Stockholm
Beautiful capital cities are no rarity in Europe, but Stockholm must surely be near the top of the list for sheer loveliness. The saffron-and-cinnamon buildings that cover its 14 islands rise starkly out of the surrounding ice-blue water, honeyed in sunlight and frostily elegant in cold weather. The city’s charms are irresistible. From its movie-set Old Town (Gamla Stan) to its ever-modern fashion sense and impeccable taste in food and design, the city acts like an immersion school in aesthetics.
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Gamla Stan
The old town is Stockholm’s historic and geographic heart. Here, cobblestone streets wriggle past Renaissance churches, baroque palaces and medieval squares. Spice-coloured buildings sag like wizened old men, and narrow lanes harbour everything from dusty toy shops to candlelit cafes. Västerlånggatan is the area’s nerve centre, a bustling thoroughfare lined with galleries, eateries and souvenir shops. Step off the main drag and into the tinier alleyways for a surprisingly quiet chance to explore.
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Kungliga Slottet
Kungliga Slottet was built on the ruins of Tre Kronor castle, which burned down in 1697. The north wing survived and was incorporated into the new building. Designed by court architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, it took 57 years to complete. Highlights include the decadent Karl XI Gallery, inspired by Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors and Queen Kristina’s silver throne in the Hall of State.
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Medeltidsmuseet
Tucked beneath the bridge that links Gamla Stan and Norrmalm, this child-friendly museum was established when construction workers preparing to build a car park here in the late 1970s unearthed foundations from the 1530s. The ancient walls were preserved as found, and a museum was built around them. The circular plan leads visitors through faithful reconstructions of typical homes, markets and workshops from medieval Stockholm. Tickets are valid for one year.
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Nobelmuseet
Nobelmuseet presents the history of the Nobel Prizes and their recipients, with a focus on the intellectual and cultural aspects of invention. It's a slick space with fascinating displays, including short films on the theme of creativity, interviews with laureates like Ernest Hemingway and Martin Luther King, and cafe chairs signed by the visiting prize recipients
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Riddarholmskyrkan
The strikingly beautiful Riddarholmskyrkan, on the equally pretty and under-visited islet of Riddarholmen, was built by Franciscan monks in the late 13th century. It has been the royal necropolis since the burial of Magnus Ladulås in 1290, and is home to the armorial glory of the Seraphim knightly order. There’s a guided tour in English at noon (included with admission) and occasional concerts. Holiday closures are frequent; check the website for updates. Admission fee is by credit card only.

Riksdagshuset
Technically situated on Helgeandsholmen, the little island in the middle of Norrström, rather than on Gamla Stan, the Swedish Parliament building is an unexpected pleasure to visit. The building consists of two parts: the older front section (facing downstream) dates from the early 20th century, but the other more-modern part contains the current debating chamber. Tours of the building offer a compelling glimpse into the Swedish system of consensus-building government.

Royal Armoury
The Royal Armoury is housed in the cellar vaults of the palace but has separate hours. It’s a family attic of sorts, crammed with engrossing memorabilia spanning more than 500 years of royal childhoods, coronations, weddings and murders. Meet Gustav II Adolf’s stuffed battle steed, Streiff; see the costume Gustav III wore to the masquerade ball on the night he was shot in 1792; or let the kids try on a suit of armour in the playroom.

Storkyrkan
The one-time venue for royal weddings and coronations, Storkyrkan is both Stockholm’s oldest building (consecrated in 1306) and its cathedral. Behind a baroque facade, the Gothic-baroque interior includes extravagant royal-box pews designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, as well as German Berndt Notke’s dramatic sculpture St George and the Dragon, commissioned by Sten Sture the Elder to commemorate his victory over the Danes in 1471. Keep an eye out for posters and handbills advertising music performances here.
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Historiska Museet
The national historical collection awaits at this enthralling museum. From Iron Age skates and a Viking boat to medieval textiles and Renaissance triptychs, it spans over 10,000 years of Swedish culture and history. There's an exhibit about the medieval Battle of Gotland (1361), an excellent multimedia display on the Vikings, a room of breathtaking altarpieces from the Middle Ages, a vast textile collection and a section on prehistoric culture.

Bonniers Konsthall
This ambitious gallery keeps culture fiends busy with a fresh dose of international contemporary art, as well as a reading room, a fab cafe and a busy schedule of art seminars and artists-in-conversation sessions. The massive, transparent flatiron building was designed by Johan Celsing. There are discussions about the exhibitions in English at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and 7pm on Wednesday, and 1pm and 4pm Thursday to Sunday. Curators lead free guided tours on Sunday at 2pm.
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Vasamuseet
A good-humoured glorification of some dodgy calculations, Vasamuseet is the custom-built home of the massive warship Vasa; 69m long and 48.8m tall, it was the pride of the Swedish crown when it set off on its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628. Within minutes, the top-heavy vessel tipped and sank to the bottom of Saltsjön, along with many of the people on board.

Skansen
The world’s first open-air museum, Skansen was founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius to provide an insight into how Swedes once lived. You could easily spend a day here and not see it all. Around 150 traditional houses and other exhibits dot the hilltop – it’s meant to be ‘Sweden in miniature’, complete with villages, nature, commerce and industry. Note that prices and opening hours and days vary seasonally; check the website before you go.

Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde
Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, at the southern tip of Djurgården, is a soul-perking combo of water views and art. The palace once belonged to the painter prince (1865–1947), who favoured art over typical royal pleasures. In addition to Eugen’s own work, it holds his impressive collection of Nordic paintings and sculptures, including works by Anders Zorn and Carl Larsson. The museum stages top-notch temporary exhibitions several times a year, usually highlighting the careers of important Scandinavian artists.

