7 Best Places to Visit in Sweden

Sweden pairs centuries-old Baltic port towns with some of the most dramatic wilderness in Europe, from Arctic forests to the midnight sun in the far north. Here are seven places worth building a trip around.

1. Gamla Stan, Stockholm

Stockholm's Old Town sits on its own small island and is one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe, with narrow cobbled lanes, colourful merchant houses, and the Royal Palace at its edge. It's still the historic heart of the capital, home to the Nobel Prize Museum and Stockholm Cathedral.

2. Vasa Museum, Stockholm

The Vasa Museum houses the Vasa, a 17th-century warship that sank on its maiden voyage in Stockholm harbour in 1628 and was raised largely intact more than 300 years later. It's the only surviving, almost fully original ship from that era anywhere in the world, and one of Scandinavia's most-visited museums.

3. Gothenburg

Sweden's second city is a canal-lined port on the west coast, known for its 17th-century Dutch-influenced old town, the Liseberg amusement park, and an archipelago of car-free islands just a short ferry ride away. It has a reputation as Sweden's more relaxed, food-focused alternative to Stockholm.

4. Visby, Gotland

Visby, the main town on the island of Gotland, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site built around a remarkably intact medieval town wall and dozens of ruined church towers. Founded as a Hanseatic trading post, it's one of the best-preserved fortified towns in Northern Europe.

5. Abisko National Park

Abisko, far above the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland, is one of the most reliable places in the world to see the Northern Lights thanks to a local microclimate that keeps skies unusually clear. In summer the same valley offers the midnight sun and access to the Kungsleden hiking trail.

6. ICEHOTEL, Jukkasjärvi

Built fresh from snow and ice on the bank of the Torne River every winter, the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi is a working hotel with rooms, an ice bar, and an art gallery carved by artists from around the world. It melts back into the river each spring and is rebuilt the following winter.

7. Malmö

Sweden's third-largest city sits just across the Öresund Strait from Copenhagen, connected by the Öresund Bridge. Its skyline is defined by the Turning Torso, a twisting 190-metre residential tower, while the old town and waterfront Västra Hamnen district give it a mix of medieval and modern architecture.

Staying connected while you travel

Sweden has extensive 4G/5G coverage across its cities and most of its national parks, making an eSIM a straightforward way to stay online from Stockholm all the way up to Abisko.

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