Swedes claim quiet reserve but their landscape is up for eye-catching display – northern forests stalked by wolves, a centre mixing fairy-tale cottages and bears, and Baltic shores dotted with prehistoric standing stones and medieval ruins. Celebrate Sweden's principle of Allemansrätt – the right to roam freely, from Bohuslän's 8000-island archipelago to snowy taiga lit by Northern Lights.
There's plentiful culture too, far beyond the museums and galleries of Stockholm and Gothenburg. In the north, the Sami's ancient Arctic lifestyle has been reinvigorated through distinctive arts. Fans of epic castles can marvel at the Renaissance Gripsholm, medieval Bohus, or austere Ekwtorps amid the UNESCO-celebrated archaeological treasures of Oland. Uppsala and Lund are university towns demanding close study, while Visby on the idyllic island of Gotland is one of the world's finest medieval towns. My own secret place? The glass-making region of Småland and its world-class Glass Museum in Växjö. See you there!
7 holidays match your criteria.
Bushcraft family holiday in Lapland, the last wilderness in Europe
A journey by rail and boat between Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki – three of northern Europe’s most exciting cities.
A classic hut-to-hut Nordic ski tour inside the Arctic Circle in North Sweden
Discover three very different capital cities – Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki – travelling between them by rail and boat.
Walk the Kungsleden Trail in Sweden and climb the highest peak, Kebnekaise
A beginner's dog sledding holiday based at a remote wilderness lodge in Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle
A family winter activity holiday in Sweden, centre based at the outstanding Camp Ripan, north of the Arctic Circle
