Terje Leiren is Professor of Scandinavian Studies and History at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is the current holder of the Sverre Arestad Endowed Chair in Norwegian Studies.

This summer Terje led a group of Smithsonian travelers on a Scandinavian Sojourn.

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Amid the spectacular west Norwegian fjord landscape of two UNESCO world heritage sites (Geiranger and Naeroy fjords) lies the Herdal Mountain Summer Farm (Saeter). Here farming follows a tradition that dates back to the Vikings.  The farm itself, run by Jostein Sande and Ashild Dale, has been in the Dale family for a mere 300 years.

The picturesque Herdal Mountain Summer farm. (Photo courtesy of author.)

The mountain summer farm consists of 30 small buildings with several hundred goats, scores of sheep, some cows and a dozen or so majestic Norwegian fjord horses.  The animals graze freely in the open landscape of the mountain meadow from June through September.  Goats are milked regularly for the rich milk that is used to produce brown and white goat cheese as well as goat’s milk caramels.  Agricultural traditions going back countless generations thrive here, protected by international cultural agreements and the dedication of the Sande-Dale family.

Jostein Sande holding a large brown goat cheese produced on the farm. (Photo courtesy of the author.)

As visitors to the farm, we felt as though we had stepped back in time; a time before the industrial revolution changed the world, and Norway was one of the poorest countries in Europe.  We marveled at the smell and the taste of the dairy products, especially the pure brown goat cheese that has become the very symbol of Norway’s traditional culinary culture. Enjoyed with “rømmegrøt,” a sour-cream porridge, cured ham and lamb, and some traditional flatbread, the Norwegian mountain farm food experience was unique.

Norwegian fjord horse searching for a treat. (Photo courtesy of author.)

The Summer Farm culture broadly represents a living tradition of small-scale dairy farming that still survives throughout Norway.  However, because they are most often found away from the tourists’ mainstream and visited only by the most determined of travelers, our visit to the summer farm left us feeling quite privileged that we could enjoy such a unique historical and cultural experience as part of the Smithsonian Scandinavian Sojourn tour.  A true surprise in the land of the midnight sun.

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Read more about Smithsonian Journeys’ Scandinavian Sojourn trip here.

Old Town Prague, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992

It has survived two World Wars and a Cold War. It has lasted through centuries of religious change and transition between Catholics, Protestants and Jews. It’s also the home of the oldest university in central Europe.

It is Prague – now the sixth most visited European city behind London, Paris, Rome, Madrid, and Berlin.

The city, situated in the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, is believed to have originated as early as 200 BC when the Celts created a settlement in the area. By 973 AD, Prague became the home of Dukes and Kings of Bohemia and an economic center attracting a diverse group a merchants from the region, including an increased number of Jews. In Prague, you can still visit Europe’s oldest active synagogue, built in 1270.

The population and diversity of the city has fluctuated greatly over time, while facing issues like the plague, which killed thousands of people at a time. After recovering from its final outbreak with the contagious disease in the late 17th century, the population rebounded to 80,000 inhabitants in 1771. Over time, the economy of the area grew with industry, and the population stood at 100,000 by 1837. By 1930, the population expanded to 850,000 people, but shrank during World War II, when Jews fled the Nazi invasion of what was then called Czechoslovakia. Today, the Prague is home to over 1.3 million people and is a top tourist destination.

What is your favorite site in Prague? Old Town Square? Charles Bridge? Or is it Prague Castle? Share Below.

Prague is one of the many cities you’ll visit on our Old World Europe tour, including Vienna, Warsaw, and Krakow.

After graduating from London University with a degree in biology, lan Felstead took a summer job helping British tourists find their way around in Tuscany. This work ignited a lifelong passion for travel, and he has worked in the travel industry ever since. Today, his work with our partner Cross Culture Journeys takes him around the world. Here, he discusses Petra.

Variegated sandstone burial chambers at Petra. Photo: Paul Cowan

This winter, swap your overcoat for a sunhat, and take a stroll through the natural canyons of the 2,000 year-old rose-red city of Petra, Jordan. Carved out of the solid rock by the ancient Nabateans, it became a fabulously wealthy city– only to be lost to outsiders for more than a millennium, and re-”discovered” by Europeans in 1812. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most impressive tourist destinations in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

What was the fate of this hauntingly beautiful place? How did the Nabateans become so wealthy in the inhospitable desert? Why was Petra finally deserted, and left perfectly intact?

Learn about such destinations as Petra on our small-ship Red Sea cruise this coming January. Accompanied by Smithsonian Journeys Study Leader  Kenneth Perkins, as well as expert Egyptologists and guides, gain a new understanding of the history, the treasures, and the contemporary culture of the mesmerizing and contrasting lands of Egypt and Jordan.

So leave the hat and scarf behind, and enjoy a sunshine-filled tour of discovery this winter – and if you book by December 15, receive a free airfare bonus!

Click for our Ancient Civilizations of the Red Sea tour.

Which UNESCO World Heritage Site would you want to visit?

