Sweden travel guide

The Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family and on UNESCO's World Heritage list. It was originally built in the late 16th century and is located on the island Lovön (the whole of Stockholm is made up of islands). The design was influenced by the Chateau of Versailles, but a number of royal personages have since then left their mark on the palace and gardens. The royal family only reside in the southern wing of the palace, the rest of the palace and grounds are open to the public year round.

Fårö is a small island north of the island of Gotland. The coastline of Fårö is dramatic with crooked rock formations (so-called raukar) and windswept meadows. There are many old windmills and the many sheeps are still kept in enclosures made of ancient stonewalls. Like on Gotland, there are several well-preserved fishermen's huts.
Fårö is connected to Gotland with a short (about 10 min) and free car ferry ride. Many visit Fårö on a day trip from Gotland, but it's possible to stay on the island. Expect long lines at the ferry in the summer season.

Glaskogen Nature Reserve is not a national park, so the nature is not untouched. Old forest with trees older than 200 years is mix with open farmland, which has been agricultural for centuries. However, Glaskogen has a lot of the same attractions as the protected parks. The many lakes are popular for canoeing and kayaking, and the hiking trail system is expansive (more than 300 km of trails) with campites.

The Göta Canal is connecting Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden, to the Baltic Sea via Vättern, the second largest lake. It was constructed in the early 19th century and is 190 km long, of which 87 km was blasted or dug by hand. It takes about 3 days (express) to pass the 58 locks. The Göta Canal is a part of the 390 km long waterway, which runs across Sweden from Göteborg on the west coast to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea.

Jakriborg is a strange looking community. From the distance Jakriborg looks like an old town of colourful houses rising up from the flat surrounding fields. However, when getting closer you realise the houses are not old, but new and modern. The housing estate is the brainchild of two brothers, Jan Berggren and Krister Berggren, who began the construction in the 1990s. The architectural style is very non-scandinavian (something you might find in one of the old Hansa towns in northern Germany), and has been designed to look like it has a long history of alterations. There are no straight streets, some are with cobblestones, and all of them are car free.

Kalmar is a cute medieval town with a spectacular castle. The old part has cobbled streets and well-preserved colourful wooden buildings from mostly the 17th- and 18th-century. The grand cathedral on the main square is also worth a look. Kalmar played an important part in Scandinavian history, as it was here Denmark, Norway and Sweden were united in the Kalmar Union in 1397, an union which lasted about 125 years.

Karlskrona town is spread across 33 connected islands. The Naval Port is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to the impressive 17th- and 18th-century naval architecture. Even to this day many of the fortresses and buildings are under the control of Sweden's only remaining naval base. Unfortunately, this means visiting some of the places (like Kungsholm Fortress and Drottningskär Citadel) is only possible on guided tours. Karlskrona's charm is best discovered from bicycling along the waterfront or kayaking among the whopping 1,650 islands, which make out Karlskrona Archipelago.

Kullaberg is a fine nature reserve in southern Sweden. Its 75 square kilometre include an old lighthouse, several hiking trails and plenty of rocky coastline. Kullaberg is particularly famous for its steep cliffs, which are used for rappelling and rock climbing. Though the sea is cold year around, diving should be good and there are even schools of harbour porpoises (kind of dolphins). There are several other sights in the area like the charming town of Mölle and the odd giant sculpture of Nimis.

Lund is the second oldest still-existing city in Sweden. Founded in the 10th century and later in the 12th century spiffed up with what will become one of the grandest cathedral in Scandinavia. The first school was also founded here in the 11th century (and is still in use today), along with the first (kind of) university in 15th century. Today, the adorable historical city centre is a charming blend of striking buildings among cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses. There are several fine museums and since Lund still is a big university town, there is a thriving student community - with an equal thriving bar scene (in Swedish terms).

Most visitors to Malmö focus their attention to the historical center, which is truly understandable. There are pretty water canals, parks, and Little Square is very inviting with cobbled stones and a row of cafes. But interesting things are also happening at the waterfront. The old industrial area have been transformed into a new sustainable neighbourhood. Water canals cut through the architect designed apartment buildings where high ceilings and open views across Oresund are some of the qualities. It’s also here in Västra Hamnen (Western Harbour) that you find the huge skate park Stapelbäddsparken and Malmö’s only true skyscraper, Turning Torso, which twists 200 m into the sky.