Junibacken
Junibacken whimsically recreates the fantasy scenes of Astrid Lindgren’s books for children. Catch the flying Story Train over Stockholm, shrink to the size of a sugar cube and end up at Villekulla cottage, where kids can shout, squeal and dress up like Pippi Longstocking. The bookshop is a treasure trove of children’s books, as well as a great place to pick up anything from cheeky Karlsson dolls to cute little art cards with storybook themes.
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Modern Art Museum
Moderna Museet is Stockholm’s modern-art maverick, its permanent collection ranging from paintings and sculptures to photography, video art and installations. Highlights include works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Robert Rauschenberg, plus several key figures in the Scandinavian and Russian art worlds and beyond. There are important pieces by Francis Bacon, Marcel Duchamp and Matisse, as well as their contemporaries, both household names and otherwise.

Fotografiska
A stylish photography museum, Fotografiska is a must for shutterbugs. Its constantly changing exhibitions are huge, interestingly chosen and well presented; examples have included a Robert Mapplethorpe retrospective, portraits by indie filmmaker Gus Van Sant and an enormous collection of black-and-white photos by Sebastião Salgado. The attached cafe-bar draws a crowd on summer evenings, with DJs, good cocktails and outdoor seating. Follow signs from the Slussen tunnelbana stop to reach the museum.

Drottningholm Palace
Home to the royal family for part of the year, Drottningholm's Renaissance-inspired main palace was designed by architectural great Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and begun in 1662, about the same time as Versailles. You can roam on your own, but it's worth taking a one-hour guided tour (30kr; in English at 10am, noon, 2pm and 4pm June to August, noon and 2pm other months). Guides are entertaining, and provide insight into the cultural milieu that influenced some of the decorations.

