5 American towns that give you a taste of Scandinavia
From California to Kansas, these communities built by Northern European settlers and sustained by their descendants offer travelers a cultural bridge between the U.S. and the Nordic world.
There are small pockets of American soil that hold a European flair almost indistinguishable from the country from which their settlers hailed. Some are well-marketed and others have Nordic history buried in the threads that hold the town together. These small American towns were forged by settlers from Scandinavia, Finland, and Iceland, and their fjords, foods, and folklore represent their Northern European roots, giving visitors a taste without the long haul or the jet lag.
Hancock, Michigan
Hancock is the American kingpin of Finnish culture, with a population of just over 4,500 people with more than a third of Finn descent. Street signs are bilingual, the country’s longest-running Finnish-language radio program still plays, and it’s one of the only places in the U.S. where Finns remain the largest ethnic group.
Finnish immigrants first settled in Hancock in the late 1800s, drawn by copper mining. Long winters, dense forests, and hard labor made the Keweenaw feel like home. Hancock became what Finns called a “nesting place,” says Jim Kurtti, former director of the Finnish American Heritage Center, a town where workers returned between mining jobs to reconnect with friends, collect mail, and recover before heading back out again. Over time, Hancock became an anchor for Finnish life in America, and today it holds the title of the 2026 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture, a designation new for an American city, previously reserved for European towns working to preserve Finnish and Ugric heritage.
A visit here must include Takka Saunas. Rotate between heat and a frigid polar plunge on the Portage Canal. From there, head to the Finnish American Heritage Center, home to the largest collection of Finnish-American archives in the country.
Time your visit to align with one of Hancock’s Finnish festivals, like Heikinpäivä, created in 1999 to celebrate the long, harsh winters. “We celebrate winter instead of complaining about it,” says Kurtti. “We get out and play in the snow.”
If you’re not up for the cold, check out Juhannus, the Finnish midsummer celebration where the community gathers to dance around a midsummer pole, many dressed in traditional folk costumes, sipping Finnish long drinks, and participating in the annual wife-carrying contest.
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Poulsbo, Washington
Across the country, nestled on Liberty Bay, you'll find bright murals depicting Viking quests and Scandinavian landscapes. "Velkommen til Poulsbo” greets tourists in Norwegian to Poulsbo, the Pacific Northwest town that proudly earns its nickname, “Little Norway.” Poulsbo was settled in the 1880s by Norwegians who felt at home amongst its fjord-like inlets and forested hills.
Originally meant to be named Paulsbo (or Paul’s Place, in Norwegian) after a town with the same name in Norway, an accidental misspelling earned the city the name Poulsbo. Today, its historic downtown is a postcard of Scandinavian flags and quaint boutiques combined with iconic Pacific Northwest flair.
If you want to see Vikings sail into Poulsbo on ships and carry torches to light the annual bonfires, visit during Viking Fest, held the third week of May (coinciding with Norwegian Independence Day). It is three days of meatballs, parades, carnivals, street fairs, and more horned Viking helmets (which real Vikings never actually wore) than you can imagine.
Solvang, California
Between Los Angeles and San Francisco, there is a Scandinavian haven in the rolling vineyards of California’s wine country. Slovang was founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, but what really put it on the map was after WWII, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when the town’s five Danish bakeries, known locally as the “Fab Five,” became its calling card. Birkholm's Bakery & Cafe, founded by Carl Birkholm Sr. and set to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2026, helped turn pastries into promotion.
His Danish treats were served on major airlines flying out of California and his delivery trucks rolled through Los Angeles. When people began to notice, he painted maps on their sides showing exactly how to get to Solvang. Billboards followed. Visitors flocked, and Solvang leaned in. The town erected the Northern European facades that define it today, with windmills, half-timbered buildings, thatched roofs, and Danish storks perched on rooftops—a symbol of good luck.
Time your visit for September and you’ll catch Solvang Danish Days, a three-day celebration that’s been running for nearly nine decades. Visit in December for Julefest, a month-long holiday celebration so elaborate it’s earned Solvang a reputation as one of the most Christmas-obsessed towns in America.
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Visitors can see Thomas Dambo’s Troll, the first permanent installation in the U.S. by the internationally known Danish artist. Stop into The Copenhagen House, a Danish design shop, and head upstairs to the Solvang Viking Museum, home to two hand-built replicas of Viking ships, sent from Denmark. And don’t leave without trying all five of the Fab Five Danish bakeries and attempt to decide which one is best. You won’t reach a verdict, but you’ll enjoy the research.
Spanish Fork, Utah
Nordic strongholds near the settling grounds of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), may seem shocking, but Spanish Fork is home to the first continuous Icelandic settlement in the U.S. Between 1855 and 1914, more than 400 Icelandic immigrants trekked to Utah, all of whom were LDS converts relocating for spiritual freedom. Brigham Young, the church leader, directed them all to settle in Spanish Fork, near other Scandinavian immigrants.
In 1914, the Icelandic LDS Mission ended due to the start of WWI, and Icelandic immigration to Utah halted. Today, the immigrants' heritage is preserved at the Icelandic Monument, a lighthouse-topped tribute honoring the early settlers. Visit during the Icelandic Days festival, which is held each summer to celebrate descendants of the land of fire and ice.
Although there are no black sand beaches or active volcanoes nearby, the snow makes for a convincing Iceland impression. Spanish Fork is an outdoor recreation jumping-off point to Utah’s stunning mountains and world-class skiing.
Lindsborg, Kansas
At first glance, central Kansas doesn’t exactly scream Scandinavia. But follow the Swedish dala horse statues (dubbed the Wild Dala Heard) down Main Street and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Lindsborg, known as “Little Sweden USA.”
Swedish immigrants founded the town in the late 1800s, part of a wave of young people leaving Europe in large enough numbers that Sweden adjusted national policies to slow the exodus.
Today, lingonberries are easy to find without a trip to Ikea, and the grocery store carries Swedish rye bread that is raved about across the country. Visit in March for Våffeldagen—waffle day—which is exactly as the name suggests.
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Midsummer fills the town with maypoles and Swedish folk dancers, and Saint Lucia Festival lights December nights with candle-lit crowns. And every other October (odd years only), Svensk Hyllningsfest is held, which is a celebration of the Swedish immigrants.
