Popular Destinations: Travelling to Sweden

Sweden is famous for its beautiful landscapes and rich history. There are so many beautiful places to put on your Swedish itinerary including lakes, archipelagos along its coast, beautiful mountains, deep forests and the magical northern lights. The Swedes are very passionate about nature making it a great destination for unforgettable experiences in nature. In this article we share some of the top cultural aspects and tourist attractions in Sweden to help you plan an unforgettable Scandinavian vacation.

1. Time zone: CET (UTC +1), summertime, CEST (UTC +2).
   

2. The capital of Sweden is Stockholm

3. Sweden is the fifth biggest country in Europe at 447,435 km2.

4. You can stand in three countries at once in Sweden at a point called Treriksrӧset, where the borders of Sweden, Norway, and Finland meet.

5. The name “Siri” is very popular in Sweden but it has nothing to do with Apple. It is short for “Sigrid” and more than 10,000 females in Sweden are named “Siri.”

6. You can go anywhere you want in Sweden as it is one of the few countries where you don’t have to pay to pitch a tent in nature or get fined for walking across private land.

The official language is Swedish but there are other languages spoken including English, Finnish, Jiddisch, Meänkieli, Romani and Sami. English has more than 8.2 million speakers in Sweden with 90% of the population speaking it fluently as a second language.

The official currency is the Swedish Krona, or “crowns,” (SEK). Sweden does not accept the Euro and there are no talks of it replacing the Swedish Krona.

Coffee and Food

Coffee breaks are no small thing in Sweden, in fact, this break has its own word; “fika.” Fika translates to “a coffee and cake break,” and it is part of the fabric of the culture. For most Swedes, making time for Fika is a non-negotiable part of the day; here friends and coworkers share a coffee and a little sweet treat. Swedes drink more coffee per capita than any other nation in the world; there is a cafe around every corner of Sweden. Swedish food is also very simple and flavourful with a high value placed on local ingredients.

Forest covers more than half of Sweden

Sweden is one of the world’s greenest countries. More than 60% of Sweden’s land area is forest. This translates to approximately 23 million hectares of forest which is roughly the size of the United Kingdom! So, when in Sweden, everywhere you look you will see green fields and hills, mountains, lakes, and groundwater streams.

Moose are the national pride

The moose is the most popular animal in Sweden simply because there are more than 300,000 moose running in the Swedish forests. The locals refer to the moose as the king of the Swedish forest. Each year approximately 100,000 moose are hunted in autumn, but that same amount is born in spring and so the amount of moose is always balanced.

Unique location and weather

Sweden moves from one end of the daylight spectrum to the other in a year because it is so far to the north of the globe. A special aspect of this is the natural wonder of the midnight sun when it doesn’t set completely below the horizon resulting in 24-hour sunlight. This can be seen during the summer months in the most northern part of Sweden from May to July.

Pop Music

Sweden is the world’s third-largest music exporter after the United States and the UK. They are well-known for producing sensational pop music and musicians like ABBA, Swedish House Mafia and Icona Pop. Swedish musicians and producers have also written hits for the likes of Britney Spears and Taylor Swift.

Island-hopping in the Stockholm Archipelago

The Stockholm Archipelago is made up of 30,000 islands, skerries and rocks scattered over 1,680 km2. You can take a guided archipelago cruise or one of the many passenger ferries that will take you to the best destinations throughout the region.

Take a scenic train ride

You can see the beautiful Swedish countryside on the Inlandsbanan, (the “Inland Line”). This luxury train travels north to Gällivare which is about 100km north of the Arctic Circle. During this ride, there are numerous stops at popular tourist destinations like the Jamtli museum, and the Ájtte Mountain and Sámi Museum in Jokkmokk. This is a wonderful shortcut to see a lot of interior Sweden

Visit a castle or a palace

Sweden is another one of those European countries with numerous castles, palaces and historical homes. You can take a tour of the Swedish Royal Palace or take a scenic walk through the gardens of Drottningholm Palace which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These are just two of many historical castles and palaces in Sweden.

Get a feel of ancient Stockholm

Stockholm began as the Old Town, or “Gamla Stan,” which dates back to the 13th century. This mediaeval enclave is in typical Scandinavian style architecture and is regularly brushed and repainted. The architecture is truly charming with its narrow stone-paved sidewalks, cobblestone streets and all the little squares, mainly Stortorget which is surrounded by merchant’s houses. There are also many restaurants and shops along this area making it a lovely option for a day trip.

Experience the original Ice Hotel

The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Lapland, was the first ice hotel in the world when it was built in 1989. Each room and all the furnishings are recreated from ice in a new design every year in the winter months. In summer, the hotel becomes a centre for river rafting, paddleboarding, canoeing and fishing which means you can visit this destination at any time of the year.

Citizens of the UAE do not need a tourist visa to get into Sweden, provided the intended stay is less than 90 days. You just need to ensure the validity of your current passport, that your passport has blank Visa pages and that you don’t need a transit visa for any connections.

Sweden is part of the Schengen cooperation agreement therefore if you live in the UAE you may need to apply for a schengen visa depending on your nationality. 

Travel with peace of mind with Allianz Travel and Allianz assistance. You can get coverage for up to USD 50,000 in emergency medical expenses for injury, sickness and other medical-related instances. In addition, Allianz Travel includes up to USD 300 that covers you in the event of the loss or theft of your travel documents. Another cover of USD 5,000 is included to help you in case of personal accidents.

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