Latest news with #NordicNoir
Forbes
12-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How The Øresund Bridge Transformed Travel In Scandinavia
The Øresund Bridge links Sweden and Denmark, and has transformed travel in the region. getty It began as a bold engineering gamble and became a symbol of Scandinavian unity. The Øresund Bridge, which links Denmark and Sweden, has reshaped travel and even pop culture across the region. Scandinavia is known for its high quality of life, sleek design and high cost of living. But it also has an unexpected global export: Nordic noir. Among the genre's most iconic titles is the hit TV drama The Bridge . In the opening episode, a body is discovered on the border between Denmark and Sweden, right in the middle of the Øresund Bridge. As the show gripped global audiences, the structure itself gained new fame. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Øresund Bridge's opening, and new data shows just how much it has changed travel, commuting, and tourism across the region. What began as a controversial megaproject is now a vital artery for everyday life and a symbol of Nordic integration in action. An Icon Of Scandinavia The Øresund Bridge is a remarkable feat of engineering: part bridge, part tunnel, stretching nearly five miles from Copenhagen to the man-made island of Peberholm, then continuing through a 2.5-mile tunnel to reach Malmö. When it opened in July 2000, it was the largest infrastructure project in Scandinavia and also one of the most politically controversial. Early concerns about cost, environmental damage, and nationalism were widespread. Sweden's environment minister even resigned in protest. Thousands commute across the Øresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark every day. Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images Yet today, the bridge is broadly seen as a success story. According to the Øresundsindex Jubilee report, cross-border integration is now at a record high. Quarter-Century Of Travel Growth Since the bridge's first full year of operation in 2001, cross-border integration has accelerated dramatically. The Øresundsindex, which tracks nine key indicators of regional integration, has risen by 134% over that period. In 2024 alone, the Øresund region recorded nearly 38 million journeys across the strait by car, train, or ferry. That includes 17 million car trips over the bridge, which is an all-time high. The 15 million train journeys is also a record. The number of daily commuters reached 21,585, the vast majority of them Swedes traveling to jobs in Denmark's capital region. Meanwhile, 1.3 million overnight stays were logged by travelers staying on the opposite side of the strait from where they live. These figures point to a profound transformation in how people in Denmark and Sweden live, work and explore the region. Danish healthcare worker Camilla Latifi, who moved to Malmö for love but continues to work in Denmark for financial reasons, told researchers that earning Danish wages while spending in Swedish kroner 'just makes sense', even factoring in the 90-minute roundtrip by train. Two Scandinavian Cities Enjoying The Benefits The cities of Malmö in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark have been the main beneficiaries of the bridge. As well as serving local commuters, it gives international travelers arriving at Copenhagen Airport, the busiest in the Nordic region, an easy way to include Malmö and other parts of Sweden in their itinerary. From the airport's train station, it takes just 15 minutes to reach central Copenhagen and about 25 minutes to reach Malmö. Thanks to the Schengen Agreement, there is often little sign that you are crossing an international border. For tourists, the appeal of visiting two culturally distinct cities in a single trip is hard to resist. Copenhagen offers world-class dining, cutting-edge design, and boutique hotels, while Malmö charms with its laid-back atmosphere and waterfront parks. Crossing the Øresund Bridge by train or car adds to the experience, offering sweeping views of the strait and a tangible sense of crossing borders with ease. With integration stronger than ever, attention now turns to the next phase of Nordic connectivity. The Fehmarn Belt tunnel linking Denmark and Germany is under construction, promising faster connections to the continent. Meanwhile, infrastructure upgrades on both sides of the Øresund continue. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes Why Denmark Is The Scandinavian American Travel Destination For 2025 By David Nikel Forbes 'CopenPay' To Encourage Greener Travel Choices In Copenhagen, Denmark By David Nikel Forbes Scandinavia Struggling To Cope With 'Coolcation' Motorhome Tourists By David Nikel
Wall Street Journal
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
‘Mafia' Review: Balkanized Crime on Viaplay
The scenario that unfolds in the six-part 'Mafia' might ring an alarm bell—immigrant gangs from troubled countries importing bank robbery, smuggling and violence into a civilized Western nation. A Kristi Noem PSA? No, Sweden in the '90s. This Nordic Noir-ish thriller sets itself up well before the breakup of Yugoslavia, when the country was already sending proxies—'agents' might be overdoing it—into democracies like Sweden in search of the money needed to prop up a failing regime. But with Croatia's declaration of independence in 1991, and Eastern European nationalism on the rise, the criminal organizations themselves become balkanized, pun intended, and the opportunities in Stockholm both open and close. The trick is knowing whom to cultivate, and whom to kill.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Has Netflix's Dept. Q been renewed for Season 2?
