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Home to reindeer, the Northern Lights, frozen lands, ice hotels and Vikings, Sweden is a wonderful country to visit for travellers looking for a unique cultural experience. Calling its vast landscapes picturesque is an understatement, as the country offers views so stunning that you’ll find yourself wondering whether you’re in a Wes Anderson film! With pristine forests and crystal clear lakes, local beer and delectable meals, you’ll find staying in Sweden is an experience unmatched by anything you’ve seen before.
| Sweden Tourism : A Quick Overview | |
| Continent | Europe |
| Capital | Stockholm |
| Official Language | Swedish, Finnish, and little english |
| Dial Code | +46 |
| Population | 10,215,250 |
| Currency | Swedish Krona |
| Time Zone | UTC+1 |
| Area | 450,295 km-square |
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is actually an archipelago made of 14 gorgeous islands. The sheer novelty of the same is more than enough reason to travel to this city. Surrounded by the sea, this magical city has cobbled streets, vibrant cafes, and great museums for you to visit. It’s also an incredibly trendy city with tons of stores offering classic Swedish minimalist fashion, as well as a score of nightclubs to visit for an unforgettable evening. From an entire museum dedicated to the band ABBA, to Millesgarden and Ostermalm Saluhall (a marketplace that offers impeccable street food), there’s a lot for you to explore here.
If you’re want to travel to a city with a more laid back ambience, then Gothenburg must feature on your list. With its endless canals crisscrossing the streets, the vibrant cultural scene inspires a multitude of events and festivals. With some great marketplaces and a seafood-based cuisine, Gothenburg is a haven for travellers to immerse themselves in Sweden's culture and lifestyle.
Karlskrona is Sweden’s military base, which is why you’ll see a lot of naval architecture all over the city. Most of these buildings date back to the 16th and 17th century and travellers must take part in an official tour to visit them, as they are still in use by the military and access to these buildings is generally restricted. Karlskrona is the third largest city in Sweden, filled with old churches, contemporary shopping malls, bars, and restaurants. If you visit this city during the summer season, make sure to head to its secluded swimming spots and enjoy floating in the sparkling waters.
Travel back in time by visiting Visby, a beautiful medieval city without a single brick of contemporary architecture. You’ll see storybook cottages, cobbled streets, gothic churches, and ruins here, and you simply must visit the Saint Maria Cathedral while exploring this wonderful place!
Finally, if you’re looking for hidden gems, you must make your way to Uema, which is a relatively unknown city in Sweden, in spite of the fact that it was named the European Capital of Culture in 2014. Don't forget to visit its magnificent art galleries, museums dedicated to the Sami people, and the vintage guitar museum when you’re here. This city offers great views of the Northern Lights too, as its located only 400 kms below the Arctic Circle. Spend your time exploring its bustling markets, restaurants and cafes before taking a break in any of its beautiful parks.
The Vasa Museum sees over 1 million tourists every year and is one of the most popular tourist spots in Sweden. It is dedicated to the battleship Vasa, the pride of the entire fleet, which sank on its maiden voyage. The magnificent ship bid its time in icy waters until it was salvaged in 1961. With more than 10 different exhibitions at this museum, you’ll end up spending the whole day immersing yourself in the beauty of this ship and what it meant to Sweden in 1628.
While you’re immersing yourself in history, do visit Skansen, an open air museum that’s the world’s oldest of its kind. The entire museum is essentially a village, with homes and farmsteads that represent life in the country from various periods ranging from 1720 to 1960s. You’ll get to see old schools, churches, bookstores, artisan’s shops, bakeries, Sami camps and much more, and the experience will certainly feel like something out of Westworld.
Located on the island of Lovo, Drottningholm Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that only 11 kilometers away from the main city of Stockholm. Built in the 17th century, the palace is still operation and currently houses the Swedish Royal Family. The palace also hosts a range of historical artefacts such as a Chinese Pavilion dating back to the 1700s, bronze sculpture and war trophies scattered across its terraced lawn, and the Palace Theatre that dates back to the 18th century. Like the palace itself, the theatre is also fully operational with spectacular shows held here during the summer months.
