“Sweden is a Scandinavian Nordic country in Northern Europe.[12] It borders Norway to the west and north and Finland to the east, and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund, a strait at the Swedish-Danish border. At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe, the third-largest country in the European Union and the fifth largest country in Europe by area. Sweden has a total population of 10.2 million[3] of which 2.5 million have a foreign background.[13] It has a low population density of 22 inhabitants per square kilometre (57/sq mi). The highest concentration is in the southern half of the country.”
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1 Vasa Museum
Vasa warship
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The Vasa Museum in Stockholm is Sweden’s most popular museum and now attracts around a million visitors annually. More than 20 million people have visited since the museum opened in 1990, and it’s not hard to see why. In 1628 the pride of the Swedish Imperial fleet, the Vasa battle ship, sank on its maiden voyage. The ship lay below the icy waters for more than three centuries until, in 1961, an incredibly ambitious salvage operation took place. Now visitors from across the world come to see this fascinating time capsule. The museum caters to tourists of all nationalities. A visit to the Vasa, which houses ten separate exhibitions, is a day out in itself.
2 Drottningholm
Drottningholm
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Fairytale Drottningholm Palace on the island of Lovö is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and lies about 11 kilometers west of Stockholm city center (45 minutes by boat). Dating from the 17th century, the palace is now the official residence of the Swedish Royal Family. In the picturesque, terraced park are bronze sculptures from Bohemia and Denmark, brought back as trophies of war. Be sure to take in the Chinese Pavilion which dates from the late 1700s. The 18th-century Palace Theatre (Drottningholms Slottsteater) is still used for performances during the summer months. In the Theatre Museum, you can see period stage costumes and stage scenery.
3 Kiruna and the Ice Hotel
Kiruna Church
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Sharing the same latitude as central Greenland, Kiruna is Sweden’s northernmost town. It’s also the chief town of the largest commune in the country, which borders both Norway and Finland. The midnight sun is visible here from mid-May to mid-July. Originally a Lapp settlement, the town began to develop when mining of iron ore started around 1900. Incredibly, due to subsidence caused by mining, the entire city is being slowly moved northwest to the foot of the Luossavaara Mountain.
The world’s first ever Ice Hotel at Jukkasjärvi is about 17 kilometers outside the city. The hotel, with its stunning rooms and furnishings, is re-created each year in a new design, built from ice in the river Torne. In the summer, this is a center for river rafting, stand up paddleboarding, fishing, and canoeing. Sweden’s highest mountain, Kebnekaise, is 90 kilometers west of Kiruna and 95 kilometers northwest is Abisko National Park, where the Lapland Railroad runs west to Narvik on the Norwegian coast.
4 The Göta Canal
The Göta Canal
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Often described as Sweden’s greatest feat of engineering, the canal dates from the early 19th century and is 190 kilometers in length. It’s now one of the country’s premier tourist attractions and offers a unique perspective on Sweden’s heartland. In addition, by connecting with lakes Vänern and Vättern and the Trollhätte Canal, it forms part of a water link all the way from Stockholm, in the northeast, to Gothenburg, in the southwest. Featuring 47 bridges and 58 locks the canal stretches from Sjötorp at Lake Vänern to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea. There’s a choice of passenger cruise vessels or you can hire a boat and experience the canal in your own way.
5 Stockholm City Hall
Stockholm City Hall
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One of Sweden’s most famous buildings, the Stockholm City Hall was built between 1911 and 1923, using an astonishing eight million bricks. It is considered one of the finest examples of National Romanticism, designed by the architect Ragnar Östberg. The 106-meter-tall tower is topped by three crowns. A very informative tour recounts some of its history, as well as information about the Nobel Prize, which is presented here each year. On the tour, you’ll see the Blå Hallen, the Blue Hall, where the Nobel dinner is held, and the Gyllene Salen, the Golden Hall, lined by 18 million gold mosaic tiles.
6 Liseberg Theme Park, Gothenburg
Liseberg Theme Park, Gothenburg Rasmus Knutsson / photo modified
Liseberg is one of the most popular destinations in Sweden and each year, the park lures more than three million visitors. It has a huge range of attractions, from children’s carousels and a fairy-tale castle to adrenalin-pumping rides for speed demons, bumper cars, and four roller coasters. The park stages concerts in summer too and it’s a real favorite with both Swedish families and visitors from abroad. At Christmas, the park hosts an excellent market. There are plenty of places to eat and beautiful flowers in bloom during the summer. For the best views in Gothenburg take a ride on the Big Wheel.
7 Oresund Bridge, Malmo
Oresund Bridge, Malmo
From Malmo city center, a 15-minute drive takes visitors to the magnificent Oresund Bridge. Famous throughout the world since opening in 1999 and several decades in the planning, the structure has gained further notoriety through the hit Danish/Swedish TV drama ‘The Bridge.’ This incredible engineering feat now links Sweden to Denmark, and in turn, the continent of Europe. The bridge is both rail and road, and on the Danish side, merges into a tunnel so as not to impact on aircraft at Copenhagen airport. Take a trip across the bridge and through the tunnel to neighboring Denmark, and if you like, spend some time exploring the attractions of Copenhagen.
