Sweden

There’s a cool, clean-lined purity about Sweden that makes this fascinating country truly unique. Offering an impeccably stylish smorgasbord of city adventure, world-class cuisine, rich history and breathtaking forage-worthy landscapes, you’ll be sure to find plenty of quirky places to stay that perfectly complement your Scandi surroundings.

The capital Stockholm – an archipelago often referred to as the ‘Venice of the North’, consists of around 30,000 diverse islands, some completely unspoilt. A Stromma boat tour should be at the top of any traveller’s list, to discover the city and its islands in all their beauty.

Stockholm’s Vasa Museum is the country’s most visited museum and well worth a visit, while the Old Town – known as Gamla Stan – is a restored medieval town ideal for wandering through stone-paved lanes. Meanwhile, pretend you’re a Nobel Prize winner at the imposing Stockholm City Hall, where the highly prestigious award is presented each year.

History buffs will enjoy an excursion to Sigtuna, Sweden’s first ever town, founded in the Viking era of AD 980. The walled medieval town of Visby is an historian’s delight and a UNESCO World Heritage site, while Skansen, an open-air museum that’s the oldest of its kind in the world, represents Swedish culture throughout the ages. Abba the Museum can be found here, too!

Sweden isn’t all about Stockholm and Abba, of course. The world’s first ever Ice Hotel at Jukkasjärvi is an unsurpassed bucket-list destination, newly created every year from ice in the river Tome. Day trips to nearby Kiruna, part of Swedish Lapland, is a must to view the Northern Lights, the magnificent Aurora Sky Station and the famed midnight sun. Why not take a reindeer or dogsledding tour, or spend the night in a nomadic Sami reindeer camp?

Family holidays are well-spent in Liseberg, complete with its fairytale castle, children’s carousels and thriving Christmas markets…not to mention a Big Wheel that provides superlative Gothenburg views. Meanwhile, fans of the TV show ‘The Bridge’ will rejoice in a visit to Oresund Bridge, linking Sweden to Denmark and accessible within 15 minutes of Malmo. In fact, why not pop across the bridge to Copenhagen, for a characterful day trip?

Osterlen, steeped in opulence, is a many a rich Stockholmer’s ideal getaway setting, complete with rich countryside and beautiful beaches. For those in love with the Great Outdoors, the High Coast is a stunning hiking trail that will leave you feeling at one with nature.

We suggest planning your Swedish itinerary over coffee and a generous slice of Prinsesstårta (the delicious, bright green Swedish cake made famous by the ‘Great British Bake Off’) – because with so much diversity to be discovered in one country, you’ll have to make sure you don’t miss a thing.