By Christy Wolyniak

Seattle’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau recently released its newest Nordic heritage guide this month in hopes to promote tourism and encourage an interest in Nordic history.

Many Seattleites share a common Nordic ancestry which many communities such as Ballard are proud to recognize. The guide features places of interest and community events around the Seattle area and beyond for tourists to discover. One such event is St. Lucia’s Day, in which a young woman wearing a crown of candles leads a festive procession. Other events and attractions commemorate historic Nordic people and events, providing a rich cultural experience for both tourists and locals.

The guide highlights places of interest such as the Leif Erikson statue at Shilshole Bay Marina and the Nordic Heritage Museum; the only museum in the nation that recognizes all five Nordic countries, according to the guide.

“It is important to us that the guides be reflective of the community, are accurate and culturally sensitive,” said Tracey Wickersham, cultural tourism director for Seattle’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Interested visitors will discover that Seattle is not the only city with hidden Nordic secrets and historic adventures waiting to be discovered. The town of Poulsbo, nicknamed “Little Norway,” keeps its history alive and breathing through walking tours amongst its quiet Nordic streets and shops.

The town of Ballard is known for its strong Nordic ties as immigrants carved out a living through the milling and shipbuilding industries. Within every historic guide, a specific neighborhood is chosen for which to research that reflects the rich history central to the guide. Ballard is proud to remain to this day a cultural melting pot alive and breathing with Nordic history.

“Scandinavians are not used to promoting themselves. A saying in part of culture is “no tall poppies,” meaning everyone’s supposed to blend in…to have this recognized attention [through the guide] is marvelous,” said Kristine Leander, cultural programs director for the Swedish Cultural Center and president of the Leif Erikson Foundation.

No longer will visitors need to be led by paper-napkin maps. The Nordic Heritage guide provides a map with a legend so that visitors can easily navigate to places of interest.

“The community is always fluid, it will change. [This guide] is a snapshot in time. I’m very pleased with it,” said Leander.

30,000 guides have been distributed throughout visitor centers and places highlighted in the guide, according to Holly Taylor, Past Forward Principal. These guides are constantly updated in order to ensure accuracy. Most recently updated have been the Asian American and Native American guides.

“There’s a lot of interest among smaller places, parks, gardens, and galleries off the beaten path. People like to see those ‘of the beaten path’ places highlighted,” said Taylor.

The guide provides a window into places otherwise unknown to many Seattle residents and especially tourists. Its portable form facilitates easy transfer and sharing amongst interested and eager friends and family visiting the Seattle area.

According to Taylor, one of goals of this project was to make academic documentation and research of Nordic heritage more visible for the public.

“I’m thankful and appreciative to the community for helping us and giving us feedback. [This guide] reflects community well,” said Wickersham.

A brand new Latino guide is expected to arrive in visitor’s centers later this year, according to Taylor.

Seattle Nordic Heritage Guides can be found online at visitseattle.org/Visitors/Discover/Heritage and in print at the Nordic Heritage Museum or the Seattle Visitor Center.