Kaknästornet
A handy landmark for navigating this part of town, the 155m-tall Kaknästornet is the automatic operations centre for radio and TV broadcasting in Sweden. Opened in 1967, it’s among the tallest buildings in Scandinavia. There’s a small visitor centre (mainly a gift shop) on the ground floor and an elevator up to the observation deck, restaurant and cafe near the top, from where there are stellar views of the city and archipelago.
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Fjäderholmarna
A trip to the Feather Islands takes about 25 minutes from Stockholm, and is a fantastic way to get a taste of the archipelago in a very short time. You can swim and sunbathe, visit traditional workshops including smiths and glassblowers, admire old boats, visit a brewery and stuff yourself on smoked fish. Recommended!
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Vaxholm
There are plenty of reasons to come to Vaxholm, the most obvious being that this is the closest archipelago island to Stockholm and thus provides a charming taster to this extraordinarily diverse array of pine-clad islands and islets. Vaxholm is more than just a gateway, however. With cobbled sloping streets flanked by well-preserved wooden houses painted in candy-coloured pastels, plus a slew of excellent restaurants and idiosyncratic family-owned shops, it holds its own as a charming place to visit.
Vaxholm dates from 1647; to glean a sense of its history head to Norrhamn, just north of the town hall and home to the oldest buildings, including a 19th-century typical fisher’s house (now also one of the island’s top cafes). And don’t miss the island's most prominent sight: the imposing fortress that once guarded the waterways into the city and now holds a museum and a charming B&B.
** Bus 670 from the Tekniska Högskolan tunnelbana station in Stockholm runs regularly to Vaxholm's town centre and harbour; SL passes valid.
** [Waxholmsbolaget](www.waxholmsbolaget.com/visitor) - Boats sail at least hourly between Vaxholm and Strömkajen in Stockholm from 8am to 7.15pm (50 to 70 minutes).
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Sigtuna
Just 40km northwest of Stockholm, Sigtuna is one of the cutest, most historically relevant villages in the area. Founded around AD 980, it’s the oldest surviving town in Sweden, and the main drag, Storagatan, is very likely Sweden’s oldest main street. Around the year 1000, Olof Skötkonung ordered the minting of Sweden’s first coins in the town, and ancient church ruins and rune stones are scattered everywhere.
- **Rosersbergs Slott** is on lake Mälaren about 9km southeast of Sigtuna. Built in the 1630s, it was used as a royal residence from 1762 to 1860; the interior boasts exquisite furnishings from the Empire period (1790–1820) and is noted for its textiles. Highlights include the lavishly draped State Bedchamber and Queen Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta’s conversation room. The palace cafe serves delicious light meals and cakes in regal surrounds.
- During medieval times, Sigtuna boasted seven stone-built churches, though most have since crumbled. **Mariakyrkan** is the oldest brick building in the area – it was a Dominican monastery church from around 1250 but became the parish church in 1529 after the monastery was demolished by Gustav Vasa. Pop in for restored medieval paintings and free weekly concerts in summer.
** Travel connections from Stockholm are easy. Take a local train to Märsta, from where there are frequent buses (570 or 575, SL pass is valid) to Sigtuna.
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Uppsala
The historical and spiritual heart of the country, Uppsala is one of Sweden’s oldest yet most dynamic cities; the latter thanks in part to a student population nudging 40,000. Peaceful by day and lively by night, the resulting youthful buzz manifests most strikingly in the sheer number of laid-back boho-vibe cafes and bars – as well as all those bicycles on the streets. The city’s charm also lies in its sheer picturesque value, with the meandering river Fyris flowing through the centre, flanked by pathways and still more cafes. History buffs have plenty to soak up here, with Gamla (Old) Uppsala just up the road. This fascinating archaeological site was once a flourishing 6th-century religious centre where human sacrifices were made, as well as an ancient burial ground. The city makes an easy day trip from Stockholm, though it's worth lingering overnight to wander the deserted streets and soak up the atmosphere.
Aside from **Gamla Uppsala**, which is a short distance outside of town, Uppsala's sights are located centrally and many focus on the university, which is Sweden's oldest, and one of the oldest and most esteemed in the world. The city is eminently walkable and rarely is anything more than a 15-minute walk away. Uppsala dates back to the 3rd century; among its more ancient sights are the fascinating rune stones to be seen around town. Other noteworthy sights include both the castle and the **Domkyrka** (cathedral).
** Uppsala is 71km north of Stockholm on the E4 motorway.[SJ Rail](www.sj.se/en) operates regular services to/from Stockholm (40 minutes) and less frequent services to/from Gävle (1¼ hours), Östersund (five hours) and Mora (3¼ hours).
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Örebro
A substantial, culturally rich city, Örebro buzzes around its central feature: the huge and romantic castle surrounded by a moat filled with water lilies. The city originally sprang up as a product of the textile industry, but it continues to gain steam as a university town, since Uppsala University started offering some courses here in 1960. In 1999, the then Örebro University College became Sweden's 12th university, and though, by national standards, Örebro's pedagogical status hardly rates a mention, the presence of students on bikes, in cafes and in parks is more evident with each passing year.
Örebro's proximity to Stockholm, which is fast outgrowing its borders, makes it an appealing city for young families, while the equally short distance to Vänern lake lends the city a relaxed, on-holidays kind of vibe: nursing a beer in a terrace cafe and shopping unhurriedly along cobbled streets are favoured local pastimes.
- Örebro's hulking and magnificent castle (http://www.orebroslott.se/) is unmissable in town and now serves as the county governor’s headquarters. It was originally built in the late 13th century, but most of what you see today is from 300 years later. The outside is far more dramatic than the interior. To explore you’ll need to take a tour.
- Carved by glaciers, this trolls’ home and former highwayrobber’s haunt 84km southwest of Örebro, [Tiveden National Park](www.nationalparksofsweden.se), makes for wonderful wild walking. The park, reopened in 2017 after extensive works, is noted for its rare, ancient virgin forests, and has lots of dramatic bare bedrock, extensive boulder fields and a scattering of lakes. Several self-guided walks, including the 6km Trollkyrka (‘troll church’) trail, start from the visitor centre in the southeastern part of the park, 5km north of Rd 49 (turn-off at Bocksjö).
- Stadsparken is an idyllic and kid-friendly park once voted Sweden’s most beautiful. It stretches alongside Svartån (the Black river) and merges into the Wadköping museum village (www.orebro.se/wadkoping). The village, named after what author Hjalmar Bergman called his hometown in his novels, is a cobblestone maze of workshops, cafes, a bakery and period buildings – including Kungsstugan (the King’s Lodgings; a medieval house with 16th-century ceiling paintings) and Cajsa Warg’s house (home of an 18th-century celebrity chef).
** Örebro is 202km west of Stockholm on the E18 motorway. It is a popular hub for long-distance buses, which leave from the Örebro Resecentrum adjoining the train station.
** [Swebus Express](www.swebusexpress.se) has direct connections to Norrköping (2 hours), Karlstad (1¾ hours) and Oslo (Norway; 5 hours), Västerås (1¼ hours) and Stockholm (2¾ hours).
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Falun
n unlikely combination of industrial and adorable, Falun is home to one of Sweden's oldest and most important copper mines, now retired from service and a protected World Heritage Site. As a consequence, the town was for hundreds of years the primary source of the ruddy red tint that renders Swedish country houses so uniformly cute.
Falun is the main city of Dalarnas län (Dalarna county), a region known for its year-round outdoor activities from lowlands hiking to biking, swimming and sailing, and in the colder months, cross-country and downhill skiing and even ski-jumping. It is positioned between lakes Runn (25km south) and Siljan (50km north), and there's a selection of worthwhile sights within striking distance of the city, including one of Sweden's best-loved historic home museums in the village of Sundborn.
** By road, Falun is 223km northwest of Stockholm via the E18 motorway and Rte 70, and 91km west of Gävle on the E16.
** [Swebus Express](http://www.swebusexpress.se/) operates daily buses on the Gothenburg–Karlstad–Falun route.
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Lake Siljan
It's difficult to imagine that 377 million years ago the area around picturesque Lake Siljan bore the brunt of Europe’s greatest meteor impact, when a giant lump of space rock hit with the force of 500 million atomic bombs, obliterating all life and creating a 75km ring-shaped crater.
Today, the area is a picture of tranquillity just a few hours' drive from Stockholm and is close to the hearts of many Swedes for whom it's a favoured summer destination.
The 354-sq-km lake and its surrounding countryside combine sparkling waters with lush green landscapes, outdoor activities galore, a rich tradition of folk arts and some of Sweden's prettiest villages. If outdoor pursuits aren't your thing, you'll be able to see Swedish folk-art Dala horses being hand painted in Nusnäs, learn about the life of one of the nation's best-loved artists, Anders Zorn, in Mora, or just relax and enjoy life in lovely Tällberg.
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Mora
Mora is spliced with Sweden’s historic soul. Legend has it that in 1520 Gustav Vasa arrived here in a last-ditch attempt to start a rebellion against the Danish regime. The people of Mora weren’t interested and Gustav was forced to put on his skis and flee for the border. After he left, the town reconsidered and two yeomen, Engelbrekt and Lars, volunteered to follow Gustav’s tracks, finally overtaking him in Sälen and changing Swedish history.
Today the world’s biggest cross-country ski race commemorates that epic chase and its finish-line is in Mora. Participants number more than one and a half times the town's year-round population. Summer sees holidaymakers from Stockholm and beyond come for sunny antics on Lake Siljan, while year-round, lovers of Swedish folk art and lore visit the nearby village of Nusnäs for the chance to observe local artisans carving and painting the nation's beloved Dalahästar (Dala horses).
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Leksand
For most of the year, the town of **Leksand**, the southernmost settlement on the shores of Lake Siljan, is quiet. But for one weekend in summer (always from the Friday between 19 and 25 June) around 20,000 spectators flood the town for one of Sweden's most popular Midsummer Festivals where you can join in the festivities amid much singing and costumed dancing around maypoles. Leksand is the southern gateway to Lake Siljan and a logical first port of call as you begin your explorations of the area. The town has strong trade ties with Japan and, in honour of its sister city, Tobetsu, there's a pleasant Japanese garden that's free to enjoy any time of year.

