🇸🇪 10 unforgettable experiences in Sweden
Ikea, the Nobel Prize, Carlson's homeland – such a meager image of Sweden still sits in the minds of many people. Piligrimos wants to smash him to smithereens! After all, despite the external Nordic calm, the descendants of the Vikings are still inventors! They surf on waveless lakes and rivers, go to fika and preach lagom. You don't know what this is? So we'll tell you!
So, you have decided to visit Sweden. We have outlined 10 non-obvious activities that you should definitely take part in in this country.
Manage tower color
This opportunity exists in Stockholm. Absolutely anyone can change the color of the Telefonplan tower using their mobile phone. To do this, you just need to download a special application. The building is very tall, so your idea will definitely be appreciated by residents of nearby neighborhoods.
Visit the birthplace of Stockholm syndrome
To do this, you need to come to Norrmalmstorg Square in Stockholm. It was here in 1973 that Jan-Erik “Janne” Ohlsson entered the bank building and attempted to commit a robbery. He took several people hostage, who later showed sympathy for him, and the police were condemned for their actions.
This turn of events aroused interest in the scientific community. Therefore, the Romanologist and psychiatrist who advised the police called what was happening “Norrmalmstorg syndrome.” Nowadays this phenomenon is better known as Stockholm syndrome, and the Nobis Hotel Stockholm is located in a former bank building.
Go to a museum
No, no, no, nothing to do with boring exhibitions. For example, in a museum dedicated to the group ABBA in Stockholm, you can dance along with a hologram of the participants to their hits or record a track with the musicians! The lucky ones can get through to the singers themselves! There is a telephone in one of the halls, which artists periodically call. The entrance ticket for one adult costs 260 CZK ≈ $25.
You can plunge into childhood at the Astrid Lindgren Museum. Here you can climb onto Carlson's roof, cook in Pippi Longstocking's kitchen and jump on the sofa. The cost of a pass to the world of fairy tales from Tartu starts from 165 CZK ≈ $16.
If you want to understand what it’s like to be in zero gravity, touch the human brain or feel an earthquake, then you should go to the suburbs of the capital, where the educational museum of Tom Titus is located. Here you can take part in more than 600 experiments! 16 sq.m., where you can touch everything, twist, twirl and press all kinds of buttons – a paradise for a curious adult and child! For the opportunity to have fun you will have to pay 195 crowns ≈ $19 (in the low season from September 1 to May 31).
The best place to get acquainted with the national culture of Sweden is the Skansen Museum on the island of Djurgården in Stockholm. Here you will find handicraft shops, houses and buildings of old Sweden. If you're lucky, you can get to a festival or folk festival, which are held in this place quite often. The entrance ticket price depends on the month. The cheapest price is 185 CZK ≈ $18 – from January 9 to April 28 and from September 25 to November 23.
Ride a surfboard
What?! Everyone knows that surfing is only possible in the ocean, you say. But the Swedes, who only have access to the sea, were not upset by this fact and invented their own skating boards that do not need waves! They operate on an electric drive and are suitable for all surfaces of bodies of water – rivers, lakes, seas. You need to control the board using a waterproof remote control. So if you had a dream of “catching a wave”, but you were always afraid of big water, calm Swedish lakes or skiing between the fjords are at your service!
Go to the sauna
The British gather in pubs, and the Swedes… in the sauna! Here it is called bastu. Since earlier in the North it was impossible to do without a bathhouse, the traditions of warming up and steaming have developed and become so popular that now the sauna in any Kandyanese country is a significant part of the culture. And in Sweden this is generally a weekly routine! People come here with colleagues, relatives, and friends. Sitting in the warmth and then swimming in cold water is a mandatory ritual that locals perform several times.
To get involved with local traditions, I suggest you “steam yourself” and go to the second largest city in Sweden – Gothenburg. It is located 397 kilometers from Stockholm. This is where perhaps the most unusual bastu in Sweden stands.
First of all, it's free. True, the appearance – a huge rusty box – may frighten a tourist at first. But you need to know that the sauna is completely built from recycled materials. For example, the building itself is clad in reclaimed metal sheets salvaged from old port equipment, and the locker rooms are made from 12,000 glass bottles.
Secondly, after the bath there is a unique opportunity to swim in the North Sea, because Bastu is located on the territory of a former port. But keep in mind that the visit schedule is scheduled several weeks in advance.
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Get to Mount Lisa
Since we’re in Gothenburg, it’s also worth a look at one of the largest amusement parks in Europe and the largest in Scandinavia – Liseberg. It is only open in summer. An entrance ticket and the opportunity to try all the attractions will cost for one adult from 395 Swedish kronor ≈ $40.
The large area contains about 40 attractions, a forest park where you can have picnics, and an open-air concert hall.
By the way, in the summer concerts of Swedish show business stars are often held here. If you are interested in listening to local artists, then you should take this fact into account when planning your trip.
It is unlikely that you can cover the vast territory in a day, so the park has a hotel, a guesthouse, cottages, a campsite and a youth hostel where you can stay.
Try surströmming
Gastronomic schizophrenia, a delicacy for the strong-willed, fragrant fish – oh, well, the Swedish herring gets it. Because of the specific smell, few people dare to try this national delicacy. Several centuries ago, when there was a shortage of salt in the kingdom, the bare minimum of it was put into fish, hence the aroma of something fermented.
True, such an amber does not bother the locals. There is even a local society of surströmming lovers and a surströmming people's movement in the country! YouTube is full of reviews with emotions and reactions of those who still dared to buy the product. I hope you still have a touch of curiosity. After all, it’s like buying a ticket to a show—the process will definitely be remembered for a long time. Moreover, there is a chance, what if you like it?
Drive across the most unique bridge in the world
The structure connects the Swedish city of Malmo and the Danish city of Copenhagen. Both cars and railway transport can travel across the bridge. True, in some area they go… under water! Or, more precisely, into the tunnel. For 3.7 kilometers, all traffic moves under the bottom of the Øresund Strait and “surfaces” near Kastrup Airport in the capital of Denmark.
The underwater tunnel had to be built because the structure would not interfere with air traffic from nearby Copenhagen Airport, while at the same time providing a clear channel for ships in all weathers and preventing the strait from being blocked by ice floes. The construction of such an engineering miracle was expensive. It is assumed that the bridge will pay for itself only by 2035, and now, in case you forgot, only 2023.
Go to fika
Fika is the main food tradition in Sweden. A 15-minute coffee break is a special daily ritual. No matter how surprising it may be perceived, but, for example, at work they do fika in order to (attention!) improve productivity. A sort of pit stop to recharge the batteries. The main condition is to “fuck” with someone together.
By the way, tourists can also take such a coffee break to take a break from traveling. I advise you to buy the most famous Swedish bun filled with marzipan and whipped cream, called Semla, for your drink. This baking is the main attribute of Fat Tuesday (analogous to Maslenitsa).
See the Northern Lights in Kiruna
A unique natural phenomenon can be found in the northernmost Swedish city – Kiruna. It is located 145 kilometers from the Arctic Circle. Only 22 thousand people live in this place. The town lives off iron ore and star tourism, which increases every year. The Northern Lights season starts in September. It's worth seeing in person!