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Top things to do in Sweden
Experience the wholesome culture festivals, sleep at the Ice Hotel and reconnect with nature with a wander through the beautiful Gothenburg Garden. Sweden's coastline often gets missed by tourists but the stunning white sands and small islands are waiting to be explored.
Here are the top things to do on a Sweden holiday, as chosen by our Europe specialists.
Experience the culture festivals
During mid-August Sweden’s three largest cities hold their culture festivals – Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. The three culture festivals cater for all ages and feature music for differing tastes, as well as free entry to attractions that otherwise charge an entrance fee. There is also art, street theatre, poetry, late night films on outdoor screens, and delectable food. It is possible to combine all three cities and festivals in one trip, as they occur almost simultaneously.
See Skansen at Christmas
Stockholm’s open-air museum is a wonderful place to visit at any time or the year, but particularly at Christmas. The Christmas celebrations and decorations at Skansen last for the full month of December and the market is full of traditional treats, foods and handicrafts. It is a place to be enjoyed by people of all ages – children can learn traditional Swedish dances and games. The last weekend before Christmas is the Winter Solstice, when you can enjoy Sami dancing, music performances, a drink in the ice bar and a bite to eat from the charcoal grill.
Explore Sweden’s coastline
Southern Sweden has long, picturesque coastlines and both Stockholm and Gothenburg have beautiful archipelagos waiting to be explored by boat and on foot. A variety of different boat trips can be taken from both cities to explore the small islands and islets. Take a trip to the islands of Gotland, famous for the medieval town of Visby; or Öland with its long white beaches – both of which are on the Unesco world heritage list.
Wander the Gothenburg Garden
This beautiful botanical garden is an oasis even on a rainy day. Home to over 20,000 species of flower (including 1,500 species of orchid), it features a lovely rock garden, a Japanese garden and the Easter Island Tree, which is now extinct in the wild. Guided tours are available in the summer months.
Sleep at the Ice Hotel
Spend the night in a room made from ice and snow, and on a bed made cosy with thick reindeer fur. After this unique sleeping experience, be woken in the morning with a cup of warm lingonberry juice. From the hotel you can explore the local area, have a drink in the Absolut Ice Bar, or enjoy an á la carte meal in one of the restaurants.
