Sweden Travel Guide


The latest travel Information on Sweden, includes ideas on Things to See and Do, Local Events, Consulate & Embassy Contact Addresses and much more, all from a first-time visitors point of view.

Sweden Information

Overview

Sweden is a land of cultural contrast, from the Danish influence of the southwest to the nomadic Laplanders in the wild Arctic north. And while urban Sweden is stylish, modern and sophisticated, the countryside offers many simpler pleasures for those in search of tranquillity.

Sweden’s scenery has a gentler charm than that of neighbouring Norway’s rugged coast. Much of Sweden is forested, and there are thousands of lakes, notably large stretches of water between Gothenburg and the capital, Stockholm. The lakeside resort of Östersund, in the centre of Sweden, is popular with Scandinavians, but most visitors opt first for the cities and the Baltic islands: the largest island, Gotland, with its array of ruined medieval churches, is a particular highlight. Another major attraction is the so-called ‘Kingdom of Crystal’, a forested area between Malmö and Stockholm boasting many fine glassworks.

Historically, Sweden has an interesting story. Its contacts with the outside world began in earnest during Viking times, when in addition to the well-documented raiding, there was extensive trading around the Baltic, primarily dealing in furs and weaponry.

Swedish connections with the other Scandinavian countries, Norway and Denmark, have been strong since late medieval times. The monarchies of all three are closely linked, and at various times, one king or queen has ruled over more than one of the countries. Indeed, Norway only fully shed Swedish control for the last time in the early years of the 20th century.

The land and its people have an air of reserved calm, and while best known for its automotive and musical exports - Volvo and Abba are household names - a strong historical undertone bubbles close beneath the surface. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Stockholm, where dozens of museums, medieval and baroque edifices housing boutiques and cafes overlook the attractive harbour.

Author

Stuart Bowden


Top Things To See

Explore Stockholm Old Town, with its collection of well-preserved historic buildings lining cobbled streets. Its main streets, Österlånggatan and Västerlånggatan, are pedestrian precincts with a host of boutiques, handicrafts and antique shops.

Cross by ferry to the Djurgården Island area, to see the Nordic Museum (website: www.nordiskamuseet.se), Waldemarsudde House (website: www.waldemarsudde.se), which was the home of the artist Prince Eugen until 1947, and Liljevalchs Konsthall (website: www.liljevalchs.com).

Explore the Historical Museum (website: www.historiska.se), which features prehistoric collections and medieval art. The National Museum (website: www.nationalmuseum.se) houses the country’s national fine arts collection.

Delve further into Sweden’s history at the Vasa Museum (website: www.vasamuseet.se), which contains a restored 360-year-old wooden warship recovered from Stockholm’s harbour in 1961, while nearby is the Skansen open-air folk museum (website: www.skansen.se).

Visit Sweden’s second city, Gothenburg (Göteborg), the home of Volvo cars. Relive the city’s seafaring traditions at the Maritime Museum (Sjöfartsmuseet) (website: www.sjofartsmuseum.goteborg.se) and the Nordstaden Kronhuset area, location of the City Museum (website: www.stadsmuseum.goteborg.se).

Don’t miss Malmö (website: www.malmo.se). City sights include Malmöhus Castle and St Petri Church. Also see the Konsthallen (website: www.konsthall.malmo.se) and Rooseum (website: www.rooseum.se) museums, which house art collections, and the remarkable Turning Torso skyscraper.

Head offshore - Gotland and Öland are Sweden’s biggest islands, in the southeast of the country. On Gotland are the Lummelunda Caves (website: www.lummelundagrottan.se) with spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, and a preserved medieval town at Kattlundsgård.

Learn about glassmaking - German immigrants founded Sweden’s crystal and glass-making industry in the southern province of Småland, and 16 glassworks in the area are open to visitors. One of the oldest is Kosta (website: www.kostaboda.us).

Head south to Skåne, which offers the medieval town of Lund with its 12th-century cathedral and 14th-century astronomical clock. There is also the spectacular Öresund Bridge, the world’s longest single span bridge, between Denmark and Sweden, close to Malmö.

Head for the Lakeland region. This forms a large part of Sweden with a mixture of open water, vast lakes, plains and meadows and large areas of wild natural scenery.

