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Sweden Attractions
Hotels in Sweden | Information
on Sweden | Sweden Transportation
Lapland
Lapland is regarded as the largest intact wilderness in Europe
covering a quarter of the total area of Sweden yet with only 5%
of the population. Lapland is probably best known as the home
of Santa Claus, indeed a visit to Santa World at Mora in Dalarna
is what most children dream of. Lapland is both an inviting as
well as a magical and unusual place. There are plenty of outside
adventures to be had - climb Sweden's highest peak, Kebnekaise;
walk in the national parks of Sarek and Padjelanta; or try cross-country
dog-sledding, snow-mobiling and skiing. Stay in the Ice Hotel
at Jukksjärvi, a very unusual experience!
Skokloster Slott Castle
Skokloster Slott Castle is a magnificent 17th-century castle
as well as being one of the most fascinating baroque museums in
Europe. It is renowned for its unusual interiors as well as its
vast collections of paintings, furniture, applied art, tapestries,
arms and books. The castle also houses a restaurant, conference
facilities and an automobile museum.
The Viking Town of Birka
Birka is situated on a lush island in Lake Mälaren, about
18 miles from Stockholm. It was a major port over 1,200 years
ago. A new museum houses finds from extensive excavations around
the site. Visit the museum and see how the Vikings lived.
The Hanseatic town of Visby
A former Viking site on the island of Gotland, Visby was the main
centre of the Hanseatic League of the Baltic from the 12th to
the 14th century. Its 13th-century ramparts and more than 200
warehouses and trading establishments from the same period make
it the best preserved fortified commercial city in Northern Europe.
Gripsholm Castle
Gripsholm Castle is located in the small town of Mariested on
Lake Maaleren outside Stockholm. A stunning renaissance castle,
it was first built in 1540. The castle contains exceptional Renaissance
interiors as well as a theatre and the world's oldest and largest
portrait collections.
Sareks National Park
The enchanted landscape of Sareks National Park plays hosts to
over 100 glaciers as well as mountains reaching over 2,000m. It
should only be experienced with the help of a guide unless you’re
an expert in outdoor survival. The best views are over the lake
and delta of Laiture on the Rapa älv, near the eastern edge
of the park.
Öland
Öland is a tiny island boasting many ruins, fortifications and
nearly 400 windmills! The biggest Iron-Age ring fort on the island,
Gråborg - with a diameter of 200m - is an incredible sight.
Nearby, Eketorp has been partly reconstructed as a museum to show
what a fortified medieval village must have looked like. Equally
impressive are the ruins of Borgholm Castle which was eventually
burned and abandoned early in the 18th century. Also prominent
are the lighthouses at the northern and southern tips of the island.
Öland is reached from Kalmar via a 6000m bridge - the longest
in Europe. Öland is a popular place to celebrate Midsummer.
Old Uppsala
Located just outside modern day Uppsala, Old Uppsala is regarded
as the most important prehistoric monument in Sweden and the cradle
of Swedish civilization. The three "Kungshögarna" or
royal mounds are situated on a ridge and can be seen from miles
away. There is a cairn in the centre of each mound where the actual
grave was situated. The dead king was burned on a funeral pyre
together with his grave gifts which generally included jewellery
and gold. There is information provided nearby in numerous languages
in addition to an exhibition. A fascinating site, there is plenty
of interpretive material on site to guide you through the long
and interesting history of the area.
The Kingdom of Crystal
The Kingdom of crystal is located in the province of Småland,
in southeastern Sweden. Many of the world’s most famous glassworks
can be found here. The Kingdom of Crystal came into existence
when the first batch of glass was melted at Kosta in 1742. Kosta
is now the oldest glasswork in Sweden and is still making handmade
glass. In the Glasshouse see the glass-workers work in front of
the furnaces. This trip is a must, especially if you are looking
for bargains in crystal treasures. |
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Stockholm Travel Guide "
Stockholm Hotels, Stockholm
Hotel Reservations
Introduction
Stockholm is one of the great European capital cities. Blessed
with history, culture, and beautiful countryside as well as around
24,000 archipelago islands within easy reach, it is a watery,
magical city.
Situated between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic, the cosmopolitan
city of Stockholm has a population of about 1.8 million and has
been the Swedish capital since 1634. Stockholm is best explored
on foot or viewed from the sea. Start your walk at the Centralstationen
and enter the Gamla Stan (Old Town), the medieval heart of Stockholm.
