Sweden

The Scandinavian country of Sweden is located on the north-west coast of the Baltic Sea and expands like a sculpted crescent around the Gulf of Bothnia, which positions itself between Sweden and Finland.

Sweden is known worldwide for the star-spangled lineup of Abba, who took the world by storm in 1974 after winning the Eurovision Song Contest, and one of the world’s most weirdly captivating and un-navigable stores in Ikea. However, there's far more than you can imagine to this vast country than pop bands and flat-pack furniture. Nothing can be more impressive than its enchanting landscape, with lush forests to the south, the grand open lakes in the centre and up to the mountainous snow-capped peaks of the north, where Sweden crashes into both Finland and Norway.

The capital of Stockholm lies a third of the way up the east coast on the Baltic Sea, amid hundreds of impressive islands that climb from the cooling wash of the Baltic waters. The city of Gothenburg decorates the west coast as Sweden meets the Northern Sea to the south of Norway and the east of Denmark.

So, What's Special?

There are so many things that make this country so special, and I pray that you get to find that out on your own trip.

Firstly, the people are beyond friendly and so kind. They will do anything they can to help and assist you in any way they can, even if that means putting themselves out. Not only that, but they are always smiling, laughing and loving life. We have to put the Swedish amongst some of the most amazing people we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

There's a few words that get thrown around all too easily; such as extraordinary, legendary or astonishing. When we talk about the food in Sweden, we could easily use any or all of these words without exaggerating to describe the steaks, meatballs, Rakstuvning, Skagen, nettle soups, ice creams... the list could go on. Everyone's heard of Italian, Indian or Chinese cuisine, but not Swedish. Swedish dishes weren’t something we've really considered. That’s all changed and will be amongst the first meals we look to when ordering.

The architecture is beautiful, be it the wooded framed timber buildings or the old towns stone facades that lean gently in on each other, ordained with sculptures and beautiful rooftops. And it isn’t only the architecture, but the scenery and countryside, where every blink provides you with a new snap of perfection, be it lakes or sea views.

The final item that is so special about Sweden is its history. The Swedes are very proud of their culture and history, and so they should be. A bit like its food, we weren't expecting anything other than Viking stories, but there is so much about its former empire, its world travellers and home cultures.

The whole country and everything within it is special. Excluding its prices. Those suck.

Our Experience

As those of you who follow us on Instagram will know, there were multiple reasons for Greg's visit to Sweden. Firstly, he has friends in the capital, so it was about catching up with them and reliving those awesome memories, laughing and re-experiencing the best of times. It also is really helpful having a friendly local guide, no matter the size of the city.

The city break was also something of a personal one. It was 86-year-old Great-Uncle Davies' dream to visit some of the historical city sights, as he once taught Swedish History. To be able to show him some of the buildings, the sites and the graves of old leaders was something amazing, and to see his face light up was far more special than going it alone.

We managed to try many of the Swedish dishes, learned its history and joined in with some of its cultural experiences. We had the best time living the Swedish dream and hope it was the first of many. We just have to win more than a fiver on the lottery to fund the next trip.

Our Advice

For now we can only advise on what we have seen, and that's Stockholm. So here goes.

Everyone seems to be bilingual, and has more languages under their belt than we've have had hot dinners. This doesn't just mean they give a language a go, their standard of English, German and French is phenomenal, and the English is better than most of ours in the UK. However, don’t be lazy, trying the local language is appreciated, and as always being polite goes a long way (we always suggest learning the basics first such as 'tack', which means thank you).

Cash isn’t a big thing in the country. Stockholm and its surrounding areas seem to treat cash like the drunk uncle at a wedding, and if you try and use it someone you smile at you from afar as you dance like around like a drunk parrot, whilst secretly filming you hoping for a viral Youtube sensation. A lot of places will not accept cash, and only take card payments. The card is King in Sweden.

Everything is stupidly expensive, including the food and travel which will eat into your budget like a caterpillar on a big green leaf. There won’t be much left for anything else, but one could argue that really doesn’t matter. It’s spectacular.

Travelling around is expensive, so walk where possible and if able. It really will save you a lot of money, especially if you have a large group travelling together.

Our best advice though comes with one of our favourite topics: food. Spend the majority of your money on food, and eat local. No matter where you eat, try the meatballs, the Swedish dishes and drink the local beers, they are fantastic.

To Summarise...

Expect some of the most beautiful scenic views, lavish architecture and magical tastes, and mix that with some of the kindest, happiest people. You are sure to be in for a treat. Just expect the prices to match. Whilst you will be left with an empty wallet you will have gained far more than money could buy, you will be filled with stories, love and laughter. It really is a must-visit at some point in your travels, it may just take a while to save for.