Sweden

Overview

Sweden ( Swedish : Sverige ) is the largest of the Nordic countries by area and population. Visitors can experience deep forests and many lakes, the heritage from the Viking Age and the 17th-century Swedish Empire , the glamour of the Nobel Prize , and the country's successful pop music scene . Sweden has 270,000 islands with many open to visit through the right to roam .

The "Nordic model" of economics and social policy was largely developed by Swedish social democrats and liberals during the early 20th century. The foundation is a strong welfare state, combined with market economics. Swedish society, as it has become through this policy, is often described as "folkhemmet", comparing solidarity in the society with that in a family:

In ancient times, Sweden was inhabited by the Suiones ( svear ) in Svealand and the Geats ( götar ) in Götaland. Some of these participated in Viking expeditions (see Vikings and the Old Norse ), and are said to have founded the first kingdoms in Russia . Written sources from the Viking Age are few and short.

Around AD 1000, Christianity replaced Norse paganism, Suiones and Geats united under one king (probably Olof Skötkonung), and the first cities were founded; among them Sigtuna , Uppsala and Skara . With Christianity came written chronicles and stone architecture, which have provided the afterworld with better historical detail than earlier remnants. Swedish kings Christianized and annexed Finland . During the 14th and 15th century, Sweden was a subject of the Kalmar Union with Norway and Denmark. Gustav Vasa liberated Sweden from Danish rule, was elected king in 1523, and is regarded the founder of modern Sweden. He also reformed the church to Lutheran-Protestant. Today, the monarch is still constitutionally required to be a Lutheran, though contemporary Swedish society is largely secular, with only a minority of Swedes going to church regularly.

Places to explore

The three traditional lands of Sweden, Götaland , Svealand and Norrland , are further divided into 25 provinces ( landskap ), which largely define Swedish people's cultural identity.

The provinces mostly coincide with the 21 counties ( län ), the mid-level political entities. The 290 municipalities ( kommun ), are the bottom-level political entities, typically consisting of a town or a city, and the surrounding countryside, including small villages. Some municipalities used to hold city ( stad ) privileges, and still style themselves as such, though there is no legal distinction. Most municipalities have their own visitor centre.

Sights and landscapes

As modern as its society is, Sweden is a country full of seemingly untouched nature and ever-present history. The first stop for many visitors is historic and compact Stockholm , full of heritage, home to the Vasa Museum and gateway to the Stockholm Archipelago . There's the canals and cobblestoned streets of Gothenburg , with its famous botanical garden, or the modern architecture of Malmö . For more history, head to the port town of Visby , a recognized Unesco World Heritage Site, or the medieval town of Ystad , famous through the Kurt Wallander novels that are set here and for Ales stenar , one of the ancient iron-age burial monuments in the country.

Sweden has more palaces and castles ( slott ) and manors ( herrgård ) than other Nordic countries. Eleven of them belong to the Swedish monarchy ; most of them are open to the public. Stockholm Palace ( Stockholm/Gamla Stan ), Rosendal ( Stockholm/Djurgården ), Haga , Gustav III:s pavilion and Ulriksdal ( Solna ), Drottningholm and Kina ( Ekerö ), Tullgarn ( Södertälje ) and Rosersberg ( Sigtuna ) are within greater Stockholm. Gripsholm ( Mariefred ) and Strömsholm ( Hallstahammar ) are further away. The farmland areas are full of noble and bourgeois manors from the 17th century and onwards; many of them are used as hotels today.

Experiences

In total, Sweden has 29 national parks . The stunning but rugged wilderness of Sarek National Park , called "Europe's last wilderness" by some, is a challenging but highly rewarding area to explore. It was the first of a list of 29 established national parks and is part of the vast and Unesco protected terrains of Laponia , together with the national parks Padjelanta , Stora Sjöfallet (with its snowy peaks) and the taiga and ravines of Muddus National Park . Set out to spot elk/moose, wolverines and more Swedish wildlife or visit in winter for a chance to see the magical Northern Lights . Kosterhavet maritime park is the place to go for lobster or seal safaris.

Culture and food

Swedish food is typical of Nordic cuisine , based on meat (notably pork and game), fish, dairy products, potatoes and bread, together with berries and wild mushrooms. Fresh fruit and vegetables are rather recent additions to the menu.

A specialty of the Raggare sub-culture (Swedish greaser culture) is hot dog with shrimp salad as topping. Some fast food vendors, especially in the countryside, has this dish on their menu.

Planning your route

The ancient right to access ( allemansrätten ) grants everybody a right to move freely on most land on foot, swimming, by horse, by ski, by bicycle or by boat, even on privately owned property – but not through private yards. With the right comes an obligation to respect the privacy of people and the integrity of nature. It is important to understand the limitations.

Domestic flights are mainly for travellers with more money than time, and for the vast distances of Norrland . There are low-price tickets, but they must be bought well in advance.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.