Europe

If we were to mention ABBA, Björn Borg, Greta Garbo or Santa Claus, what would it conjure up for you? No need to contemplate for long, it’s Sweden, of course! A magical land on the Baltic Sea, as cold as it is unpopulated. Because that’s what Sweden is: a land where there are more pine trees than people, a country undiscovered by tourists and unspoiled by the madness of men. Between stretches of water,&nbsp;sleigh dogs, herds of reindeer, the aurora borealis and royal castles, Sweden offers a dazzling spectacle of beauty and nature, particularly in Lapland. That’s one side. On its other side, you will find urban Sweden, modern and busy, the forerunner of design and the grande dame of music. You will visit the lively districts of the Stockholm archipelago and its 24,000 isles and islands. You’ll be carried away by a very special atmosphere, unique to the north, and perhaps you’ll even be taken for a Viking on the island of Björkö!

Sweden

Örebro

Located in Stockholm, this museum is named after its treasure: the immense warship "Vasa". You can explore its 69 metre long keel, its 64 canons and 3 decks.

Musée Vasa

Motala

The capital of Sweden and the largest city in Scandinavia, Stockholm is an elegant and majestic city, made up of both land and sea.

Stockholm

Sweden's largest island, visitors to Gotland can look forward to its beautiful countryside and its many historical sites.

Gotland

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After Stockholm and its archipelago, I ended my first visit to Sweden by spending a few days on the island of Gotland, where a Swedish friend of mine has a family home. It's well worth making the detour to the island of Gotland during your <a href="/sweden/">trip to Sweden</a>. The medieval town of Visby is charming, and in summer, it's lovely to just wander about and explore its battlements. On the rest of the island, there are vast poppy fields and numerous cyclists. The island no doubt attracts them due to its flatness! We took a tour of the island, then headed to the beach in the evening to soak up the sunset. My Swedish friends went swimming – they're well used to it – but with the water at a temperature of 15°C, I wasn't going to risk it! ...Towards the North of the island, you'll find large boulders, impressively carved through a process of erosion (raukar ). It reminded me of Brittany, in France, in fact; here, you're at a far remove from the clichés of the Scandinavian countries with a combination of wooden chalets, lakes and forests!

Located in the Baltic sea, a few hours by ferry from Stockholm, the island of Gotland is the largest Swedish island. The main town, Visby, is recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site.

I headed there without really knowing what to expect, not having glanced at a guidebook, or even googled the place! But sometimes you want to be pleasantly surprised by a destination – and surprised I was! Alighting at Visby, the main town and the largest,I found myself in an incredible medieval town, a testament to the area's hanseatic past. Discovery followed discovery in this place I'd never even people heard mention before! Gotland is an area slightly away from the Swedish mainland, situated in the Baltic Sea. Equidistant from Sweden and Latvia, the island contains more gothic sites than anywhere else in <a href="/sweden/">Sweden</a>. Moreover, there's everything from magnificent natural scenery (notably, the incredible cliffs) to a thriving culinary scene, with a plethora of local vendors and gourmet restaurants.

Sweden's largest island, visitors to Gotland can look forward to its beautiful countryside and its many historical sites.

Gotland Holidays

Gotland: How to get there?

Gotland: See when to go?

Gotland: For how long?

Gotland: What to see nearby?