14 Best Tourist Attractions Destination in Sweden - Sweden Travel Guide
The promise of clean air, beautiful landscapes and
affordable travel lure visitors to Sweden. Downhill and cross-country skiing
are popular at the resorts and ski centres, while hiking, swimming and diving
are popular in the summer months. Stockholm is a city that can be discovered on
foot to experience the waterways and parks or the many museums.
Sweden is a traveler's paradise with its rich
history and diverse landscapes. If you love the outside, it's definitely
difficult to beat. The air and water are crystal clear, and there are thousands
of acres of untouched forests and majestic lakes to explore, not to mention
vast coastal archipelagos. The roads and public transport are excellent, the
citizens are always friendly and helpful, and Swedish cuisine has undergone a
revolution in recent years. Throw a stunning story, from notorious Viking
invaders to royal dynasties and imperial intrigues, and one thing is certain: You'll
never be bored. The tourist attractions in Sweden range from opulent palaces
and old towns to vast Arctic landscapes and the famous Ice Hotel. There are so
many things you want to do that you can enjoy all your outdoor adventures and
historic treasures.
01. Vasa Museum
The Stockholm Vasa Museum is Sweden's most popular
museum and now attracts around a million visitors every year. Since the museum
opened in 1990, more than 20 million people have visited, and it's not
difficult to see why. In 1628, on its first voyage, the pride of the Swedish
imperial fleet, the Vasa battle ship, sank. For more than three centuries, the
ship lay under the icy waters until an incredibly ambitious rescue operation
took place in 1961. Visitors from all over the world are now seeing this
fascinating time capsule. The museum is designed for tourists of all
nationalities. A visit to the Vasa, home to ten separate exhibitions, is a day
out.
02. Skansen and
Djurgården
Skansen, the oldest open-air museum in the world, is
a historic village made up of houses and farmhouses from all over Sweden,
representing rural and urban culture from 1720 to the 1960s at different times.
Churches, schoolhouses, manor houses, shops, mills, workers' homes, craft shops
(including bookshops, print shops, shoemakers, tinsmiths, pewter makers and
glassworks), a bakery, a funicular railway, a Sami camp with reindeers, and a
number of complete farms. These homes, farms and workshops are inhabited by
costumed interpreters who carry out daily work, demonstrate craftsmanship and
skills, as well as household and farm work. A zoo includes animals native to
Sweden, as well as sections for exotic animals and a children's zoo.
Skansen is located in the huge urban park of
Djurgården, a favorite place for locals, particularly in summer. Traditional
cafes, restaurants, snack bars and even hotels are everywhere. If you feel
energetic, you can also rent a canoe and bicycle. The Abba Museum and the Gröna
Lund amusement park can be found here. From Gamla Stan or Slussen you can catch
a ferry or take a tram or bus from Norrmalmstorg. The park is also a pleasant
15-minute walk from the center of the city. Stop for more information at the
Djurgården Visitor Center.
03. Gamla Stan
The Old Town of Stockholm is known as Gamla Stan, a
small concentrated area where the city started in the mid-13th century. Much of
the medieval enclave remains, although it is freshly brushed and painted in
typical Scandinavian style. Its charm lies in the architecture of its narrow stone-paved
streets and squares, especially the main one, Stortorget, surrounded by old
merchants ' houses. You will find the Nobel Museum, the Post Museum, the Royal
Coin Cabinet and several churches in this neighborhood, along with many shops,
restaurants and tea rooms.
04. Drottningholm
Fairytale Drottningholm Palace on the island of Lovö
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located 11 kilometers west of the city center
of Stockholm (45 minutes by boat). The palace dates back to the 17th century
and is now the Swedish Royal Family's official residence. Bronze sculptures
from Bohemia and Denmark, brought back as war trophies, are in the picturesque
terraced park. Check out the Chinese Pavilion dating back to the late 1700s.
The Palace Theater (Drottningholms Slottsteater) of the 18th century is still
used for summer performances. You can see period stage costumes and scenery in
the theater museum.
05. Stockholm
Archipelago, Stromma Boat Tours
Stockholm is often called the North Venice. Water is
everywhere, and there are about 30 thousand islands in the beautiful
archipelago of Stockholm (skärgården). Summer houses with distinctive red and
yellow timber occupy some islands while others remain completely untouched. A
trip on the water, in the city or to one of the islands, should be at the top
of your list. Many tours include lunch or dinner and give the city a unique
viewpoint. Options for hop-on hop-off are also available. The distinctive
Stromma boats cannot be missed in the city centre.
06. Kiruna and the
Ice Hotel
Kiruna is Sweden's northernmost city, sharing the
same latitude as central Greenland. It is also the country's largest
municipality's chief town, bordering Norway and Finland. From mid-May to mid-July,
the midnight sun is visible. Originally a settlement in Lapp, the city began to
develop when iron ore mining began around 1900. Incredibly, the whole city is
slowly moving northwest to the foot of the Luossavaara Mountain due to the
subsidence caused by mining.
