Sweden is well-known for many things. These include Saab and Volvo automobiles as well as the music group ABBA and pickled herring. IKEA, the home-improvement megastore, is also a big hit. The country is also known for its beautiful scenery, picturesque fishing communities, and being the home of reindeer.
Sweden is full of colorful wooden buildings, traditional homes, stone fortresses, cathedrals, and other innovative modern architecture. Sweden offers everything you need, whether it is hiking trails or art museums. Here’s a list of the top places in Sweden to visit:
Uppsala
Uppsala is located 70km (44 miles) north from Stockholm. It has been the spiritual center of Sweden since the 12th Century. Uppsala was once known for its idols of Norse gods. The Uppsala Cathedral is the seat of the archbishop for Sweden and the largest cathedral in Scandinavia. Uppsala University was established in 1477. It is one of the oldest colleges and universities in Scandinavia.
The city is bounded by the Fyris River, with the medieval area located west of it. The skyline is dominated by the Uppsala Castle and the cathedral. Carl Linnaeus, a nineteenth-century botanist, lived in Uppsala. You can also visit the botanical garden near the castle.
Stockholm
Stockholm is a beautiful city on 14 islands. It is Sweden’s capital, and the largest city of Scandinavia. Stockholm was founded in the 13th century. It is the place where the Nobel Prizes are awarded each year. The Vasa Museum is the most popular museum in Scandinavia. It’s dedicated to a 17th-century warship that went down on its maiden voyage.
Stockholm is more affordable than other Nordic cities. It offers free admission to 15 museums including the Swedish History and Medieval Museums, Royal Armory, and Skokloster Castle. The Royal Palace, Modern Art Museum, and City Hall are all worth a visit.
Malmo
Malmo is a historic medieval city that has been reconstructed with contemporary architecture. It can be described as something old and something new. The third-largest city in Sweden has a beautiful Old Town (Gamla Stoden), which includes three squares: Stortoget, Lilla Torg and Gustav Adlfs Torg.
Gustav Adlfs Torg is the main square. Old Town is also home to Malmohus Slott, a castle. This multi-ethnic city is connected to Denmark via Oresund Bridge. The Turning Torso is a must-see attraction. It’s an architectural marvel that stretches more than 190m (600 feet) into space. This makes it Sweden’s most talked about building.
Swedish Lapland
Swedish Lapland is the perfect place for wilderness adventure if you are looking for a unique and unspoiled experience. It is located in the far north of the Arctic Circle. Summer shines round the clock here. Lapland is ideal for hikers, canoers and wildlife viewers.
The Sami, a hardy and indigenous people of Swedish Lapland, live there. They live in vast forests and barren tundra. The Wilderness Way, which runs 359 km (223 miles) from Stromsund, to Vilhelmina’s terminus, is a great way to see the area. It passes through Fatmomakke and takes you to traditional wooden huts. Jokkmokk is the hub of Sami life and winter visitors can purchase reindeer hides.
Gotland
You would think that fishing, being the largest island in Sweden, is the main industry on the island. But it’s not so. Among the top industries are tourism, agriculture and information technology. It is a popular destination for sun seekers as it receives more sunlight than any other part of Sweden.
Visby, the island’s only city, is a charming Hanseatic walled town that has preserved much of its historic buildings and townscape. The island also has around 100 prehistoric sites and medieval churches.
Kosterhavet National Park
Sweden is blessed with a lot of coastlines. However, Kosterhavet National Park is the best place to see protected marine lines. Kosterhavet is the first national marine park in Sweden. It borders Norway. The park contains 6,000 species and is home to many species that aren’t found elsewhere in Sweden.
The park’s center is the Koster Islands, which lie along the coast and in the sea. Kosterhavet’s coral reefs are a draw for divers and snorkelers, while landlubbers will enjoy the charming fishing villages that await being turned into postcards.
Ystad
Ystad is a Swedish coastal town that attracts murder mystery lovers and sleuths. Henning Mankell, a noted author, set his Kurt Wallender detective novels around Ystad. Greyfriars Abbey is one of Sweden’s most well-preserved medieval monasteries and the Church of the Virgin Mary is a large medieval church. Both are excellent examples of Gothic Hansa architecture.
You will also find charming pastel-colored half-timbered buildings as you walk along cobblestone streets. You can also take a stroll along the pretty sandy beaches of the town. East of Ystad lies the megalithic monument, Ales Stenar. It consists of 59 large boulders that form a stone ship.
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is located on Sweden’s West Coast and is home to many parks of different sizes. Many of these parks date back to 19th-century, including Kungsparken which circles the city’s center. Liseberg has the most rides in Scandinavia and is home to many more.
Gothenburg is the largest port city of Scandinavia and hosts the largest regional film festival. There are also numerous music festivals throughout each year. Are you hungry? Try a Haga hagabulle, which is a large cinnamon roll made at Haga. Haga is a district famous for its beautiful wooden houses.
