Fodor's Sweden 11th ed.
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Destination: SwedenSweden requires the visitor to travel far, in terms of both distance and attitude. Approximately the size of California, Sweden reaches as far north as the Arctic fringes of Europe, where glacier-topped mountains and thousands of acres of pine, spruce, and birch forests are broken here and there by wild rivers, countless pristine lakes, and desolate moorland. In the more populated south, roads meander through mile after mile of softly undulating countryside, skirting lakes and passing small villages with their ubiquitous sharp-pointed church spires. Here, the lush forests that dominate Sweden's northern landscape have largely fallen to the plow.
BeachesBeaches in Sweden range from wide, sandy strands to steep, rocky shores, from oceanfront to lakefront, from resorts to remote nature preserves. Beaches are wide and sandy on the western side of the country, steep and rocky on the eastern side. The area most favored for the standard sunbathing and wave-frolicking vacation is known as the Swedish Riviera, on the coast south of Göteborg.
CampingAs soon as the winter frost abates, the Swedes migrate en masse to the country, with camping and sports gear in tow. Of the 760 registered campsites nationwide, many offer fishing, boating, or canoeing, and about 200 remain open in winter for skiing and skating. Many campsites also offer accommodations in log cabins at various prices.
DiningThe nation's standard home-cooked meal is basically peasant fare -- sausages, potatoes, and other hearty foods to ward off the winter cold. Yet Sweden has also produced the
smörgåsbord, a generous and artfully arranged buffet featuring both hot and cold dishes. Fish -- fresh, smoked, or pickled -- is a Swedish specialty; herring and salmon both come in myriad traditional and new preparations.
FishingIt is not unusual to see a fisherman landing a thrashing salmon from the quayside in central Stockholm. Outside the city limits, the country is laced with streams and lakes full of fish, and there's excellent deep-sea fishing off the Baltic coast.
LodgingService in a Swedish hotel, no matter the price category, is always unfailingly courteous and efficient. You'll find that accommodations on the expensive side offer great charm and beauty, but the advantages of location held by less luxurious establishments shouldn't be overlooked. The woodland setting of a camper's
stuga (small wooden cottage) may be just as desirable and memorable as the gilded antiques of a downtown hotel.
SailingDeep at heart, modern Swedes are still seafaring Vikings. Sweden's cultural dependence on boats runs so deep that a popular gift at Christmas is candles containing creosote, providing the comforting scent of dock and hull for when sailors can't be on their boats -- which is most of the year. In summer, thousands of craft jostle among the islands of the archipelago and clog the lakes and rivers. Statistics claim there are more than 250,000 boats in the Stockholm archipelago alone. Boating opportunities for visitors are plentiful, from hourly rentals to chartered cruises in anything from kayaks to motor launches to huge luxury ferry liners.
