There are many things that people all over the world know Sweden for, such as the music group ABBA, pickled herring, the IKEA store, and the Saab and Volvo cars. It is just as well known for its beautiful scenery, cute fishing towns, reindeer, and summers that never end.
Sweden is full of brightly colored wooden buildings, traditional huts, stone forts, and churches, as well as some pretty cool modern buildings. If you want to find climbing trails or art museums, Sweden has them all. A list of Sweden’s most interesting places to visit:
Top 10 places to visit in Sweden
1. Malmo
Malmo is a medieval historic city with a lot of modern, current buildings all over the landscape. “Something old, something new” might be the best way to describe it. It is Sweden’s third-biggest city, and its Old Town (Gamla Stoden) is beautiful. It has three main squares: Stortoget, Lilla Torg, and Gustav Adolfs Torg. The castle Malmohus Slott is also in Old Town. The 150 different ethnic groups that live in this city are connected to Denmark by the Oresund Bridge.
The Turning Torso is a must-see “new” draw. It’s a work of art in architecture that twists more than 190 meters (600 feet) into the sky, making it Sweden’s most talked-about building.
2. Kosterhavet National Park
There is no question that Sweden has a lot of coastline, but Kosterhavet National Park is the safest place to see marine life. The first coastal national park in the country is Kosterhavet, which is next to Norway. The park is home to more than 6,000 kinds of marine life, including some that you can’t find anywhere else in Sweden. The Koster Islands and the water around them make up the park. Snorkelers and divers love Kosterhavet’s coral reefs, and people who prefer to stay on land can enjoy the cute fishing villages that are just ready to be turned into picture postcards.
3. Ystad
People who like mysteries and sleuths will love Ystad, a town on the coast in southern Sweden. The famous author Henning Mankell set many of his Kurt Wallander mystery books in Ystad and the nearby towns. Greyfriars Abbey, one of Sweden’s best-preserved medieval monasteries, and the Church of the Virgin Mary, a big medieval church, are two buildings that you’ll see in his books. They are both great examples of Gothic Hansa architecture.
On a walking tour along cobblestone streets, you’ll also see pretty half-timbered houses in soft colors. Also, you should take a walk on the town’s pretty white beaches. The Ales Stenar megalithic monument is east of Ystad. It is made up of 59 big boulders that are arranged to look like a ship.
4. Uppsala
Uppsala is 70 km (44 miles) north of Stockholm. Since the 12th century, it has been the religious center of Sweden. Before Christianity came to Uppsala, it was known for its Norse god statues. It is the biggest cathedral in Scandinavia and is home to the archbishop of Sweden. A big deal in this area is also education.
Uppsala University is one of the oldest colleges in Scandinavia, having been formed in 1477. The city is cut through by the Fyris River, and the old part is west of the river. The church and Uppsala Castle are the tallest buildings in this area. Uppsala was home to the botanist Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century. Visit the park next to the castle to learn more about him.
5. Gothenburg
Gothenburg is a green city on Sweden’s west coast with lots of parks of different sizes. A lot of the parks were built in the 1800s. One of them is Kungsparken, which goes around the river that goes around the city center. Head to Liseberg if you’re more interested in amusement parks. It has more rides than any other park in Scandinavia. Gothenburg is the biggest port city in Scandinavia. It also has the biggest film festival in the area and many music festivals all year long. Are you hungry? Haga is known for its pretty wooden houses. If you go there, try a haga bullet, which is a big cinnamon roll.
6. Swedish Lapland
Swedish Lapland is the best place to go in Sweden if you want to have an adventure in the woods. It is very far north, above the Arctic Circle, and it is always summer there. People canoe, walk, and watch animals in Lapland. The hardy, native Sami people live in Swedish Lapland. Who live in huge woods and empty tundra.
The 359-km (223-mile) long Wilderness Way goes from Stromsund, where you can go sailing, to Vilhelmina, a church town, and back again. It goes through Fatmomakke, where you can see traditional wooden huts. In the winter, people can buy reindeer hides in Jokkmokk, which is the center of Sami life.
7. Stockholm archipelago
If you like going from island to island, the Stockholm archipelago might be right up your alley. You won’t be able to see all 30,000 islands because they are all made up of big rocks that stick out into the water. Some of the most important places in the islands can be reached by ferry. From Stockholm, it only takes 10 minutes by boat. Starofortet has a fortress from World War I. Vaxholm is the “capital” of the archipelago and has beautiful houses and a history of herring fishing. Indulge yourself at a spa in Nacka, which is the closest town to Stockholm and can be reached by car.
8. Marstrand
Marstrand has been a city since 1200, and it is famous for two things: sailing and an old fortress. The important sailing game Match Cup Sweden is held every year in this seaside town on an island in western Sweden. It is also home to the beautiful stone Carlsten Fortress, which was built in the 1600s and watches over the city.
People who have been to Marstrand, which is a good day trip from Gothenburg, say it’s like a “Kodak moment.” Get ready to take lots of pictures of the fancy, pastel-colored old buildings that line the gravel streets. The Strandverket Art Museum, the renovated Pater Noster Lighthouse, and beautiful hiking trails are some other “don’t miss” sights.
9. Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the biggest city in Scandinavia. It is also a beautiful city spread out over 14 islands. Stockholm is where the Nobel Prizes are given every year. It was founded in the 1300s. Stockholm is a great place to visit because it has lush green parks, world-class sights, and a mix of old and new buildings.
The well-preserved medieval center of Stockholm is one of the city’s must-see spots. It has beautiful old churches, the Royal Palace, charming bridges, canals, and cobblestone streets with shops and cafes. On the rich, green island of Djurgården, you can find some of Stockholm’s most popular tourist spots, like the Skansen Open-Air Museum, the Grona Lund theme park, and so on. The Ericsson Globe, the world’s biggest round building, is a must-see for seeing the city.
The Vasa Museum is the most popular museum in Scandinavia. It is dedicated to a warship from the 1600s that sank on its first journey. Stockholm is cheaper than other Nordic towns because 15 museums, such as the Swedish History Museum, the Medieval Museum, the Royal Armoury, and Skokloster Castle, let you in for free. The Royal Palace, the Modern Art Museum, and City Hall are also great places to see.
10. Gotland
As Sweden’s biggest island and only island in the Baltic Sea, you might think that fishing would be the main business on the island. Not really. Some of the most important businesses are agriculture, tourism, and IT. One of the most famous places to visit in Sweden is the island. Sunbathers like it because it gets more sunlight all year than anywhere else in Sweden. Visby is the only city on the island. It is a beautiful Hanseatic town with walls that have kept most of its old buildings and townscape. The island also has a lot of prehistoric sites and about 100 buildings from the Middle Ages.
