish girl—a Danish artist who became the first (or possibly second) person to undergo surgical gender transformation. Today you have a free afternoon, to do some shopping on the world’s longest pedestrian shopping street or visit some of Copenhagen’s great museums or palaces. Perhaps in the evening you will want to take a stroll around Tivoli Gardens, the old-world amusement park that inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland.  

 We make a day excursion out of Copenhagen to visit Kronborg castle in *Helsingør* —a name you may recognize!—the castle where the story of Hamlet takes place. While visiting this beautifully restored historic palace, we learn about the decadent Danish court that inspired Shakespeare and the English actors who played here and may have brought him the story.  

 This morning we take a beautiful ride through the Danish and Swedish countryside, arriving in Stockholm for a late lunch, after which we visit the city by foot and riverboat. Get ready for a beautiful city. In the late afternoon, we stop for a coffee at Sweden’s first gay café, Chokladkoppen, in the heart of Stockholm’s medieval city, the Gamla Stan. 

hotel:  Miss Clara by Nobis, a charming boutique hotel in a lovely Art Nouveau building, right in central Stockholm by the Drottninggatan shopping district, and a short walk (or 3 minute metro ride) to the main tourist sights of the city. 

 This morning we tour the royal palace, still the official residence of Sweden’s royal family, with a concentration on the gay royals (of which there have been several)—and especially the 17th century’s Queen Christina, whose gender and sexuality are as unclear to us today as they were to her contemporaries. A highlight of the tour is Queen Christina’s silver throne, on which (or on a Hollywood facsimile of which) Greta Garbo lounged in her famously gender-fluid and implicitly bisexual portrayal in 1933.

And after lunch, we visit a different kind of palace, the ABBA museum. Not that the members of ABBA were LGBTQ+, but could any group be bigger gay icons?  

This morning we visit Stockholm’s two main art museums and learn a bit about Scandinavian painters—especially the gay ones who made some of the early 20th century’s great male nudes, including Professor Lear’s favorite male nude after Michelangelo.

After lunch, we take a lovely boat ride out to a lovely palace, Drottningholm Palace, the royal family’s actual residence. The tour will include one of Sweden’s great treasures, a perfectly preserved 18th century opera house, with original sets and machinery!

 This morning we explore the early years of Sweden’s most famous movie star, Greta Garbo, and we end at her grave. Your afternoon is free, to visit more museums, or do some shopping, or lounge by the water. In the evening, we gather to take the ferry to Helsinki, starting with a beautiful ride out through the Stockholm archipelago. The ferry ride is quite an experience, with several restaurants (generally including a really vast smorgasbord) and night clubs—and at the end beautiful views of the Finnish coast. 

 Upon arrival in Helsinki, we set out for a walking tour of this charming seaside city, with its mix of historic buildings (from its Russian and Swedish pasts) and sleek Nordic design. 

Hotel:  Klaus K Hotel, a very central and very gay-friendly hotel with a lovely combination of chic Finnish design and homey Finnish cooking.

 This morning we will visit the gay underbelly of Helsinki’s mid-20th century on a tour of the places where Touko Laaksonen (better known as Tom of Finland) took his nocturnal strolls, looking for inspiration and/or company. Today you are free for the afternoon. We meet again for one last Nordic meal to toast the Nordic countries’ LGBTQ+ past, their beautiful cities and progressive cultures, and the new friends we have made on our tour!  

 Our tour ends with breakfast today, but please let us know if we can help you with further travel arrangements. Perhaps you will want to continue on to our Greece tour, starting October 1 in Athens!