Sweden Travel Guide

Sweden is the largest Nordic country in Northern Europe and is the fifth largest in all of Europe. It has a temperate climate because of the Gulf Stream which naturally warms the country. It has three regions, the Norrland, the Svealand and the Götaland. Norrland is the largest of the three and is made up of mountains and dense forest areas where you can find ore deposits. Svealand is the central part of Sweden with large lakes and hilly forests. Götaland is the southern part of the country and comprised of Skåne, Västergötland and östergötland.

Stockholm is the country's capital and is composed of a string of islands. It was founded by King Birger Jarl in 700 AD. A good place to start exploring the city is the Gamla Stan or the 'Old Town'. It features narrow cobbled streets and clusters of old buildings which made up the earlier version of Stockholm. It has three well preserved and historic churches, the German Church with its unique baroque interior and the Storkyrkan and Riddarholm Church which were both built in the 13th century. Near the harbor stands the Royal Palace which houses the Crown Jewels, the State Apartments, the Royal Armory and the Palace Museum.

Gothenburg in the western coast of the country owes much of its layout to the Dutch architects who designed its spacious streets and networks of canal. The Botanical Gardens contains about 3000 species of Alpine and where the most impressive rock garden in the world is found. In the center of the city sits the magnificent Garden of Trädgårdsföreningen with its Palm House, which is reminiscent of London's Crystal Palace.

Malmö is Sweden's third largest city and was founded in the 13th century. It offers a variety of parks, restaurants, beaches and beautiful gardens. Some of the city's tourist attractions that include the main town square like the Mamohus Castle & St. Petri Church. You can also visit the Konsthallen & Rooseum museums whose art collections are famous.

At the southern tip of Sweden is the province of Skane, which was ruled by the Danes until 1658. There are over 200 manors and castles left by the Danish rules which is scattered all over the province. The area is characterized by fertile fields and meadows and a few lakes. For the golfers, Skåne offers the most well maintained courses in the whole of Sweden. A visit to the medieval town of Lund should not be forgotten as well as the Oresund Bridge which is the world's longest suspension bridge carrying both railway and road traffic and links Denmark and Sweden.

Gotland and öland are Sweden's biggest islands, located off the southeast of the Baltic Sea. The island is a wealth of historic sites such as the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age sites found on both islands. Gotland's Lummelunda Caves contains amazing stalactites & stalagmites and also houses a conserved medieval town at Kattlundsgard. öland is where the royal summer residence, Borgholm Castle, is located. There is a restored medieval church at Gärdslösa and many other attractions which you can visit in these two towns.