Norway has appeared in some of the biggest films of recent years, and several of its most recognisable locations sit naturally alongside the fjord and Arctic holidays we already create.

The Norwegian Fjords and Mission: Impossible

If you are travelling through Fjord Norway, there are several opportunities to see landscapes used in the Mission: Impossible films.

Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, rises above Lysefjord near Stavanger and was used for the dramatic final sequence of Mission: Impossible Fallout. The location represented Kashmir on screen, but the distinctive cliff is unmistakably Norwegian. You can hike to the plateau or see Preikestolen from the water on a journey through Lysefjord.

Further north, the landscapes of Sunnmøre featured prominently in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One. The spectacular motorcycle jump was filmed at Helsetkopen above Hellesylt, close to Geirangerfjord. The film also used the Rauma Railway around Åndalsnes for its train sequences.

These locations work particularly well for holidays taking you through Ålesund, Sunnmøre, Geiranger and the surrounding fjord region. If you are staying at Storfjord Hotel, for example, the film connection can become part of a wider exploration of one of Norway’s most dramatic landscapes.

Bergen, Flåm and the Real Planet Hoth

One of Norway’s most famous film locations can be incorporated particularly well into a journey between Oslo, Flåm and Bergen.

The snowy landscapes around Finse and the Hardangerjøkulen glacier became the ice planet Hoth in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

Filming took place around Finse in 1979, including scenes close to the railway and the glacier. Finse is reached by train rather than road, making the journey there part of the experience.

For travellers already including the Bergen Railway and Flåm Railway in their holiday, this is one of the easiest ways to add a genuine film location without dramatically changing the itinerary.

Svalbard on the Big Screen

Svalbard’s vast valleys, glaciers and Arctic coastline have increasingly attracted major film productions.

Parts of Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning were filmed in Svalbard, with production taking place around Borebukta and Ekmanfjorden in Isfjorden. During summer, these parts of the archipelago can be explored by boat.

Adventdalen, just outside Longyearbyen, was also used during filming for Superman, released in 2025.

For an Off The Map Svalbard holiday staying at Funken Lodge, film locations can sit alongside wildlife boat trips, glacier scenery, dog sledding, snowcat adventures and the extraordinary experience of the Polar Night in winter.

Sweden’s connection with cinema takes you from the streets of Stockholm to the striking Baltic landscapes of Gotland and Fårö.

Stockholm and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

A stay in Stockholm puts you within walking distance of locations associated with one of Sweden’s most famous international stories.

Both Swedish and Hollywood versions of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo used Stockholm as a backdrop, with Södermalm particularly closely associated with the story.

In the 2011 film, Bellmansgatan 1 became the home of Mikael Blomkvist, while nearby streets, cafés and viewpoints around Södermalm are immediately recognisable to fans of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium stories.

It is easy to explore these locations during a few days in Stockholm, combining them with Gamla Stan, museums, restaurants, the archipelago and hotels such as Hotel Diplomat, Bank Hotel or Hotel Skeppsholmen.

Gotland, Fårö and Ingmar Bergman

Gotland offers a completely different side of Sweden’s film history.

Just north of Gotland lies Fårö, the island that became closely associated with director Ingmar Bergman. Through a Glass Darkly was filmed here, followed by films including Persona and The Passion of Anna. Bergman eventually made Fårö his home and worked on the island for decades.

More recently, Bergman Island, starring Vicky Krieps and Tim Roth, was filmed across Gotland and Fårö, using locations including Ekeviken, Ulla Hau and Sudersand.

For travellers already exploring Gotland, perhaps with a stay at Sibbjäns, a visit to Fårö introduces another layer to the island. Limestone sea stacks, beaches, open Baltic horizons and the Bergman Center make it worthwhile even if you have never seen one of Bergman’s films.

Families may also recognise another Gotland connection. Many of the original Pippi Longstocking films and television scenes were filmed around the island.

Finland’s film locations are less about city landmarks and more about the scale of its northern wilderness.

Finnish Lapland and Sisu

If you have seen Sisu, the sweeping empty landscapes of northern Finland are a major part of the film.

The production filmed in Utsjoki and Inari, deep in Finnish Lapland. The sparse fells, long roads and Arctic wilderness provided the setting for the film’s story.

Inari is already a natural fit for the type of Finnish Lapland holidays we create. It can be combined with Ivalo, Saariselkä and Lake Inari, with Utsjoki providing the possibility of travelling considerably farther north.

A film inspired visit can therefore become part of a much wider Lapland experience, with reindeer, husky sledding, snowmobiling, Northern Lights experiences, frozen lakes and stays in beautifully designed Arctic accommodation.

The landscapes change completely in summer, when the same region is illuminated by the Midnight Sun and journeys can include hiking, canoeing and exploring Lake Inari.

Few countries have played as many different parts on screen as Iceland.

Its glaciers have become alien planets, black beaches have represented distant galaxies and waterfalls have doubled as landscapes thousands of miles away.

For an Off The Map holiday, many of those locations are places you would want to visit regardless of their film connections.

Iceland’s South Coast

The South Coast offers perhaps the greatest concentration of recognisable film locations in the Nordics.

The landscapes around Svínafellsjökull and Vatnajökull were used to create another planet in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.

Vatnajökull also appeared in Batman Begins, while Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon was used in productions including Die Another Day and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Around Vík, the black landscapes of Mýrdalssandur, Reynisfjara and Hjörleifshöfði were used in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Nearby Skógafoss and other South Iceland locations appeared in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a film that used Iceland extensively for landscapes supposedly located elsewhere in the world.

These are not obscure locations that require a major diversion. Waterfalls, glaciers and black beaches are already some of the highlights of a journey along Iceland’s South Coast.

Snæfellsnes and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

West Iceland also played a starring role in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Stykkishólmur was transformed into Greenland for the film, while Grundarfjörður and the distinctive Kirkjufell mountain also appeared on screen.

This makes Snæfellsnes a particularly good addition to a Reykjavík holiday or longer Icelandic road trip. Beyond its film credentials, the peninsula offers fishing villages, lava fields, wild coastline, mountains and the Snæfellsjökull glacier.

Lake Mývatn and Fast and Furious

Travelling north from Akureyri brings another film connection.

The volcanic landscapes around Lake Mývatn were used during filming for Fast and Furious 8, also released as The Fate of the Furious.

It fits particularly well with a self drive journey around North Iceland, where Mývatn can be combined with waterfalls, geothermal areas, volcanic landscapes and time in Akureyri.

Iceland’s dramatic landscapes featured extensively in Game of Thrones, particularly in scenes set beyond the Wall. Filming locations included the volcanic scenery around Lake Mývatn, Þingvellir National Park and Kirkjufell on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, all of which can be incorporated naturally into an Off The Map Iceland holiday.