The Nordic Nomad

Nordic tastemakers

My Nordics, as told by hospitality PR expert Regitze Cecilie Rosenvinge

The Nordics • Insider guides • My Nordics, as told by hospitality PR expert Regitze Cecilie Rosenvinge

What makes a place worth travelling for? A remarkable hotel, an unforgettable meal or simply the chance to disappear for a while? Regitze Cecilie Rosenvinge has spent much of her career exploring that question. And for someone whose business is getting places noticed, she has a particular affection for those that offer a little peace and quiet.

A travel writer, editor and hospitality PR specialist, Regitze Cecilie Rosenvinge has worked across the travel industry for more than two decades. Alongside her role as Hotel & Travel Editor at Falstaff Nordics, she runs Rose Nordic, a communications agency specialising in hotels and retreats across Northern Europe.

Having lived in Berlin, Geneva, Lisbon and Copenhagen, she now makes her home north of the Danish capital, where she enjoys being close to the forest and sea.

Her Nordic favourites are not exclusively about escaping the world, though. There is room for ambitious cooking, art, good books and a proper night out. What emerges is the perspective of someone who knows the hospitality industry from the inside, but whose enjoyment of travel remains personal.

Top photography courtesy of Rose Nordic

“I always say that Copenhagen is a big village because you can walk and cycle everywhere, but the city still has an international outlook, which inspires me.”

In the Nordics, my favourite country is …

… Norway. For someone working with all the Nordic countries, this is an unfair question, as each has something extraordinary to offer. Denmark is where I was born and have my roots, but Norway is also close to my heart. I have Norwegian ancestry and find great joy in the landscape there. Having spent more time in Norway in recent years through my work, my fascination with the country has only grown.

For a dose of urban pulse, I head to …

… Copenhagen. The Danish capital really has it all: art, culture, fashion, hygge and community. I always say that Copenhagen is a big village because you can walk and cycle everywhere, but the city still has an international outlook, which inspires me.

Photography courtesy of Unsplash

“… island hopping in Denmark is a wonderful activity during the warmer months.”

For the perfect close-to-nature experience, I visit …

… the islands of Denmark. I could easily pick several places in each Nordic country, but island hopping in Denmark is a wonderful activity during the warmer months. With more than 400 named islands to choose from, I would go for either Fanø, Samsø or Ærø.

For a memorable getaway, I check myself into …

… one of four favourite hotels, as I simply cannot choose just one. In Denmark, I would stay at Falsled Kro, a historic inn on the island of Funen that has maintained its reputation as a gastronomic destination since the early 1970s. In Sweden, I would choose Ett Hem, an intimate townhouse hotel in Stockholm that feels more like a beautifully curated private home, with thoughtful seasonal cooking at the heart of the experience. In Norway, it would be Walaker Hotell, which I’ve also had the pleasure of working with, and Norway’s oldest family-run hotel, welcoming guests beside the Sognefjord in western Norway since 1690 and known for its deeply rooted culinary traditions. And in Finland, I would check into Hotel Punkaharju, Finland’s oldest operating hotel, surrounded by forests and lakes in the Saimaa region of eastern Finland and celebrated for its cuisine based on local, seasonal ingredients.

Photography courtesy of Falsled Kro and Ett Hem

“Food is cooked over an open fire in the middle of the forest and the menu is guided by the seasons.”

For a great meal, I go to …

… Knystaforsen in Halland, southern Sweden, which is absolutely insane! Food is cooked over an open fire in the middle of the forest and the menu is guided by the seasons. It is the complete experience that makes it so unique. In Copenhagen, I would choose Bistro Boheme for its amazing beef tartare.

For a fun night out, I head to …

… Tata at Hotel Sanders in Copenhagen. If I go out, it is usually for a concert or a few good cocktails, and Tata wins me over every time. The service is great, the cocktail menu is excellent and the ambience is lovely.

Photography courtesy of Tata

“… I have a weakness for beautiful coffee-table books, particularly those exploring travel, hotels, architecture and Nordic design.”

For a dose of retail therapy, I shop at …

… New Mags in Copenhagen. I do not shop very often, but I have a weakness for beautiful coffee-table books, particularly those exploring travel, hotels, architecture and Nordic design. I rarely leave without discovering something that inspires my work or earns a permanent place in my home. For fashion and accessories, I would go to Norr in Copenhagen.

For a dose of culture, I head to …

… Fotografiska in Stockholm or Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, north of Copenhagen. I adore both places because they go far beyond their exhibitions, combining art, architecture and atmosphere in a way that continually offers fresh perspectives and leaves me feeling inspired. And they serve great coffee, too!

Photography courtesy of New Mags

“It represents a form of Nordic luxury that is not about excess, but about seclusion, stillness and having time to notice where you are.”

For a hidden gem, I recommend …

… Lilløy Lindenberg, a place I know professionally as well as personally, sits on a tiny island near Bergen, western Norway. It is an intimate, off-grid guesthouse surrounded by sea and sky, and the experience is deliberately simple and deeply connected to nature. It represents a form of Nordic luxury that is not about excess, but about seclusion, stillness and having time to notice where you are. I would also recommend Gotland, the windswept island in the Baltic Sea off Sweden’s east coast. It is getting quite a lot of attention at the moment, but I would still recommend it for its natural beauty, authentic community and relatively few people!

For me, a quintessential Nordic experience is …

… a cold dip in the sea followed by a hot sauna and a good cup of coffee. This captures something essential about Nordic life: our closeness to nature, our appreciation of contrasts and our ability to find pleasure in simple rituals shared with other people.

Photography courtesy of Lilløy Lindenberg and Unsplash