Experience the ‘ice beds’ and enjoy a well-earned thirst quencher in the far-northern Absolut Icebar at the sculpted Ice Hotel (website: www.icehotel.com) in the small northern village of Jukkasjärvi, Lapland. It is rebuilt every winter after the summer.

Meet the Sami people at Jokkmokk, where there are collections of Lapp art and culture, and a Lapp Staden, an old village of 70 cone-shaped Lapp huts. Arjeplog also has an interesting Lapp museum.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.


Top Things To Do

Take a boat trip from Stockholm city centre among the islands to Drottningholm Palace (website: www.royalcourt.se), where the Palace Theatre opera house has been preserved in its original 18th-century form, and stages productions in period costume and using authentic instruments.

If you have a couple of days to spare, take a cruise on the MS Ceres along the historic Göta Canal. The tours start at both Stockholm and Gothenburg (website: www.gotakanal.se).

In summer, make the most of Sweden’s hundreds of miles of beaches, particularly on the west coast, and its 96,000 lakes. There are numerous waterskiing and windsurfing centres on the coast and lakes.

  Indulge in active sport: there are excellent facilities around the country for skating, tobogganing, snowmobiling, ice climbing and dog sledding. 

Practice your golf. Sweden has over 400 courses: one situated north of the Arctic Circle enjoys 24-hour daylight during the summer months and many midsummer championships take place at midnight. 

Try to spot Sweden’s only herd of musk ox in the Härjedalen Valley, southern Lapland, which also has abundant reindeer, buzzard, beaver and lynx. Elk are common too. In winter, this region is also known for its skiing.

Take to two wheels - cycling is a popular holiday recreation, particularly in the south. The Swedish Cycling Promotion Institute, in cooperation with regional tourist offices, offers scheduled cycling tours in almost every region.

Go fishing - Norrbotten is an angler’s paradise with plenty of mountain streams and excellent sea fishing. It is situated on the so-called Midnight Sun Coast, which is a 1,500km (900-mile) stretch of Baltic coastline that runs all the way to the Finnish border.

Take the kids to Mora, in the heart of the Swedish Lakeland region, where they can meet Father Christmas at the Santaworld theme park (website: www.santaworld.se).

Explore Swedish history. For those keen on the past, southwestern Bohuslän province is also one of the most important centres of ancient Swedish civilisation and there are many archaeological relics dating back to the Bronze Age and Viking times.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.


Going Out

Food and Drink

Swedes like straightforward meals, simply prepared from the freshest ingredients. As a seafaring country with many freshwater lakes, fish dishes are prominent on hotel or restaurant menus.

Things to know: Picnic sites can be found at roadsides. Top-class restaurants in Sweden are usually fairly expensive, but even the smallest towns have reasonably priced self-service restaurants and grill bars. Many restaurants all over Sweden offer a special dish of the day at a reduced price that includes main course, salad, soft drink and coffee. Waiter service is common although there are many self-service snack bars. Wine, spirits and beer are sold through the state-owned monopoly, Systembolaget, open during normal shopping hours. Before 1300 on Sundays alcohol cannot be bought in bars, cafes or restaurants. After midnight alcohol can only be bought in nightclubs that stay open until between 0200-0500.

National specialities:
• Smörgåsbord (Scandinavian cold table. First pickled herring with boiled potatoes then perhaps a couple more fish courses, smoked salmon or anchovies followed by cold meat, pâté, sliced beef, stuffed veal or smoked reindeer).
• Köttbullar (small meatballs).
• Smoked reindeer from Lapland.
• Gravlax (salmon that has been specially prepared and marinated).
• Wild strawberries and cloudberries.

National drinks:
• Akvavit (a Scandinavian spirit that is traditionally drunk chilled with smorgasbord. Flavours vary from practically tasteless to sweetly spiced).
•Vodka is also popular, as is sweet cider.

Legal drinking age: 21 years, if buying alcohol in a shop; 18 years in bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Stiff penalties are enforced for drinking and driving.

Tipping: Service in restaurants is not usually included in the bill; around 10% should be added.

