But let’s start from the beginning. Last December I got a message from a friend—an idea as tempting as it was crazy: take part in the North Cape 4000.
“Want to ride from Berlin to the North Cape?”
I should have answered with a loud “No, thanks!” and yet here I am writing this story after crossing Northern Europe by bike.
3,000 km, 15 days of travel, 4 countries crossed, countless downpours, uncountable cinnamon buns, over 500 fellow riders, dozens of podcasts, endless rainbows.
My journey to the North Cape was tough and unforgettable, letting me discover a new part of the world and of myself.
I faced wild weather and exhaustion after more than 200 km in the saddle, afraid I wouldn’t reach that iron globe marking Europe’s northernmost point. Yet I made it—proving to myself a determination I didn’t know I had.
On such a long ride, time is measured by small rituals: opening and closing bike bags to begin and end each day; supermarket stops that become creative challenges to fit an oversized cinnamon bun on the Top Tube; coffee breaks at gas stations to refill bottles, meet other riders, and plan the next stops.
The North Cape 4000 is life-changing. Since returning, nothing feels impossible: goals aren’t unreachable, just tougher roads. I’m no longer afraid of being alone; long days cycling through Swedish forests taught me to enjoy my own company.
- The Arctic Circle is only an imaginary line.
- The land beyond it, spanning Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, shouldn’t be called Lapland but Sápmi.
- Listening to true-crime podcasts alone in Finnish forests isn’t always the best idea 😣
- Swedes love flea markets, which they call Loppis.
- Santa’s House in Rovaniemi is open in summer—though Santa is on holiday.
- Reindeer are hilarious…and surprisingly fast.
- In Swedish, thank you is tack ✨
