Occupying a prime stretch of geography between Lake Michigan and Green Bay, the region of Door County is lovely year-round, but shines particularly brightly in spring and summer. Throughout the area, Scandinavian heritage is celebrated in a variety of ways. This includes the annual Fyr Bal Festival, held each year in Ephraim to welcome the arrival of summer. A tradition carried here by Swedish immigrants during the 1800s, the festival is the result of a revival of Swedish culture initiated in the region in 1960. A chieftain is secretly elected, disguised and delivered via boat across the water before personally lighting a towering bonfire to ceremoniously “burn away the winter.” The festival includes wooden shoe carvings, flower crown crafts, ax throwing (Viking costumes encouraged), Scandinavian dancing and canoe expeditions on the water.

You can begin your day at Al Johnson’s in Sister Bay, where a Swedish-themed breakfast of pancakes topped with luscious lingonberries is served beneath a roof occupied by a herd of grazing goats. And yes, there’s a “goat cam” on the restaurant’s website so you can stay visually in touch after your visit.

© Destination Door County

Among the county’s other small, charm-filled communities are Egg Harbor. At Fika Bakery & Coffeehouse, Victoria Linstrom and her family brought the Swedish tradition of daily coffee break known as “fika” to new heights, with menu items crafted from family recipes. Choose from cardamom rolls, Swedish meatballs and “ole” rolls — a delectable, flaky baked pastry filled with a selection of savory ingredients. The café’s cheerful décor features a host of Scandi items, including authentic, hand-carved Dala horses.

Stop in at Wilson’s in Ephraim for ice cream, sundaes, shakes and diner food. Be sure to bring some loose change: Booths come with tabletop jukeboxes and fun retro tunes. Later, you can burn some calories at Peninsula State Park with a climb up Eagle Tower and a visit to Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, then relax over a traditional fish boil dinner at The Old Post Office Restaurant. Your host will prepare your dinner in front of you while you watch from seats surrounding a giant cauldron of boiling water set above flames. The meal is served inside the restaurant’s cozy dining room.

© Destination Door County

Other activities include tours and shopping at Seaquist Orchards, and wine tastings of local cherry wine at Lautenbach Orchard. Both destinations have enormous gift shops stocked with local cherry jams, sauces, ciders, syrups and handcrafted gifts. If you make the short, pleasant ferry ride to Washington Island, you can visit Stavkirke, a traditional Norse stave church that houses a Jerusalem Bible illustrated by Salvador Dalí.

Back in Ellison Bay, treat yourself to fine dining at Osteria Tre Tassi, where chef Robin Brown sources herbs and vegetables from his own farm, bringing a true element of freshness to dishes. Open seasonally, the menu includes an impressive selection of wines, and delicious choices include Filetto Alla Umbra, Branzino Alla Mediterrane and Rigatoni All Tasso. Save room for dessert, but don’t go to bed early — at night, there’s stargazing at Newport State Park in Ellison Bay. Officially designated as a Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association, weather and other factors sometimes allow for views of the Aurora Borealis.