Rättvik
**Rättvik** is a totally unpretentious town on the shores of Lake Siljan in an area that sometimes borders on the precious. It’s a very pretty place, stretching up a hillside and gently hugging the shoreline. There are things to do year-round, for kids and adults alike, whether you like skiing, cycling, hiking or just lolling around in the town's numerous parks and beaches. A full program of special events in summer includes a folklore festival in late July, Classic Car Week in late July or early August, and a season of world-class opera from a unique and unforgettable outdoor venue.

Helsingborg
At its heart, Helsingborg boasts a showcase of rejuvenated waterfront restaurants, lofty castle ruins and lively cobblestone streets, which in summer, thrive to the beat of a banging cultural drum: Helsingborg is a proud patron of theatre and the arts, and lovers of either discipline will find like-minded people here.
Perhaps this longing for creative expression stems from the fact that its strategic position on the Öresund, a mere 4km from Denmark, saw Helsingborg battled over with ferocious regularity during the many Swedish–Danish wars, until in 1710 Danish invaders were finally defeated just outside the city.
In this historical context it's easier to get a sense of the brazen statement the architects of Helsingborg's wealth of flouncy, turreted, buildings might have been making. A happy denouement is that today, almost 15 million passengers traverse the waterway shared by the city and its Danish counterpart Helsingør, with friendly, seasoned nonchalance.

Lund
Founded by the Danes around 1000 AD, Lund is the second-oldest city in Sweden. Surrounded by copses of beech trees and with an impressive architectural legacy, it just might be Sweden's loveliest city. Lund's magnificent, medieval old town – centred upon its strikingly beautiful cathedral, around which Sweden's oldest, most prestigious university (c1666) radiates – is up there with the best.
Once the seat of the largest archbishopric in Europe, the city today has a much more low-key, out-of-the-limelight vibe, which helps make it feel so special. The beauty of its old bones and a throng of engaged youth drive a lively arts and culinary scene.
Just a few hundred metres from the station, the old town's endlessly photogenic lanes reveal a clutch of impressive museums, cafes and bars spilling over the cobbles, and soft, leafy parks.
Lund is an essential day trip from Malmö and an excellent base for stays in Skåne.
** Lund is just 21km northeast of Malmö by road or rail. Frequent trains and buses make the journey between the two cities.
** It takes just 15 minutes from Lund to Malmö by train and some trains run to Copenhagen airport in less than 35 minutes. Other direct services include Kristianstad (50 minutes) and Karlskrona (2½ hours).

Malmö
Sweden’s third-largest city is a place where old meets new: from its proud castle and showpiece squares Stortorget and Lilla Torget, in the heart of Gamla Staden (the 'Old Town'), to the cosmopolitan promenades of Västra Hamnen's vibrant redeveloped waterfront. Here, Scandinavia's tallest building twists its way skyward, gazing down over the vast Öresund bridge – both are modern engineering marvels reflecting multicultural Malmö's progressive outlook.
'The bridge', connecting the city to cool-cat Copenhagen's downtown and busy international airport, has helped forge a dynamic urban conglomeration. This, and the fact that Germany is just a short hop across the Baltic, helps explain why more than 150 nationalities call Malmö home.
It's no wonder then that Malmö is so fabulously worldly – Middle Eastern markets, Italian coffee culture, edgy international eateries and cruisy, chic bars counter its intrinsic Nordic reserve, while its classical and contemporary fine-arts and theatre scenes are thriving.
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Trelleborg
Trelleborg is home to a truly extraordinary (although reconstructed) sight: a 9th-century, wooden, Viking ring fortress. The city is also known for its beautiful gardens, palm-flanked main avenue and excellent shopping. Trelleborg is the main gateway between Sweden and Germany, with frequent ferry services.
**[Trelleborgen](http://www.trelleborgen.se/)** is a 9th-century Viking ring fortress, discovered in 1988 off Bryggaregatan (just west of the town centre). A quarter of the palisaded fort and a wooden gateway have been recreated, as has a Viking farmhouse and a medieval house built within the walls. A small museum showcases finds from the archaeological digs, including Viking jewellery, grooming implements and a 10th-century skull illustrating the ancient trend of teeth filing.