Head to Kiruna to stay at the fantastic Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi. The hotel is rebuilt every year with ice taken from the river Torne. Apart from the unique experience of staying in a hotel made entirely of ice and snow, travellers also visit this city to witness the midnight sun, which makes an appearance from mid-May to mid-July. If you do visit this place in the summer months, make sure you participate in a few fun activities such as rafting, canoeing, stand up paddle boating, and fishing.
Finally, for a thrilling experience, visit the Liseberg theme park and take your pick of its exciting rides like roller coasters, bumper cars, carousels, and much more.
During the summer months, you’ll find ample opportunity to indulge in kayaking and canoeing in Gothenburg and Stockholm. However, if you’re expecting a tranquil experience, think again because most rivers in Sweden offer thrilling rapids that will surely get your adrenaline pumping. The Torne, Lule, Kalix and Ume rivers are fantastic ones for the same.
You can also go hiking in the Swedish Lapland for an experience that brings you closer to nature. With over 400 hiking trails spread throughout the area, travelers will varying skill levels are bound to find trails that suit them perfectly. Try your hand at the King’s trail, the most popular hiking trail in the country, along with others like Kebenkaise, Vasaloppet, and Siljansleden.
During the winter months, you can indulge in a range of winter sports like skiing, dog sledding, ice-skating, and snow-mobiling. If you’re a sports buff, you must head down to Are, Central Europe’s largest sports resort, with a variety of trails for newbies and pros.
Of the many dishes available in Swedish cuisine, the smorgasbord is perhaps the most widely known. A buffet of meatballs, sausages, salmon, and other meaty delights, this is something you’ll encounter in every city – and definitely something worth trying more than once! Salad lovers should order a Gubbröra, which is an anchovy and egg salad typically served on thin dark rye bread.
Jansson’s frestelse, also known as Jansson’s Temptation, is a very popular dish made of anchovies, potatoes and cream, and typically eaten around Christmas (though you’ll find it available year-round). Gravlax, which is dill cured salmon, is another immensely popular dish that’s often been described as a foodie's delight. Though the dish owes its origins to France, the Swedish variant comes with mustard, and condiment rarely used in French cuisine. You can order this dish separately, or ask for a smorgasbord that includes thin slices of Gravlax.
If you love all things sweet, order a princess cake or saffron and cinnamon buns for a delightful bite to eat along with your coffee. You should also experiment with the local Swedish beer and try as many variants of coffee as you possibly can!
Sweden is located in Northern Europe and shares its borders with Norway, Finland and Denmark.
The peak season for traveling to Sweden is in the summer months, from May to early September. With long days filled with sunshine, beautiful weather and interesting activities like kayaking, canoeing and hiking on the cards, most travellers enjoy being in this country during this time. Having said that though, the shoulder season is also a great time to visit if you want to avoid running into too many tourists. However, planning your itinerary during the months of October, September, May and April can be quite challenging as snowfall can be unpredictable. So, if you’re planning to travel here during this season, do keep a flexible schedule.
Finally, the winter season from November to March is a great time to visit the country as it’s a haven for winter sports like sledding, skiing, and snowmobiling. Though there’s very little daylight and extremely cold climates, travellers love visiting during these months as they can spot the wonderful Northern Lights.
By Air: Stockholm Arlanda and Goteborg Landvetter host international airlines from all over the world, and are the best options to get to the country by air. Though Sweden has a few other airports, they are mainly for domestic travel only.
By Train: You can enter the country by taking trains from Denmark, Germany, Finland and Norway. As Sweden is a part of the Schengen Agreement, travellers with a Schengen Visa shouldn’t face any issues crossing the borders.
By Boat: With many Swedish cities being archipelagos, travelling by boat is a norm here. You can hop on cruises and ferries from Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Belgium, Russia, Lithuania, Norway, Germany, Poland, and even the UK.
Sweden saw a late foray into the industrial revolution, Swedish farming culture has held an important role in determining the politics of the country. As a result, you see a lot of preservation of natural resources. The country remained neutral during both the World Wars, and is still non-aligned from a military point of view.
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