Travel to Sweden: what to see between Stockholm, Malmo and Lapland

It is the land of the ancients Vikings but also the place where the modern dark and very fashionable yellows were born, a country of forests and people in love with outdoor life but at the same time the homeland of design. In short, the Sweden at first glance it looks like a complex country where one thing contains the opposite in itself. And also for this reason it is a land to be discovered. A trip to Sweden in fact it must start from a consideration: here seasons matter. It’s a lot. In summer, with the sun that never seems to set, locals and tourists alike devote themselves to life in natureindulging in long hours of trekking, sailing and many other sports.

Then winter arrives and it becomes almost a must to close yourself in the heat, to protect yourself from the freezing wind, snow and above all from long dark nights. Yes, but this also has its downside: because even with frost you can challenge the winter with it dog sleddingthe ice fishing, the ski and walks with snowshoes. In short, a trip to Sweden is always a pleasant surprise and guarantees an emotion for everyone both for those who cannot stay still and for those who love art and experience culture. And in the cities these ingredients are not lacking, especially in the capital Stockholm which boasts an ancient history, prestigious museums and buildings of royal rank which, however, stand side by side with modern attractions. Not forgetting a pleasant nightlife and a myriad of excellent restaurants and shops.

Travel to Sweden: the cities to visit

But Stockholm it is not the only Swedish city to visit. Smaller cities like Gothenburg, Malmö, Uppsala and the Nordic Kiruna offer interesting ideas for tourists who decide to take a trip to Sweden. And let’s talk about a long list of experiences ranging from historical heritage discovery to amusement parks. Without forgetting the unmissable opportunity for long boat trips among the archipelagos of Baltic Sea. We talked about Stockholm: which is certainly the heart of our trip. The capital, affectionately called by its inhabitants, Isdrottningor the Ice queenalternates waterways And palaces, parks and a bristly skyline of spiers. Scattered on fourteen major islands and a myriad of small rocks unite the strength of the skies never tamed by Scandinavia with the contemporary dynamism ofEurope, with an old town, Gamla Stanwhich is a jewel and nature, in its truest forms, never too far away.

A situation that is found a Gothenburg, on the southwestern coast of the country, where the river Cheek meets the North Sea and where there is a strong contrast between the modernity of the lifestyle with the soft atmosphere of its historic cobbled streets. Here is the great port of Scandinavia and an endless archipelago (skärgård for the locals) and every day you can choose whether to try a trip in the wind that smells of brackish or indulge in a taste of the best shellfish you can eat. And so our trip to Sweden continues towards Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden, and a multicultural gateway to Europe. Here, a short distance away, the famous starts Oresund bridge that connects the Sweden at the Denmark. It is no coincidence: the city’s proximity to the continent is reflected in the faces and lifestyles of its much more mixed population than elsewhere. And not surprisingly, around Möllevångstorgeta square in the south of the city, you will find the largest number of ethnic restaurants in the country.

Beyond the cities, however, there is a lot of nature and expanses of woods and mountains and expanses of water. Sweden’s countryside looks less extreme than the rugged landscapes of its neighbor Norway. Much of Sweden is covered in forest and there are thousands of lakesincluding large bodies of water in between Gothenburg And Stockholm. The border with Norway is made unique by the spectacular mountain range of Skanderna while in the far north lies the wonderfully barren Arctic tundra where you can see the Northern Lights.

The south is dominated by emerald forests that creep into the azure waters of the Gulf of Bothnia which then becomes the rugged coast of the Baltic. Of all the enchanting places in Sweden, the views of the national park must not be forgotten Stora Sjöfallet covering a slice of the Lapland with waterfalls, mountain massifs apparently never touched by man, coniferous forests and deep wild valleys. The fishing villages of the west coast, on the other hand, are the ideal place for fish lovers, while culture lovers will be impressed by Uppsala, the ancient Viking city where the most recent buildings date back to the 18th century and almost 150 museums are at the disposal of the curious.