Take a break from walking the winding, narrow alleys and have
a meal or a snack in one of the many cellars. If shopping is what
you are after, head to Klarabergsgatan, home to many top designers
as well as department stores and some smaller shops. Walk into
the Kungsträdgården, a delightful 17th century park
and pass by the Sophia Albertina Palace, now home to the Foreign
Ministry. While in Gamla Stan visit the Kunliga Slottet, the “new”
Royal Palace. This is the largest royal palace in the world that
is still used for its original purpose. You can visit the state
apartments, Gustav II’s Museum of Antiquities or watch the
Changing of the Guard. Visit the nearby Storkyrkan Cathedral,
the oldest building in Stockholm. It dates back to the 13th century,
but the exterior is mainly baroque.
Stockholm
Attractions Guide
Kungliga Slottet
The 'new' Royal Palace is one of Stockholm's highlights, and it
was constructed on the site of the 'old' royal castle, Tre Kronor,
which burned down in 1697. The north wing of the castle survived
the fire and was incorporated in the palace, but the medieval
designs are now concealed by a baroque exterior. The palace, with
608 rooms, is the largest royal castle in the world still used
for its original purpose. The excellent state apartments, including
the Hall of State and the Apartments of the Royal Orders of Chivalry,
are open to the public (except during state functions), with two
floors of royal pomp, 18th- and 19th-century furnishings and portraits
of pale princes and princesses. Swedish regalia, crowns, scepters,
orbs and keys are displayed at the Royal Treasury, by the southern
entrance to the palace and near the Royal Chapel. Gustav III's
Museum of Antiquities displays the Mediterranean treasures (particularly
sculpture) acquired by that eccentric monarch.
The new basement Museum Tre Kronor, opened in December 1999, features
the foundations of 13th-century defensive walls and exhibits rescued
from the medieval castle during the fire of 1697. The Changing
of the Guard usually takes place in the outer courtyard at 12:10pm
daily June to August. The rest of the year it's on Wednesday,
Saturday and Sunday only.
Stadshuset
Stadshuset (the Town Hall) looks more like a large church, but
its size is deceptive since it has two internal courtyards. The
dominant brown-brick square tower of Stadshuset is topped with
a golden spire and the symbol of Swedish power, the three royal
crowns. Inside the building, you'll find the beautiful mosaic-lined
Gylene salen (Golden Hall), Prins Eugen's own fresco re-creation
of the lake view from the gallery, and the hall where the annual
Nobel Prize banquet is held
Skansen
Skansen, the world's first open-air museum, was founded in 1891
by Artur Hazelius to let visitors see how Swedes lived in previous
times. Today, around 150 traditional houses and other exhibits
from all over Sweden occupy this attractive hilltop in Djurgården.
It's a spectacular 'Sweden in miniature', and you could spend
all day here, wandering between the zoo, the handicraft precinct,
and the open-air museum of the daily activities that take place
on Skansen's stages, including folk-dancing in summer. The Town
Quarters, mostly consisting of buildings from Södermalm,
are inhabited by staff in period costume. The buildings include
a pharmacy, bakery, bank, café, many types of workshop,
summer houses and Hazelius' mansion. There are also 46 buildings
from rural areas around the country, including a Sami camp, farmsteads
representing several regions, a manor house and a school. You
can trace the unhealthy history of smoking on four floors at the
Tobacco Museum or visit the more ecologically oriented Forestry
Information Centre. The Skansen Aquarium is also a must - en route
to the fish (including piranhas) you'll walk among the lemurs
and see pygmy marmosets, the smallest monkeys in the world.
Haga Park
Haga Park is pleasant for walks, bicycle tours and its museum
attractions. Gustav III's Paviljong is a superb example of late
neoclassical style. The furnishings and décor reflect Gustav
III's interest of things Roman after his Italian tour in 1782.
In Fjärils & Fågelhuset (Butterfly House), there's
an artificial tropical environment with free-flying birds and
butterflies. There's also a shop and cafe. Haga Parkmuseum has
displays about the park, its pavilions and the royal palace, Haga
slot.
Transportation in Stockholm
Getting There & Away
Stockholm's Arlanda airport is 42km (26mi) north of the city centre.
Skyways and SAS have comprehensive networks of domestic flights.
International air services to Copenhagen, Oslo, Bergen, Helsinki,
Reykjavik and St Petersburg are run by SAS. Finnair flies to Turku,
Vaasa and Tampere, and there are around five flights per day to
Helsinki. British Airways, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and Sabena
also have regular European services.
Long-distance buses use Cityterminalen, next to Centralstationen.
Here you'll find the Busstop ticket office, which represents the
big lines such as Swebus Express, Eurolines, Svenska Buss and
the cheaper Säfflebussen, along with many of the direct buses
to the north.
Stockholm is the hub for SJ's national services. Direct trains
to/from Copenhagen, Osla, Storlien (for Trondheim) and Narvik
arrive and depart from Centralstationen (Stockholm C), as do the
SL pndeltåg commuter sevices that run to/from Nynäshamn,
Södertälje and Märsta. Silja Line ferries depart
for Helsinki and Turku from Värtahamnen. Viking Line ferries
sail to Turku and Helsinki from the terminal at Tegelvikshamn.
