Sweden Map & highlights

2 min summary When to go Map & highlights Things to do Kayaking Cycling Northern Lights Stockholm Families Tips Responsible tourism All our Sweden guides

Sweden Map & highlights

Covering an area twice the size of Britain, a list of places to visit in Sweden combines unforgettable nature with unique human imprints. In the north, Lapland's fascinating Sami culture vies with Arctic wilderness lit by unending summer sun or auroral winter darkness. Central Sweden is a fairytale heartland of vast forests teeming with bears and elk, broken by clearings dotted with pretty wooden cottages. Coasts come dotted with fishing hamlets facing enchanting archipelagos: wild Saint Anna, lushly wooded Lulea. Rich history is everywhere: ancient stone circles, majestic medieval towns, rock art as old as the Pyramids.

Give us a call to help with your itinerary

Our Sweden Vacations

1. Bergslagen
2. Kiruna
3. Lulea archipelago
4. Mora
5. Saint Anna Archipelago
6. Skinnskatteberg
7. Stockholm Archipelago
8. Vasterbotten

Bergslagen

1. Bergslagen

This mineral-rich region north of Lake Malaren has been mined since before Christ - a history chronicled amid 750 km² of wilderness by the world's largest open-air museum. Come today for wildlife riches amid vast forests dotted with lakes: seek out plentiful moose and beaver; listen for wolves; watch osprey pluck fish from secluded waters, while red squirrels enjoy arboreal heaven.

Bergslagen

Kiruna

2. Kiruna

The northernmost town in Sweden is a gateway to the vast wilderness of Swedish Lapland. Exploring the rich indigenous Sami culture is a highlight of trips here, and so is spending a night at the famous Icehotel, but what may well prove the most memorable experiences are traditional activities such as ice fishing, husky sledding and perhaps if you’re lucky, seeing the Northern Lights.

Lulea archipelago

3. Lulea archipelago

Stockholm may have a larger island retinue but Lulea's 'mere' 1700 offer seclusion far from the capital's tourist throngs and R&R-ing city slickers. In summer, islands like Sandon, Junkon and Kluntarna have mainland ferry links, otherwise get paddling! Forage or fish, camp wild or cosy up in a clapboard cottage, swim or kayak, watch birds or just hang with the fishing folk on Hinderson.

Lulea archipelago

Mora

4. Mora

A historic town situated in the heart of Sweden’s idyllic lake district, Mora sits between the northern shore of Lake Siljan and the southern shore of Lake Orsajon, and is a lovely spot to be based when touring picturesque lakeside villages, perhaps by bike. One of the country’s most famous artists, Anders Zorn, who painted three American presidents in his lifetime, lived here.

Saint Anna Archipelago

5. Saint Anna Archipelago

On Sweden’s Baltic eastern coast, the Saint Anna Archipelago is a mosaic of some 6000 islands and islets, most of them uninhabited. This is a simply beguiling destination for sea kayaking trips, with both guided and self-guided options available that involve wild camping on deserted beaches, and the chance to forage for ingredients to be prepared by the camp chef.

Saint Anna Archipelago

Skinnskatteberg

6. Skinnskatteberg

West of Stockholm, in central Sweden, Skinnskatteberg offers the chance to really get back to nature with a stay in an ecolodge surrounded by pine, birch and spruce. Expect the most basic of accommodations: outdoor compost toilets, no electricity, dips in the lake rather than showers, and certainly no Wifi. Camping doesn’t get much wilder than this.

Stockholm Archipelago

7. Stockholm Archipelago

The amazing thing about the Stockholm archipelago is that it begins just minutes outside the city. Here you can kayak, cycle and hike to your heart’s content around some 3000 islands, ancient castles and seaside communities. Pack a picnic lunch, hop aboard a steamboat, take a chilly dip in the Baltic and see how far you can get crossing suspension bridges from island to island.

