Dear Reader,

I practically grew up at the local culture school. I was in the choir and took violin lessons, piano lessons and singing lessons, and I played in the orchestra. The one I attended was housed in an old building with cracks in some walls, but through those cracks creativity, encouragement and enthusiasm came seeping in. Culture schools like this are heavily subsidised by the state in Sweden, and such public investment into culture, creativity and the arts is seen across the Nordic countries. It’s no wonder that they all have rich culture scenes and stunning museums, and that they top global lists for cultural contribution and innovation.

Some parts of Scandinavia’s cultural legacy will be familiar to most: ABBA, Viking history, IKEA designs and the stories of H. C. Andersen. Some players work more behind the scenes, like this month’s cover star, Cazzi Opeia, who may not be known by name to most but is behind hits with more than a billion Spotify plays. Spring feels like the perfect time to celebrate this dazzling, fascinating legacy every year: just as nature prepares to explode into colour, so do we.

While Norway boasts a fair share of cultural destinations too, it’s hard to justify going there without taking in all that nature has to offer. Our Norway guide this month, therefore, presents a little bit of everything: fjords, mountains – and indeed a capital city guide complete with floating saunas and brand-new art museums.

Keen readers will have noticed that we’ve expanded our columnist offering in recent months. What better issue than our annual culture special to introduce our new culture commentator, Xander Brett from Fika Online? We now have a food expert, a beer sommelier, a music connoisseur, and an award-winning design writer. Add a charming cartoonist, a celebrated comedian, a sharp business communicator and, last but not least, our new culture writer, and I think you’ll agree that our columnist pool is quite impressive. Kick back, watch the sun return, and enjoy all these insiders’ advice on all things Scandinavia.