Rail passes give a 50% discount on these services.
Getting
Around
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) runs all tunnelbana (T) metro
trains, local trains and buses within the entire Stockholm county.
At T-Centralen there are SL information offices in the basement
of the station hall and at the Sergels Torg entrance. It gives
out timetables and sells SL Tourist Cards and the general Stockholm
Card. The Stockholm Card covers all transport and most sightseeing
needs. It gives free entry to 71 attractions, free city parking,
free sightseeing by boat and free travel on public transport (including
the Katarinahissen lift, but excluding local ferries, some city
buses and airport buses).
The 24-hour and 72-hour SL Tourist Cards are identical to the
Stockholm Card except that they only give free entry to a few
attractions, but they're a much cheaper alternative if you just
want transport. The 72-hour SL Tourist Card is an especially good
value if you use the third afternoon for transport to either end
of the county - you can reach the ferry terminals in Grisselhamn,
Kapellskär or Nynäshamn, as well as all the archipelago
harbours. If you want to explore the county in more detail, bring
a passport photo and get yourself a monthly SL pass.
On Stockholm's public transport system the minimum fare costs
Skr14 (two coupons), and each additional zone costs another Skr7
coupon (up to five coupons for four or five zones). You can buy
a 20-coupon discount ticket for Skr95 (or singly at Skr7 each).
Coupons are valid for an hour and must be stamped at the start
of the journey. Rail passes aren't valid on SL trains. |
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Gothenburg Travel Guide "
Gothenburg Hotels, Gothenburg Hotel
Reservations
Introduction
Gothenburg is Sweden’s most important industrial and commercial
city and is Scandinavia’s most important port. This does
not take away from the fact that Gothenburg is simply a stunningly
beautiful city and has a fascinating architectural heritage.
Situated on the Göta älv river, Gothenburg was founded
by King Gustav II Adolf in the early 17th century. Gustav invited
Dutch merchants to trade and live in Gothenburg and their influence
on the city can still be felt. Most of the main sights in Gothenburg
are in easy walking distance of the centre of the town. Walk down
the majestic Kungsportsavenyn – Sweden’s version of
the Champs Elysées - and stop off to have a snack at one
of the many restaurants and cafes that line either side of the
street. Stop about halfway down the avenue and visit the excellent
Röhsska Museum of Arts and Crafts, which celebrates Swedish
design through the ages. Continue on to Trädgårdsföreningens
Park. This park is the location of a miniature version of Crystal
Palace, the Palmshuset, as well as Europe’s largest rosarium
with 2,600 varieties of rose and the Fjärilshuset (Butterfly
House) where all kinds of tropical butterflies are free to fly
around. Climb up Ramberget in Keillers Park to get one of the
best views of the city – or take a bus if you want a more
leisurely ascent.
Gothenburg
Attractions Guide
There is no shortage of museums in Gothenburg. The Stadtsmuseum
is located in the former site of the headquarters of the Swedish
East India Company and includes an extensive collection of porcelain
and the famous Äskekärr Viking ship. Visit the nearby
Maritima Centrum and clamber aboard the destroyer and submarine
moored at the quayside. Götaplatsen is the modern cultural
centre of Gothenburg, home to a concert hall, theatre and the
Konstmuseet (Art Museum), whose enormous collections include a
good selection of Impressionist paintings, Pop Art and –
most impressively – superb Swedish work. The extensive Nordic
and European collection include works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Van
Gogh and Picasso.
Walk to the west and visit the old working-class district of Haga,
now one of the trendiest areas of the city. Continue toward Linnegatan,
rapidly replacing Kungsportsavenyn as the place to eat, drink
and be seen. Enjoy a meal at one Gothenburg’s many restaurants
and then take in a concert at Göteborgs Konserthus or go
to the ballet at GöteborgsOperan. Otherwise visit one of
Gothenburg’s pubs and nightclubs, many of which feature
live music.
Getting to Gothenburg
Airport
Gothenburg City Airport is situated approximately 12 kilometers
to the north west of the city.
Bus
A coach service from the airport to Gothenburg leaves 30 minutes
after the arrival of Ryan Air flights. The bus back to the airport
leaves the bus terminal 90 minutes before the departure time.
The journey takes approximately 30 minutes.
Taxi
There is a regular taxi service to Gothenburg Central Station
from the airport that costs in the region of SEK265.
Within Gothenburg
Gothenburg has a very well developed public transport system
comprised of numerous buses, 9 tramlines and regional trains,
which offer excellent connections within the city and also with
the wider region. The Gothenburg's City Pass, available from all
tobacconists allows unlimited use of the city's excellent tram
and bus system. |
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