Travel to Sweden: the climate

The climate of Sweden it varies a lot from north to south, but is generally more temperate than one might expect thanks to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. There are three different climate zones in Sweden: the south has an oceanic climate, the center has a humid continental climate, and the north has a subarctic climate. Summers in southern and central Sweden are warm and pleasant, with average temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees). In winter, however, temperatures in these regions drop from -4 to 2 degrees. In the north it is much colder, with short, cool summers and long, snowy winters, and temperatures frequently drop well below zero between September and May. There rain it falls in Sweden at any time of the year, but the wettest period is in late summer, particularly in the south-west area. The best time to visit Sweden is therefore in the summer months, from June to August, when the days are long and hot and the museums and outdoor restaurants are open. It is also the most expensive period and therefore some choose spring or autumn: they are pleasant seasons and are much less crowded.

We have mentioned some of the possible destinations of a trip to Sweden. But the destinations are endless: for example, when you leave the capital, a great experience is to visit thereStockholm archipelago which is made up of about 30,000 islands. The typical ones wooden summer houses red and yellow stand out on some of the islands while many others remain totally untouched and therefore a trip to the surrounding area by water should not be missed. There are many organized tours of varying lengths and in some cases offering the option to go down and have dinner on the island. Get informed and get ready to leave.

Travel to Sweden: Viking parks and villages

Also in the Skansen National Park you will find the traditional Swedish houses which are the passion of the locals who flock to these places in the summer months. Plus there are cafes, bike rentals and things to see like the Abba museum. All this then just a few minutes from the center by taking a ferry from Gamla Stan or a tram from Norrmalmstorg.

On our trip to Sweden we also jump in time and come to Sigtuna, the first city in Sweden founded in 980 AD, the last century of the Viking era. The village is located on the shores of the lake Mälaren in the lush green landscape of Uppland, north of Stockholm. The extraordinary history of Sigtuna is found enclosed in medieval churches, in the ruins of palaces and in the runic stones that are still visible today. The main street, Storgatan, it is also full of pleasant little shops that attract shopping enthusiasts. By car, Sigtuna is only 45 minutes from Stockholm30 minutes from the university city of Uppsala and only 20 minutes fromArlanda airport.

Travel to Sweden: walled cities, a World Heritage Site

We continue our trip to Sweden with another very suggestive destination: Visby, on the island of Gotland. It is a small town surrounded by 700-year-old walls with winding streets between ancient houses and the best thing is to wander aimlessly trying to be enchanted by the medieval atmosphere. The houses in fact often date back to that period as well as wooden buildings of the 17th and 18th centuries. All this obviously has affected tourists from all over the world and theUnesco has included it among the World Heritage Sites.

So let’s go and discover one of Sweden’s many waterways: the Göta canal. Often described as Sweden’s largest engineering feat, the canal dates from the early 19th century and is 190 kilometers long. It is now one of the country’s top tourist attractions and offers a unique perspective into the heart of Sweden. Also, by connecting to the lakes Vänern And Vättern and to the canal Trollhätteis part of a water connection from Stockholmin the north-east, a Gothenburg, in the southwest. With 47 bridges and 58 locks, the canal extends from Sjötorp on Lake Vänern up to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea. You can sail thanks to a passenger ship service but there is also the possibility to rent a boat and feel like a sea dog for a day.

Finally we conclude our trip to Sweden at Kiruna in Lapland, the northernmost city of the country, and also the capital of the largest province in the country, which borders both the Norway both with the Finland. The midnight sun is visible here from mid-May to mid-July and the settlement developed when iron mining began around 1900. Incredibly, due to the subsidence caused by the mining activities, the whole city is slowly getting worse. moving but here you come more than anything else to experience the first ice hotel to the world, a Jukkasjärvi, about 17 kilometers outside the city. The highest mountain in Sweden, Kebnekaiseis located 90 kilometers to the west and a little further north is theAbisko National Park. And further north a sea of ​​ice.