The first Ice Hotel in the world in Jukkasjärvi is
about 17 kilometers away from the city. With its stunning rooms and
furnishings, the hotel is re-created every year in a new design, built from ice
on the Torne River. This is a center for rafting, paddling, fishing and
canoeing in the summer. The highest mountain in Sweden, Kebnekaise, is 90
kilometers west of Kiruna and 95 kilometers northwest is Abisko National Park,
where the Lapland Railway runs west to Narvik on the Norwegian coast.
07. The Göta Canal
The canal, often described as the greatest
engineering feat in Sweden, dates back to the early 19th century and is 190
kilometers long. Now it's one of Sweden's top tourist attractions and offers a
unique perspective on the heartland of Sweden. It is also part of a water link
from Stockholm in the north-east to Göteborg in the south-west by connecting
with lakes Vänern and Vättern and the Trollhätte Canal. The canal stretches
from Sjötorp on Lake Vänern to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea with 47 bridges
and 58 locks. Passenger cruise ships are available to choose from or you can
hire a boat and experience the canal in your own way.
08. Stockholm City Hall
The Stockholm City Hall was built between 1911 and
1923, using an amazing eight million bricks, one of Sweden's most famous
buildings. It is considered by architect Ragnar Östberg to be one of the finest
examples of national romanticism. Three crowns topped the 106-meter-high tower.
A very informative tour tells some of its history and information on the Nobel
Prize, which is presented here every year. You'll see the Blå Hallen, the Blue
Hall, where the Nobel dinner takes place, and the Gyllene Salen, the Golden
Hall, lined with 18 million gold mosaic tiles.
09. Visby, Gotland
The rose-lined, walled town of Visby, on the island
of Gotland, is an enormous attraction for visitors from all over the world.
Quaint cobblestone streets snake around the city, and it's too easy to lose
your sense of being in the modern world when you explore. Many medieval trading
houses remain adorned with stepped gables, as well as some 17th and 18th
century timber buildings. Clearly, Visby's reputation as a "Baltic
pearl" and the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site is both well
deserved. A self-guided or guided tour of the beautiful 700-year-old walls is a
must. Some 44 defensive towers are built into the structure, and the walls
still bear attack scars in the form of two breaches. Direct flights from
Stockholm and several other Swedish cities and excellent ferry connections are
available.
10. Liseberg Theme
Park, Gothenburg
Liseberg is one of Sweden's most popular
destinations and the park attracts over three million visitors every year. It has
a wide range of attractions, from kids' carousels and a castle of fairies to
adrenaline-pumping rides for speed demons, bumper cars and four roller
coasters. The park also hosts summer concerts and is a real favorite for
Swedish families and foreign visitors alike. The park is hosting an excellent
market at Christmas. There are many places to eat and during the summer there
are beautiful flowers in bloom. Take a ride on the Big Wheel for the best views
in Gothenburg.
11. Oresund Bridge, Malmo
The magnificent Oresund Bridge is a 15-minute drive
from Malmo city centre. Renowned worldwide since its opening in 1999 and
planning for several decades, the structure has gained further notoriety
through the hit Danish / Swedish television drama "The Bridge." This
incredible engineering feat now links Sweden to Denmark and the continent of
Europe. The bridge is both rail and road, and it merges into a tunnel on the
Danish side so that it does not affect the aircraft at Copenhagen airport. Take
a trip across the bridge and through the tunnel to nearby Denmark and spend
some time exploring Copenhagen's attractions.
12. Abisko National
Park, Lapland
This is the Midnight Sun Land in summer with 24-hour
daylight lasting several weeks. The park has a size of about 77 square
kilometers and is famous for its pristine natural beauty and northern wildlife.
It's a great place for winter adventures and long summer hikes in Scandinavia.
Abisko is situated approximately 100 kilometers west of the town of Kiruna and
is more than 200 kilometers inside the Arctic Circle within the auroral oval, a
particular area where there's a higher chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
There are regular flights from Stockholm to Kiruna and there are bus, train or
taxi transfers to the park. Weather permitting, make sure you visit the
spectacular Aurora Sky Station.
13. Sigtuna
The idyllic village of Sigtuna nestles alongside
Lake Mälaren in the lush green landscape of Uppland, north of Stockholm, which
was founded in 980 AD, the last century of the Viking era. In the medieval
churches, ruins, rune stones and buildings that remain to this day, Sigtuna's
amazing history is found. Along Storgatan, which has stood for over a thousand
years, there are clusters of interesting small boutique shops that sell
fashion, designer items and crafts. Sigtuna is only 45 minutes from Stockholm
by car, 30 minutes from the medieval university town of Uppsala and 20 minutes
from the airport of Arlanda.
14. Lund Cathedral
This is the most visited cathedral in Sweden and one
of the most visited sites in Skåne's southern province. When you stand before
the imposing Roman structure with its magnificent twin towers, you'll
understand why. The Danish King Canute IV founded it around 1080 and is
Sweden's oldest and finest Romanesque church. This building dates back to the
12th century. Over the altar is a magnificent carved reredos from the 14th
century, the work of a master from North Germany. The crypt is the cathedral's
oldest part. The roof is built on carved stone pillars, with figures
traditionally thought to represent a mythical giant, Finn, who allegedly built
the cathedral. In the aisle is the famous astronomical clock of the 14th
century with the figures of the Three Kings, which appear twice daily on
weekdays at noon and 15pm and on Sundays at 1pm and 3pm.
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