Ystad
Medieval market town Ystad has an intoxicating allure thanks to its half-timbered houses, rambling cobbled streets and the frequently haunting sound of its nightwatchman’s horn. Fans of crime novels may recognise Ystad as the setting for the best-selling Inspector Wallander crime thrillers.
Ystad was Sweden’s window to Europe from the 17th to the mid-19th century, with new ideas and inventions – including cars, banks and hotels – arriving here first. Now a terminal for ferries to Poland and the Danish island of Bornholm, the port area's transitory feel thankfully doesn’t spread to the rest of the city. Once you start to explore you might find the place will work its magic and you'll want to linger longer.
Half-timbered houses are scattered liberally round town, especially on Stora Östergatan. Most date from the latter half of the 18th century, although Pilgrändshuset on the corner of Pilgrand and Stora Östergatan is Scandinavia’s oldest half-timbered house and dates from 1480. Take a peek, too, at the facade of beautiful Änglahuset, on Stora Norregatan, which originates from around 1630.
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Älmhult
The very first IKEA store opened in 1958 by 17 year old Ingvar Kamprad (which closed in 2012) was spared from demolition and re-imagined as the world's first IKEA Museum (www.ikeamuseum.com). It's well worth a visit so you can learn straight from the horse's mouth how IKEA shaped the future. At the museum there's an obligatory restaurant selling real-deal IKEA köttbullar (Swedish meatballs) and a shop with museum-only products, but if you need a hard-core IKEA fix, there's an actual IKEA megastore just up the road.
** Trains run almost hourly from Malmö to Älmhult (1¼ hours) so it's an easy day trip if you don't fancy spending the night. But because Älmhult really is a little town in the middle of nowhere, the purpose-built IKEA Hotell (www.ikeahotell.se), opposite the museum, is another world first – allowing visitors even more time to shop.
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Gothenburg
Gregarious, chilled-out Gothenburg (Göteborg) has considerable appeal for tourists and locals alike. Neoclassical architecture lines its tram-rattled streets, locals sun themselves beside canals, and there's always an interesting cultural or social event going on. Gothenburg is a very walkable city. From Centralstationen in the north, shop-lined Östra Hamngatan leads southeast across one of Gothenburg’s 17th-century canals, through verdant Kungsparken (King’s Park) to the city’s boutique and upscale bar-lined ‘Avenyn’ (Kungsportsavenyn) boulevard.
The waterfront abounds with all things nautical, from ships, aquariums and sea-related museums to the freshest fish. To the west, the Vasastan, Haga and Linné districts buzz with creativity and an appreciation for well-preserved history.
- If you're into intesive sightseeing consider the **[Göteborg City Card](www.goteborg.com/citycard)** which gives you free access to most museums and Liseberg amusement park, discounted and free city tours, unlimited travel on public transport and free parking in the city.
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Linköping
Most famous for its mighty medieval cathedral, Linköping fancies itself as Norrköping’s more upmarket rival. Its most infamous claim to fame is the ‘bloodbath of Linköping’. Following the Battle of Stångebro (1598), many of King Sigismund’s defeated Catholic army were executed here, leaving Duke Karl and his Protestant forces in full control of Sweden.
While quite the modern, industrial city today (manufacturer Saab is the major employer), pockets of its past survive in its churches, castle and museums and in the picture-perfect streets around Hunnebergsgatan and Storgatan.
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Norrköping
It's hard to imagine Norrköping (norr-sher-ping) as it would've been 20 years ago – a grotty has-been past its use-by date.
Norrköping’s industrial identity began in the 17th century but took off in the late 19th century when textile mills and factories sprang up alongside the swift-flowing Motala ström. Seventy per cent of Sweden’s textiles were once made here, the last mill shutting shop in the 1970s.
Forward planning and Swedish design smarts stepped in at the right time to cleverly redevelop the city's defunct historical mills and canals into a hip posse of cultural hang-outs and Manhattan-style lofts against a backdrop of fringing waterfalls and locks. As Stockholm grapples with a high cost of living and little room for growth, nearby cities like Norrköping are on the radar.
While parts of town have already reverted to their working-class roots, the proliferation of construction sites indicates Norrköping's transformation is far from over.
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Strömstad
A resort, fishing harbour and spa town, Strömstad is laced with ornate wooden buildings echoing those of nearby Norway. There are several fantastic Iron Age remains in the area, and some fine sandy beaches at Capri and Seläter. Boat trips run to the most westerly islands in Sweden, popular for cycling and swimming.
Boat trips run from Strömstad’s north harbour to the beautiful cluster of forested Koster Islands every 30 minutes from July to mid-August, less frequently at other times. Tiny North Koster is hilly and has good beaches. Larger South Koster is flatter and better for cycling, with bike-rental facilities, numerous restaurants scattered about and two large beaches at Rörvik and Kilesand.

Vadstena
Sublimely situated beside Lake Vättern, Vadstena is a legacy of both church and state power, and today St Birgitta’s abbey and Gustav Vasa’s castle compete with each other for admiration.
The atmosphere in the old town, with its wonderful cobbled lanes, intriguing small shops and wooden buildings, makes it an especially satisfying place to end a day of touring along the Göta Canal.
Vadstena really is a wonderfully quiet and pretty lakeside town with a hell of a lot of charm. There's something about the place that, if you've come for a day trip, you will wish you were spending the night. To prevent disappointment, book a night in advance.

