Friends from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden compare notes on their favorite national dishes, from lutefisk and lefse to pickled herring and Swedish meatballs.

Tour guides from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark discuss what unites, and what divides, these Scandinavian siblings.

Tour guides Lisa Rybloom and Pål Johansen explain how to enjoy Norway’s famous fjords, rich Viking heritage, and modern Scandinavian culture — without breaking the bank — in one of the world’s most expensive countries for travelers.

Lisa Rybloom, tour guide to Scandinavia, tips for enjoying Norway's scenic fjord country.

Tour guide Åsa Danielsson from Stockholm explains how a strong sense of ethics and fairness shapes the social order in Sweden.

Åsa Danielsson, a tour guide from Stockholm, shares her favorite spots in this charming city of islands and parks.

Two guides to Scandinavia talk about crime fiction from Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, where authors like Steig Larsson have used novels as a way to examine and critique their societies.

Rick talks with travel writer Fred Plotkin about the art of the Finnish sauna.

Author Neil Taylor explains how much the Baltic countries have brightened up in the 20 years since they shook off Soviet Communism.

In this excerpt from his book, "Travel as a Political Act," Rick takes a look at the Danes' recipe for happiness, explores their strong social ethic, and spends time in Copenhagen's famous hippy commune, Christiania.