Allison Dale  is Smithsonian Journeys’ intrepid marketing intern. She is majoring in English at Georgetown University, and in her past travels she has explored North America, South America, and Europe. Here, she tells us about her adventures in Venice.

Sunset in Venice

Sometimes called the “City of Water,” “The City of Bridges,” or “City of Lights,” Italy’s Venice  stretches over 118 islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon. This location in the Adriatic Sea naturally lends itself to some of the most spectacular urban scenery in the world. The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, as well as a vital center of commerce and art in the 13th to 17th centuries.

The city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, in recognition of its architectural integrity and for the presence of some of the world’s greatest artists such as Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese.

Everything I’d heard about Venice I found to be true. The art was spectacular, the architecture enchanting, the cafés quaint. The pizza was thin and authentic and the gelato rich and creamy. The maze of canals and the floating gondolas seemed to have appeared out of a picture book. Not even the sweltering summer sun could disturb my euphoria.

When I visited, I reveled in the opportunity to stand in front of Saint Mark’s Square  with the pigeons pecking around my feet, to explore museums like the Ca’Rezzonico and the Palazzo Ducale, and to study the works of Titian  up close for the first time. I discovered that the best way to experience the city was by getting lost in its intricate maze of canals, crossing bridge after bridge and enjoying the happy accidents of grand piazzas and new neighborhoods.

To me, Venice seemed bathed in an aura of romanticism. The Grand Canal, flanked with the pristine colored buildings, was speckled with boats returning to dock for the evening. The dim lights in the Santa Maria della Salute church accented the detailed interior of the opulent church and inspired a stilled awe in the travel-weary visitors. The sun setting on the Adriatic bathed the city in a fiery orange glow. However, as an aspiring world traveler, and curious individual, what I desired most during my visit was to truly experience the culture of Venice rather than observe it. The best way to infiltrate the local culture, it seemed, was through the Italian’s unyielding penchant for futbol.

The year I visited Venice was also the year the Italian soccer team clinched the FIFA World Cup  Championship after narrowly defeating France in the semi-final. Staying true to our American roots, my travel group and I sought out a bar with a television and jockeyed for seats in front of the small screen only to watch Ghana tie with the U.S. team and oust them from the running, paving the way for Italy’s ascension to the final match.

Sitting in the small bar in Venice, we bit our nails and hoped for a U.S. comeback. The Italians laughed at us, and cheered for our opponents. Their cheers were so boisterous and chants so comical that we couldn’t help but laugh, even in the face of our imminent defeat. Bottles of Birra Moretti and Peroni were passed around and the general noise level in the bar heightened and diminished with the excitement of the match. Truly this kind of public enthusiasm for futbol was foreign to us Americans.

At the end of the match we were somewhat dejected by the U.S. defeat, but more importantly we were enchanted by the Italians’ enthusiasm for the sport. After staring at Renaissance masterpieces and reading the English translations of brochures I knew a lot about Venetian history, but little about Venetian, and Italian, culture. It wasn’t until we interacted with the locals, joked with them despite the language barrier, and opened our eyes to their culture that Venice really came alive. I found the Venetians to be outgoing and amiable. The youths seemed passionate and even hip, despite living in one of the most historic cities in the world.

While sitting in a local bar we started noticing the Venetian life rather than the Venetian past. It was in those lively neighborhoods along the watery canals where my desire to learn about the local history, see the local art, and to experience, really experience, the local culture became a reality. In Venice, my long-term love affair with Italy began.

Start your love affair with Venice. We’ll take you there.

Which which foreign city are you already in love? Share below.

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

The Necropolis was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, but long before 1979, in Hellenistic times, Greek tourists listed its Great Pyramid of Giza as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Necropolis is the only one of these Seven Wonders still in existence.

One of the most unique aspects of the Great Pyramid of Giza is the precision of measurement involved in its construction. The base forms a nearly perfect square and is almost exactly level. When first completed, this pyramid stood nearly 50 stories high (481.4 ft.) and consisted of 2.3 million blocks with an average weight of 2.5 metric tons per block. Today, it still dominates the desert landscape despite the effects of age and erosion.

Similarly mysterious are the methods by which the ancient Egyptians built these colossal structures. Scholars consider two major theories that might describe how the Great Pyramids were constructed. One theory purports that the stone was taken from a quarry and transported to the pyramid site. Another theory suggests the blocks were manufactured on site from a type of “liquid limestone,” – more like concrete. Both theories agree on the necessity for a large workforce; it is believed that as many as 35,000 men and women were involved in the pyramids’ construction.

The pyramids’ significance is similarly unknown. The Great Pyramid has multiple inner passageways and chambers which might have been royal tombs. In addition, scholars believe the structures may have held astrological significance because the sides of all three of the Giza pyramids were astronomically oriented to north-south and east-west within a small fraction of a degree.

Memphis, its Necropolis, and the Pyramid fields from Giza to Dahshur have been attracting travelers since Hellenistic times. Because of the immense size and durability of these structures, tourists can visit today and draw their own conclusions about the construction, use, and decline of the ancient Egyptian pyramids.

How do you think the pyramids were used? Share below.

Click here for information on visiting Egypt with Smithsonian Journeys.