Kalmar
Sheltered from the wild Baltic Sea by the island of Öland, Kalmar's maturity and medieval charm are immediately evident. The classy, compact city claims one of Sweden’s most spectacular castles, within which the Kalmar Union of 1397, which united the crowns of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, was signed.
Dominating the landscape from its ever so slightly elevated position overlooking the Kalmar Strait, the fortress possesses all the elements a storybook castle should have, including opulent interiors even more spectacular than its robust turreted armour. The castle is reason alone to visit the city.
Other local assets include Sweden’s largest gold hoard, from the 17th-century ship Kronan, and the cobbled streets of its immaculately preserved Old Town. But the main reason people come by Kalmar – many of them totally unaware of the treasures that lie beyond the motorway – is to cross the whopping 6km-long Öland bridge, to the mystical island of Öland, beyond.
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Karlskrona
This handsome military-base town is included on the Unesco World Heritage list for its impressive collection of 17th- and 18th-century naval architecture, which could best be described as being in the Danish baroque style. It was the failed Danish invasion of Skåne in 1679 that sparked Karlskrona’s conception, when King Karl XI decided that a southern naval base was needed for better control over the Baltic Sea. Almost immediately, it became Sweden’s third-biggest city – hard to imagine today, given it's now so delightfully compact and quiet. Much of the town still has military ties, so for many sights you’ll only be granted admission if you join a tour.
Bristling with cannons, the fortified tower of **Drottningskärs kastell** on the island of Aspö was described by Admiral Nelson of the British Royal Navy as ‘impregnable’. You can visit it on an Äspoleden, a free car ferry that runs up to twice hourly in July and August from Handelshamnen, north of the Marinmuseum.
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Kosta
The little town of Kosta is where Glasriket first fired up, way back in 1742. It's a crucial stop for those exploring the area, which will either be something you're very interested in, or not at all. In fact, if you just have a passing interest in glass and glass-blowing and you're not sure which of the Glasriket villages to visit – Kosta is the one-stop shop.
Most visitors to the village – which today feels a bit like a glass-blowing theme park – will either take a tour of the [Kosta Glassworks factory](www.kostaboda.se/en/about-kosta-boda/glassworks) or head to the [Kosta Glascenter](www.kostaglascenter.se), where you can witness glass-blowing firsthand, or try it yourself.
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Oskarshamn
Oskarshamn is a busy but otherwise unremarkable port city. The main reason people come here is to leave here – taking the regular car ferries to Gotland and Öland or seasonal cruises to the mythical, mystical, off-the-beaten-track island of Blå Jungfrun.
That's not to say Oskarshamn isn't a pleasant, attractive little town – it is; but while you're waiting for the boat, there's really not much to do here but daydream about the next phase of your adventurous voyage.

Växjö
A venerable old market town, pretty Växjö (vek-hwa), in Kronobergs län, is today a growing city and an important stop for Americans seeking their Swedish roots. An annual festival commemorates the mass 19th-century emigration from the area, which is well documented in the insightful emigration museum.
Vaxjö's glass museum, packed with gorgeous works of art and plenty of history, is another highlight, as are its waterfront parklands, historic church and laid-back vibe.

Öland
Like a deranged vision of Don Quixote, Öland is covered in old wooden windmills. Symbols of power and wealth in the mid-18th century, they were a must-have for every social climber and the death knell for many of Öland’s oak forests. Today 400 or so remain, many lovingly restored by local windmill associations.
At 137km long and 16km wide, the island is Sweden’s smallest province. Once a regal hunting ground, it’s now a hugely popular summer destination for Swedes – the royal family still has a summer pad here. The island gets around two million visitors annually, mostly in July. Around 90% of them flock to the golden shores fringing the northern half of the island to bask and bathe. Behind the beaches, fairy-tale forests make for soulful wanders.
Öland’s ‘capital’ and busiest town, **Borgholm** has a pleasant centre 'grid' of pedestrian streets lined with shops and restaurants that can get packed out in midsummer. The most dramatic (and satisfying) sight is the enormous ruined castle on its outskirts.

Visby
Gotland's picturesque, medieval capital, Visby, is a delight in every way. Even if you saw nothing else of the wealth of fascination the island has to offer, a stroll among Visby's tangle of cobbled lanes, lined with painted cottages sprouting colourful wildflowers from cracks in their pavement, will not be forgotten quickly. You'll have your finger on the shutter at almost every turn, snapping scenes that could come straight from a storybook – hauntingly beautiful ruined Gothic churches, the astounding, mostly intact 12th-century ramparts surrounding the Old Town, and the truly magnificent Saint Maria Cathedral.
Visby swarms with summer holidaymakers. For many, Medieval Week means the chance to don all manner of fancy garb and parade around as knights, queens, peasants and strumpets, dining, drinking and dancing against a Unesco World Heritage backdrop – surprisingly convincing and fun! Others will prefer to visit during quieter times to ponder Visby's charms, undistracted.
- [Gotlands Museum](http://www.gotlandsmuseum.se/) is one of the mightiest regional museums in Sweden. While highlights include amazing 8th-century, pre-Viking picture stones, human skeletons from chambered tombs and medieval wooden sculptures, the star turn is the legendary Spillings treasure horde. At 70kg it’s the world’s largest booty of preserved silver treasure.

Abisko
Easy access to spectacular scenery makes Abisko (Ábeskovvu in Sami) one of the highlights of any trip to Lappland. The 75-sq-km Abisko National Park spreads out from the southern shore of scenic lake Torneträsk. It’s framed by the striking profile of Lapporten, a ‘gate’ formed by neighbouring hills that serves as the legendary gate to Lappland. This is also the driest part of Sweden and consequently has a relatively long hiking season. In winter, people come to see the northern lights; in summer they come to hike and to see the midnight sun.
Hiking is the big draw here – trails are varied in both distance and terrain, and while most people come here to tackle part (or all) of the 450km-long Kungsleden, there are plenty of shorter rambles.
Excellent day hikes include the 8km hike to the Kårsa rapids, over the Ábeskoeatnu river and then along the left fork of the signposted Kårsavagge (Gorsavággi in Sami) trail through birch and pine forest, and the great 14km, four-hour return hike along the Paddus nature trail, past an STF reconstruction of a traditional Sami camp. It leads to Báddosdievvá, a former Sami sacrificial site with awesome views of Lapporten and lake Törnetrask.
Longer hikes include the trip to the Gorsajökeln glacier, staying overnight at the STF hut at the heart of the Kårsavagge valley, west of Abisko (15km each way), and the 39km-long Rallarvägen (Navvy Rd) to Riksgränsen, running parallel to the railway line and used by railway construction workers in the early 20th century. A good side venture from Rallarvägen is the 10km return trip to the enormous boulders and impressive rock formations of Kärkevagge (Gearggevággi) valley from Låktatjåkka (short train/bus ride from Abisko). Trollsjön (Rissájáurre), the ‘Sulphur Lake’, is at the end of the valley, its clear blue waters named after the colour of burning sulphur.

