How To See The Best Of Sweden In Two Weeks

If you have two weeks to spend on your next holiday outing,why not spend the time touring around Sweden,one of the most beautiful countries in Scandinavia?  There, you can enjoy a wide variety of activities,sightseeing opportunities, and local flavors. Here’s how to make the most of your 14 days overseas.

Begin your Swedenadventure in the capital city of Stockholm,but plan to spend several days or even a week exploring this locale.  Take a boat tour to Birka, an old Vikingsettlement (now in ruins but no less spectacular) on the island of Bjorko, and make sure you trekto and around Gamla Stan (“Old Town”).  If you have kids with you, they’ll love theGrona Lund amusement park and the child-friendly Modema museet (“Modern Museum.”)  Make sure you keep your credit cards orKronor (the national currency) handy; Stockholmis known for being a European shopping mecca. There, you’ll find designer apparel and accessories, as well ashandcrafted souvenirs.

From Stockholm,you may want to cross the width of the country via rail, auto, or bus tocontinue your Swedish adventure in the Swedes’ second-largest city, Gothenburg(Goteborg).  This seaside town is about a third the sizeof Stockholm population-wise, butis still as modern and trendy.  There,you can bask in the loveliness of well-kept public parks and gardens or strollalong the beach in calmer or milder weather. Again, there are plenty of places for the younger tourists to see,including the Liseberg amusement park, the largest such attraction in northern Europe.  Additionally, the Universeum science andtechnology museum caters to the natural curiosities of youngsters of any age.

After Gothenburg, head to the southernmost tip of Swedento Malmo.  This third-largest city in the kingdom usedto be an industrial city, but now is heralded as a “knowledge city”.  Consequently, there are numerous culturalattractions, including the Malmo Art Gallery, Malmo Music Theatre, and a2 kilometer beach just aching to be strolled. If you head here in August, you can enjoy the Malmo Festival, a hugeundertaking that occurs over an eventful but well-planned 900-hour period.

At this point, if your time in Swedenhasn’t ended, it may be your opportunity to explore the northernmost part ofthe country.  Because Swedenis a little bigger than the state of California,it’s recommended that you travel either via rail or, better still, airplane.

When you arrive in “Lapland”, you’lldiscover an undisturbed, hauntingly beautiful spectacle thanks to MotherNature.  There, the sun never seems toset at the height of the summertime, so you can enjoy light 24 hours a day;conversely, the dark winter months are exactly that – dark any time.  If you’re into hiking, Laplandis the place to go.

If you’re not thrilled with the idea of Lapland,you can travel northeast instead to the High Coast along the Baltic Sea.  There, you can takethe World Heritage “tour” via car, starting in either Kramfors orOmskoldsvik.  Just be careful – there’splenty of wildlife, including sizeable reindeer, who are not shy about usingthe roadways themselves.  Not crazy aboutdriving?  If you visit during the summermonths, you may be able to cruise on a ferry boat up and down the coastline,visiting particular spots and saving others for your next time to this Norseparadise.

Of course, Central Sweden is nothingto scoff at, and if you want to extend your vacation by another week, you canvisit Dalarna, Uppland, Varmland, or Narke. Then again, why not wait?  Afterall, it’s a great excuse to visit this cultural hotspot again.