Stockholm Archipelago

Vasterbotten

8. Vasterbotten

Perfect for ecotourists looking for a secluded getaway, Vasterbotten in Swedish Lapland is a sublime all year-round destination, where you can experience the epic Swedish wilderness in style with a stay in a modern treehouse. A huge range of activities, from husky sledding to cross-country skiing across frozen lakes, would be right on your doorstep, if you had one.

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about Sweden or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.

Toll free 1-866-821-6866

Calling us from outside the US?

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Toll free 1-866-821-6866

Calling us from outside the US?

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Sweden travel times

Stockholm - Gothenburg: 3 hours by train Stockholm – Kiruna: 16 hours by overnight sleeper train Stockholm – Harnosand ('High Coast'): 4 ½ hours by train Arsta – Uto: 35 minutes by ferry Vaxholm – Finnhamm: 2 ½ hours by ferry

More about Sweden

Best time to visit Sweden

The best time to visit Sweden is best explained using our temperature & rainfall chart as well as taking a peek at our month by month guide and our cultural pick from the Sweden calendar.

Sweden travel guide

Pick through our Sweden travel guide and find out what we consider to be rated, underrated and downright overrated as well as a brief history of Sweden and how to travel like a local on your Sweden vacation.

Things to do in Sweden

For the best things to do in Sweden you need to head out into the wilderness where the Northern Lights, Arctic predators and more than 2000 protected natural areas form just the tip of the iceberg.

Kayaking in Sweden

The Saint Anna archipelago, wild and pristine, is the most renowned destination for sea kayaking in Sweden - a remote, almost uninhabited landscape, just made for adventurous discovery.

Cycling vacations in Sweden

Sweden is one of Europe’s most underrated cycling destinations, but we’ll help you uncover its secrets with plenty of practical advice in terms of locations and things to do, from whizzing along forested bike tracks in Sörmland to leisurely pedals around the Stockholm Archipelago.

Seeing the Northern Lights in Sweden

Watching as the aurora borealis streak across the night sky is one of those magical experiences that’ll stay with you for the rest of your life, so deciding when and where to watch them is key.

Things to see & do in Stockholm

One of the most beautiful capital cities in Europe, Stockholm is bursting with elegant waterside buildings, excellent museums and cool cafes.

Walking vacations in Sweden

Explore the trails in Sweden where forests brim with birdlife and berries, curious cattle wander gentle rolling fields and island hopping is all part of the fun.

Wildlife vacations in Sweden

Just a couple of hours from Stockholm and you’re in forests inhabited by beavers, bears and enormous moose, while Lapland brings winter adventures where spotting reindeer, driving huskies and getting to know the Sámi culture are all on the cards.

Winter vacations in Sweden

Head to Sweden come wintertime and you’ll find picturesque snow-draped landscapes and plenty of ways to get around them: think cross country skiing, snowmobiling and dog sledding, with accommodation ranging from luxury treehouses to hotels built from ice.

Traveling in Sweden with kids

From woodcrafts to wilderness walks and wolf-tracking, if you’re looking into exciting activities for families in Sweden then this page should give you no end of inspiration on how to keep the kids entertained.

Sweden travel advice

Read a few tips from our friends in Sweden as you learn what our experts Maya Rao, Carmen Hamdi and Marcus Eldh have to say with regards to things to do and how to travel safely in Sweden.

Responsible tourism in Sweden

Doing your research into Sweden responsible travel issues starts here with the low down on preserving Sami culture, defending human and animal rights, and protecting woodland areas.

All our Sweden guides

Find all of our Sweden guides in one place, to particular places in Sweden such as Stockholm or Swedish Lapland, or for more detail about the different types of vacations we offer such as walking or cycling in Sweden.

More relevant guides

Written by Norman Miller

ABTA member P7085 so you are fully protected

Photo credits: [Page banner: Mikael Sundberg] [Bergslagen: Billy Lindblom] [Kiruna: bjaglin] [Lulea archipelago: Joakim Syk] [Mora: Ankara] [Saint Anne Archipelago: Vanerpaddel] [Skinnskatteberg: Mads Bodker] [Stockholm archipelago: Arild Vagen] [Vasterbotten: Anikasober80]

Sweden Map & highlights