Arvidsjaur
If you’ve come from another town along the E45, Arvidsjaur, with its busy, bustling main street, will seem like a virtual metropolis. Established several centuries ago as a Sami marketplace and meeting spot, Arvidsjaur is home to a number of Sami families who still make a living from reindeer herding.
Between December and April dozens of test drivers from different car companies descend on the town to stage their own version of Top Gear – putting fast machines through their paces on the frozen lakes. This is also hiking, hunting and fishing country; outdoor enthusiasts use Arvidsjaur as a base for all sorts of activities.

Gällivare
Gällivare (Váhtjer in Sami) and its northern twin, Malmberget, are surrounded by forest and dwarfed by the bald Dundret hill. After Kiruna, Malmberget (Ore Mountain) is the second-largest iron-ore mine in Sweden. And as with Kiruna, the area’s sustaining industry is simultaneously threatening the town with collapse into a great big pit, so buildings are gradually being shifted to sturdier ground. Gällivare's biggest attractions are ore-oriented, and even if you don't descend into the subterranean gloom, a visit to Malmberget casts a melancholy spell – many of its houses have been abandoned in anticipation of their imminent destruction.
The strong Sami presence in Gällivare is reflected in its monuments. The bronze statue opposite the church, by local sculptor Berto Marklund, is called Tre seitar (seite being a Sami god of nature) and symbolises the pre-Christian Sami religion. The nearby granite sculpture Same, by Allan Wallberg, depicts a sitting Sami in North Kaitum costume.

Gävle
Infamous among certain naughty youngsters because its name sounds a lot like a Swedish swear word, Gävle (Yerv-luh) is a lively university town that’s been a prosperous industrial centre since the late 19th century, when it exported local timber and iron. Founded in 1446, Gävle is officially Norrland’s oldest town, but not much of its original incarnation remains due to a devastating fire in 1869. A vibrant culinary scene and a host of oddball attractions in and around town appeal to a motley crew of beachgoers, would-be arsonists, whisky connoisseurs and trainspotters, and make Gävle linger-worthy for a day or three.

Höga Kusten
Cross the Höga Kustenbron, the spectacular suspension bridge over the Ångerman river – Norrland’s answer to the Golden Gate Bridge and one of the longest in the world (1867m) – and you find yourself amid some of the most dramatic scenery on the Swedish coastline. The secret to the Höga Kusten’s (High Coast’s) spectacular beauty is elevation; nowhere else on the coast do you find such a mountainous landscape, with sheer rocky cliffs plunging straight down to the sea, as well as lakes, fjords and dozens of tranquil islands, covered in spruce and pine forest. The region is recognised as a geographically unique area and was listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2000.
Höga Kusten stretches from north of Härnösand to Örnsköldsvik, and it’s a wonderful area for scenic drives along narrow, twisty roads, though you can't really say that you know the Höga Kusten without visiting its tranquil islands.
- The largest island in the Höga Kusten archipelago, **Ulvön** is famous for its regatta (mid-July) and for the production of surströmming (fermented herring). It’s possible to purchase the noxious (or delightful, depending on your outlook) stuff in the shops at Ulvöhamn, the island’s one-street village and main port. A cycle path leads through the picturesque fishing settlement with traditional red-and-white wooden houses drowning in colourful flower blossoms in summer, past the tiny 17th-century chapel decorated with colourful murals, and onwards to the preserved 17th-century fishing village of Sandviken in the northern part of the island.
- A small island with a namesake village consisting of cute fisher’s houses clustered around a little U-shaped bay, **Trysunda** has an attractive wooden chapel, dating back to 1655 – the oldest along the Bothnian Coast. There are also some great secluded spots for bathing, reachable by the walking paths that run through the woods; just pick your own flat rock by the water or else head to the cove at Björnviken, on the eastern side of the island. You can walk around the whole of Trysunda in an hour or two.

