This One Fact About Norway Will Change Your Life

Norway is responsible for many things that have shaped civilisation as we know it including the cheese slicer, salmon sushi, and stepping foot on American land centuries before Columbus did. Keep reading to learn more about the story of who may have been the first European to set foot in North America.

The ‘Land of the Free’ is actually the ‘Land of Wine’

Exactly like Christopher Columbus 500 years after him, Leif Erikson reached the shores of what would later become known as America by mistake. The Norse explorer was the son of Erik the Red, the first colonizer of Greenland—and was converted to Christianity in Norway at the court of Olaf I Tryggvason. Around 1,000 CE, King Olaf ordered Leif Erikson to sail back to Greenland and bring the new religion to them, but the winds blew Erikson’s ship off course and it landed in North America instead. Erikson was apparently was so taken with the forests there that were ‘full of grapes’ and he named this strange land Vinland, aka the Land of Wine.

American Gods actually got it right

So why do Americans celebrate Columbus Day instead?

Leif Erikson is not completely forgotten: there’s a park in Seattle named after him with a statue raised in his honor—and October 09 is observed as Leif Erikson Day in the United States. But ask many Americans, let alone the rest of the world, and they probably don’t even know about it. There was a time when America was celebrating 400 years since Columbus’s arrival that they debated whether they should be recognising Leif Erikson instead since he was technically got there first.

Columbus’s ‘discovery’ has ultimately prevailed as canon because of what came after his exploration. The Vikings came, saw, and departed on their dragon-headed ships back across the Atlantic. Christopher Columbus returned to court and convinced European monarchs that there is profit to be made by exploring this strange land further. The rest is history.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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