Nightlife

Stockholm has pubs, cafes, clubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres. In the more rural areas evenings tend to be tranquil. From August to June the Royal Ballet performs in Stockholm. Music and theatre productions take place in many cities during the summer at open-air venues. Outside Stockholm in the 18th-century Court Theatre of the Palace of Drottningholm there are performances of 18th-century opera.

Shopping

VAT (Moms) is refundable to visitors who are resident in non-EU countries on goods bought at shops participating in the Tax-Free Shopping scheme. The refund is payable to the customer when departing from Sweden at either airports or customs offices at ports. There are many traditional markets and country fairs throughout Sweden. Special purchases include glassware and crystal, ceramics, stainless steel and silver, hemslöjd (cottage industry artefacts) and woodcarvings. Women’s and children’s clothes are good buys, especially handknitted Nordic sweaters.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1800, Sat 0930-1400/1600. Some department stores stay open until 1900 or longer. In larger towns, some shops have longer opening hours and are also open Sundays 1200-1600. In rural areas, shops and petrol stations close by 1700/1800.


Climate

In spite of its northern position, Sweden has a relatively mild climate which varies greatly, owing to its length. The summers can be very hot but get shorter further north. The midnight sun can be seen between mid-May and mid-June above the Arctic Circle. Winters can be bitterly cold, especially in the north.

Required Clothing

Light- to mediumweights for summer, heavyweights for winter and rainwear all year.


Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
6 Jan Epiphany.
21-24 Mar Easter.
1 May Labour Day.
1 May Ascension.
11 May Whit Sunday.
6 Jun National Day.
21 Jun Midsummer’s Day.
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
24 Dec Christmas Eve.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.
31 Dec New Year’s Day.

2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
6 Jan Epiphany.
10-13 Apr Easter.
1 May Labour Day.
21 May Ascension.
31 May Whit Sunday.
6 Jun National Day.
20 Jun Midsummer’s Day.
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
24 Dec Christmas Eve.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.
31 Dec New Year’s Day.


Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: No

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: No

Malaria

Special Precaution: No

Rabies

Special Precaution: No

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: No

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: No

Health Care

If suddenly taken ill or involved in an accident during a visit to an EEA country or Switzerland, free or reduced-cost necessary treatment is available for European travellers - in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Comprehensive insurance is advised for all other nationals.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

Swedish Krona (SEK; symbol Kr.) = 100 öre. Notes are in denominations of Kr.1,000, 500, 100, 50 and 20. Coins are in denominations of Kr.10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50 öre.

Currency Exchange

Currency can be converted at FOREX foreign exchange agencies; these are found in major cities, airports and ferry terminals etc.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are all widely accepted. Most shops and restaurants require ID when paying with a credit card. ATMs are widely available. Personal cheques are no longer used.

Traveller's Cheques

Widely accepted. A nominal fee is charged when paying with traveller’s cheques. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, visitors are advised to take traveller’s cheques in Euros, Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Banking Hours

Mon-Wed and Fri 1000-1500, Thurs 1000-1600/1730. Some banks in larger cities have longer opening hours and are open at weekends.


Passport/Visa

British

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No

Australian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No

Canadian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No

USA

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No

Other EU

Passport Required: 1
Visa Required: No
Return Ticket Required: No

Passport Note

Sweden is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.

Passports

Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
(a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.

Note: EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable. Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document, sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed.

Visas

Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days.

Visa Note

Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).


Contact Addresses

Embassy of Sweden in the UK

11 Montagu Place, London W1H 2AL, UK
Tel: (020) 7917 6400.
Website: www.swedenabroad.com/london
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1200 and 1400-1600 (general enquiries); Mon-Fri 0900-1200 (visa applications).

VisitSweden in the UK

Sweden House, 5 Upper Montagu Street, London W1H 2AG, UK
Tel: (020) 7108 6168.
Website: www.visitsweden.com
Not open to the public.

Embassy of Sweden in the USA

2900 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 467 2600.
Website: www.swedenabroad.se

VisitSweden in the USA

Council PO Box 4649, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163-4649, USA
Tel: (212) 885 9700.
Website: www.visitsweden.com


Travel Advice

Warning

Most visits to Sweden are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisaions for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel




Disclaimer
We've tried to make the information on this page as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information with the relevant authorities before you travel.