Höga Kusten Bridge
Norrland’s answer to the Golden Gate Bridge and one of the longest in the world (1867m).
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Ice Hotel, Jukkasjärvi
The tiny village of Jukkasjärvi is 20km east of Kiruna, 200km north of the Arctic Circle, and is surrounded by lakes, fir trees and reindeer. It is also home to one of Sweden’s most famous attractions: the extraordinary Icehotel. Aside from this blockbuster of a sight, though, this tiny village is well worth a stroll. The only road, Marknadsvägen, passes by some simple rustic homes that are still owned by local families (some of whom are somewhat bemused by the village’s Icehotel fame). The street eventually peters out when it reaches the historic wooden church. It is remarkable that this village has remained charmingly unchanged, despite its fame as one of the most extraordinary holiday destinations in the world.
Every winter, from December onwards, the [Icehotel](http://www.icehotel.com/) seems to grow organically from ice blocks taken from the Torne river, while international artists flock from all over to carve the ice sculptures that make its frozen rooms masterpieces. Snuggle up between reindeer furs on a bed of snow and ice in the igloo-like 'cold rooms'; thankfully, the bathrooms are heated...
From a humble start in 1989 as a small igloo, originally built by Yngve Bergqvist to house an art gallery, the Icehotel has grown into a building comprising an entrance hall and a main walkway lined with ice sculptures and lit with electric lights, with smaller corridors branching off towards the 67 suites. The beds are made of compact snow and covered with reindeer skins, and you are provided with sleeping bags used by the Swedish army for Arctic survival training, guaranteed to keep you warm despite the -5°C temperature inside the rooms (and in winter that’s nothing – outside the hotel it can be as low as -30°C).
There are heated bathrooms near the reception, and you leave most of your possessions in lockers so that they don’t freeze. Stuff your clothes into the bottom of your sleeping bag, otherwise they’ll soon resemble a washboard. Come morning, guests are revived with a hot drink and a spell in the sauna. Guests spend just one night in the Icehotel itself (it’s not a comfortable night’s sleep for most), so the hotel provides 30 satellite Aurora Houses – bungalows decorated in contemporary Scandinavian style, with skylights for viewing the northern lights.
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Jokkmokk
The capital of Sami culture, and the biggest handicraft centre in Lappland, Jokkmokk (meaning 'river bend' in Sami) not only has the definitive Sami museum but is also the site of a huge annual winter market gathering. Just north of the Arctic Circle, it’s a tranquil place and the only town in Sweden that has a further-education college that teaches reindeer husbandry, craft making and ecology using the Sami language. Jokkmokk is a jumping-off point for visiting the four national parks that are part of the Laponia World Heritage Area and makes a great base for all manner of outdoor adventures year-round.
- Winter travellers shouldn't miss the annual [Sami Winter Market](http://www.jokkmokksmarknad.se/), held the first Thursday through Saturday in February. The oldest and biggest of its kind, it attracts some 30,000 people annually; it’s like a yearly party for Sami traders to make contacts and see old friends, while visitors can splurge on the widest array of Sami duodji (handicrafts) in the country.

Kiruna
Scarred by mine works, the ‘current’ Kiruna may not be the most aesthetically appealing city, but it's a friendly place with the highest concentration of lodgings and restaurants in the northwestern corner of Sweden. Its proximity to great stretches of hikeable wilderness and the proliferation of winter activities make it an excellent base.
The citizens of Kiruna (Giron in Sami) have for many years had to live with the news that their city is on the verge of collapsing into an enormous iron mine. Fortunately a solution is under way: the building of a new city 3km to the east, largely funded by the mining company. Although just about the entire existing central city will be demolished, both the historic church and clock tower will be moved.

Luleå
Luleå is the capital of Norrbotten, chartered in 1621, though it didn’t become a boom town until the late 19th century when the Malmbanan railway was built to transport iron ore from the Bothnian coast to Narvik (Norway). The town centre moved to its present location from Gammelstad, 9km to the northwest, in 1649 because of the falling sea level (8mm per year), due to postglacial uplift of the land.
A laid-back university town and an important high-tech centre, Luleå claims more than its fair share of top-notch restaurants for a town its size, as well as an enticing archipelago of islands off its coast and a sparkling bay with a marina.

Sundsvall
Your first views of central Sundsvall may be one of the most pleasant (or mind-boggling) surprises of your visit to the Bothnian coast. The city was a well-off timber town exporting to the world when it was burned to the ground in 1888, after a spark from a steamboat set the town brewery alight. The central city was levelled in half a day. Civic leaders, finding that the town's timber barons were actually over-insured, then decided that their city should be rebuilt in stone and brick, buildings separated by wide avenues. This new start produced a construction boom and incredibly ornate stone buildings, all built within a decade of the fire, that stand to this day.
Sundsvall's main appeal lies less in any one specific sight than in the Bothnian Coast's most cosmopolitan city as a whole, complete with highly strollable boulevards and a clutch of great restaurants.

Umeå
Umeå has claims to fame on several counts: it was the European Capital of Culture in 2014; it has the second-largest art gallery in Sweden; it's home to Europe’s greatest museum collection of vintage guitars; and it is the former residence of Stieg Larsson, author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Its location, a mere 400km below the Arctic Circle, means it is also popular with Northern Lights seekers.
A youthful college town, Umeå has a long and fascinating history. The town was founded in 1622, and was home to the indigenous Sami people whom visitors can learn about at a couple of excellent museums. Aside from its grand slam of cultural sights, Umeå has a superb choice of restaurants and bars, plenty of green spaces, and great shopping. It makes an excellent stopover on your way further north, as well as a destination in its own righ

Åre
Beautifully situated in a mountain valley by the shores of Åresjön lake, Åre is Sweden’s most popular skiing resort and visitors invade the village during the December-to-May skiing season. Things don't drop off much for summer though, as this small village is taking on the mantle of the adventure capital of Sweden. In July, Åre hosts the Åre Bike Festival and the hard-core Åre Extreme Challenge that has its competitors running, paddling and cycling for glory. Besides traditional sports, winter and summer bring a bewildering array of mountain-related activities that you can try your hand at, such as dog-sledding, snowmobile safaris, paragliding, white-water rafting and hill-carting. There's even a chocolate factory to help with après-adventure recovery

Östersund
This pleasant town by Lake Storsjon, in whose chilly waters is said to lurk a rarely sighted monster, is a relaxed and scenic gateway town for further explorations of Norrland. It's remote enough that if you are approaching by car, you can expect to see almost as many reindeer as cars. The town dates from 1786 and was a lucrative trading centre.
Today, its appeal lies in its air of relaxation: in summer, people flock to the terrace bars and cafes of this Unesco-designated 'city of gastronomy', or wander the pedestrianised shopping streets in the stroll-friendly centre. One of the best ways to appreciate Östersund is to take the footbridge across to the adjacent island of Frösön and gaze back at the city in profile, ideally around sunset. Seen in that light, this fun-loving university town is hard to resist.