Dept. Q is Netflix's newest British crime drama, which follows grizzly detective Carl Mork (Matthew Goode) as he investigates cold cases in Scotland and is sure to become your latest obsession. The series is based on Jussi Adler-Olsen's crime novels of the same name, but has transported the story from Denmark to Scotland. Adopting a Nordic Noir feel as a result, Dept. Q finds Carl and his motley crew of outcasts investigating the strange disappearance of prosecutor Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie) four years earlier. With the narrative following a dramatic turn of events that will keep viewers guessing until the end, the season ends on a contemplative note with the team ready to take on their next case — which means fans will no doubt wonder if they'll get the chance to see the characters again. Here's what we know so far. So far, Dept. Q has not yet been renewed for a second season, but the cast tell Yahoo UK they are raring to go for another season, with Goode sharing "that's the hope". "Hopefully we get to come back down," Alexej Manvelov tells Yahoo UK, as he reflects on the chance to learn more about his character Akram — a Syrian refugee with a mysterious past and a knack for using martial arts to get answers he needs. Goode is also keen to learn more about Manvelov's character, sharing: "I was saying to Scott the other day, what we really need to do is, A, season 2, and we need to get Alexej into eight weeks of Krav Magar training so the fight scenes in season 2 can be amazing. It's going to be a sort of Syrian Bourne." Pirrie also shared her hopes for the show to return when chatting with Yahoo UK, admitting that she would love to learn more about the characters and how Adler-Olsen's work is adapted further. "I'd love to see more," she says. "When I watched the episodes I was just like these characters are such fun to be with — especially for me, because there's so much work I didn't see. I wasn't around because I was on my own. "So I just loved meeting all those characters on the screen and I just think 'I've got to spend more time with these people.' They're so great, I would love to see more of it personally, even though I'm in it! But I think we wanna follow them along, I want to see that team do more stuff together." Dept. Q is out now on Netflix.
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Matthew Goode told ‘not to read the Department Q novels' for Netflix show
Matthew Goode has said he was told 'don't read' the crime novel series Department Q before taking on a Netflix show based on the books. The British actor, 47, known for fantasy show A Discovery Of Witches and thriller Stoker, is playing a new version of Carl Morck, who was created by the Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen. In the adaptation of the Nordic noir novels, the action moves from Copenhagen to the Scottish capital Edinburgh, and is directed and written by multi award-winning Scott Frank, known for Netflix series The Queen's Gambit and superhero film Logan.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix adds a new Nordic noir thriller that's sure to be your next binge — can it live up to The Åre Murders?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Netflix has added Secrets We Keep, a new Nordic noir thriller, which the streamer hopes will match the success of recent global smash The Åre Murders. While The Åre Murders was set in Sweden, we're off to a posh part of Denmark for Secrets We Keep, a drama which sees an au pair turn detective when another au pair goes missing. It's just six parts, so nice and easy to binge. Teasing the plot, Netflix says: "When the young Filipino au pair Ruby disappears from one of Denmark's most affluent neighborhoods north of Copenhagen, the neighbor, Cecilie, becomes convinced that something has happened to her. "Cecilie's own au pair, Angel, begins to investigate the rumors circulating among the area's many au pairs, while suspicions of a crime grow. However, the case of the missing foreigner is a low priority for the police, and the newly minted investigator Aicha needs all the assistance she can get." So, the plot sees the trio join forces to solve the case. However, there's a twist when a connection is found to Cecile's own family. Netflix adds: "She is forced to confront her blind spots and view her family and the environment in which she is raising her children in a whole new light." The cast features Marie Bach Hansen, Danica Curcic, Simon Sears, Lars Ranthe, Sara Fanta Traore, and newcomers Excel Busano and Donna Levkovski. Creator Ingeborg Topsøe says: 'I enjoy experimenting with the genre because it requires the audience's full attention, and placing a crime story in this particular setting is especially compelling. What happens when care and intimacy within the home are outsourced to an au pair? What does that stir in us — and in those closest to us? Does it reveal the best in us, or the worst?" Netflix will be hoping Secrets We Keep can keep up its great run of Nordic noir thrillers. First came The Breakthrough, a four-part murder mystery inspired by a real double murder case in Sweden, which was solved years later using groundbreaking genetic genealogy techniques. Then came the best of the bunch, The Åre Murders, a Swedish detective thriller which became a global smash for the streamer. And most recently was The Glass Dome, another Swedish set show which followed a young criminologist, who was kidnapped as a child and wonders as an adult whether her kidnapper has struck again. Secrets We Keep is on Netflix now. See our best shows on Netflix guide for more series to enjoy.
