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Sweden
Malin was born in Sweden and Sweden has still a special place in her heart. For Guido, Sweden has become a special place too. Our first vacation we spend together, was a week on a very little island called Dyron. We had all kinds of weather, from beautiful sunshine 'till huge rainshowers. We did have the opportunety to get to know each other very well!!
Visiting Sweden
Sweden has become a very populair place to spend a few days or to spend the summer vacation in. Some of you might also considering spending a (little) vacation in Sweden. We have collected some information and suggestions for you.
Western Sweden
Western Sweden encompasses the provinces of Bohuslän, Dalsland and Västergötland.
The friendly maritime city of Gothenburg is a logical starting point from which to explore the region.
North of the city lies the coastal province of Bohuslän. Bohuslän is famous for its idyllic fishing villages, wonderful seafood and historic stone carvings.
Further inland lies Västergötland, home of the marvellous Göta Canal, crossing Sweden from coast to coast, through two vast lakes, Vänern and Vättern, and an amazing series of locks. This lovely area is full of relaxing holiday destinations.
North of Västergötland and inland from Bohuslän, lie the lakes and canals of Dalsland. Dalsland is perfect for an active outdoor, holiday, close to nature.
West Sweden is fast becoming the new gourmet region of Northern Europe, offering not only gourmet tours but golf, cycling, walking, wildlife, sailing and canoeing. More about that further on.
Bohuslän
Bohuslän has many popular sights to visit. The rock carvings in Tanumshede are only one of them and they are on the Unesco´s list of World Heritages. Another is Nordens Ark - a unique animal park for species threatened with extinction. Here there are snow leopards, wolves and strange birds. The Nordic Watercolor Museum is one of the most exiting cultural projects in the Nordic countries. The museum serves as a Nordic centre for contemporary art, for research and training, with the stress laid on techniques of watercolor art.
Västergötland
Västergötland has fascinated people for thousands of years and there are traces of our forefathers to be found everywhere. Some of the burial mounds are older than the pyramids in Egypt. Add to this architectural structures, such as the stone structure at Torpa on the lake, Åsunden, the Karlsborg fortress, the Läckö castle or the locks in Trollhättan.
Dalsland
The Dalsland canal with the aqueduct in Håverud is a spectacular feat of engineering. Paddlers, people in recreational boats and on tours alike are fascinated by the way roads, railway and canal cross each other. At Majberget in Bengtsfors you will find the open air museum Gammelgårdens Friluftsmuseum with more than 20 structures. There is a miller's cottage, a forge, a traditional Swedish cottage with a ridge roof and the only straw crafts museum in the North - Halmens Hus.
Raw ingredients from mother nature
Seafood and shellfish are popular along the Bohuslän coastline, and many feel that sitting on the edge of a dock on a sunny day, eating fresh shrimp right out of the bag from the fish monger is the high point of their holiday.
Dalsland has plenty of game, such as moose and deer, but even something as unusual as beaver. From the lakes come whitefish, pike and perch. Cultivated game fish is popular and is sold fresh and smoked. In the summer and autumn when the woods are full of wild mushrooms and berries, these, too, naturally end up on the dinner table.
Västergötland is about fish - smoked fish from the big lakes, Vänern and Vättern. To this we can add cheese making in Falköping. The area around the town has the highest cow population in Sweden.
Traditional provincial dishes include the Bohuslän äggost (egg cheese) - a heavy dish which is usually eaten as a dessert. In the past it was common for farmers to eat äggost for breakfast - and then with a side dish of pickled herring.
Göta Kanal
Göta Canal with its 58 locks and 47 bridges runs from Mem on the Baltic Sea to Sjötorp at Lake Vänern. Together with other canals it helps create "Sweden's Blue Ribbon" and connects Stockholm and Gothenburg by water.
When travelling on the canal, it may sometimes be perfect to take a dip by the canal jetties, or why not take a swim from the boat while it sails slowly along the canals when the wind is calm. You can rent a bike and boat along the Göta Canal. There is also the option of taking an arranged tour on the water by passenger boat.
Closely associated with the Göta Canal experience is the Göta Canal Steamship Company. Its elegant white steamers have been criss-crossing the country for over 120 years; offering travellers a fantastic relaxing journey in wonderful vintage atmosphere through the magnificent canal countryside with its 58 locks and several lakes, including the vast Lake Vänern.
Accomodation
In Sweden accommodation comes in all shapes and sizes to suit all tastes and budgets. Ever wondered what it's like to sleep behind bars? Do some of your vacation time in an authentic 19th century prison. Live like a king in an elegant countryside manor or in a monastery from 1420. You'll find plenty of excellent hotels in all price categories or if you prefer to stay in a more modest guesthouse the range of choices will once again impress you. Big city or mountain village, stately castle or cottage, room service or sleeping bag - in Sweden the choice is yours.
Ready to rumble?
In Sweden the going can get rough, so the tough keep going. We are a people known for our devotion to outdoor activities, come rain, snow or sun. Sweden offers a rugged natural environment that begs to be conquered. We have blood-boiling rapids, soothing streams and wakeboarding waves! With over 8,000 km of coastline and forests that cover 70% of our fair country's total land area, we promise you excitement of a lifetime!
Culture and Nature
The depth and variety of Sweden's cultural heritage has been inspired by two main sources - nature with its ever-changing, clearly defined seasons, and contacts with other cultures, from as far back as the Iron Age, through the Viking era up to the present day.
There is so much more for visitors to Sweden to enjoy - from the Höganäs ceramics of western Skåne in the south, to the finely carved wood, bone and textile handicrafts of the Sami people in northern Lapland - and all the provinces in between, with their countless workshops full of weavers and spinners, gold and silver smiths, stonemasons, woodcarvers and much more.
Besides the wealth of prehistoric cultural sites, there are many more dating from historic times - fortresses, castles and manor houses from the Middle Ages through to the 19th century. For example, Glimmingehus in the far south of the country is the best-preserved medieval fortress in Scandinavia. In the area around Lake Mälaren there are many fine examples of castles and stately homes dating back to the era when Sweden was a great power in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Bergslagen area retains many fascinating relics from the iron industry's heyday. There are cultural sites where you can see entire iron-industry villages preserved in their original state, and witness how iron ore used to be mined. At Falu Koppargruva and the Stora Museum in Falun, there is a unique copper-mining environment dating back to the 16th century.
Another fascinating area, and listed as a World Heritage site, is the entire town of Visby on the island of Gotland, with its medieval Hanseatic town centre and fantastic walls. The old town in Stockholm, "Gamla Stan" is criss-crossed by winding cobbled alleyways, and is full of buildings dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Getting Around
Getting around in Sweden is fast and efficient and easy. Though you may need to cover large distances (especially in northern Sweden), the country's rail network is efficient and extensive. Comfortable, modern trains are designed to deal with all kinds of weather.
Motorways and roads are relatively free of traffic by international standards, and well maintained. Sometimes the only traffic you will have to look out for is the occasional deer or elk crossing the road!
Flying is an efficient option thanks to the well-developed system of regional airports around the country.
Sweden's many lakes, islands and canals are linked by an extensive network of canal boats, vintage steamers, and ferries - large and small.
What is the weather like?
Depending on when and where you are in Sweden, the temperature and weather fluctuates.
Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream, the temperature is unusually mild in relationship to the degree of latitude. In the summertime, the weather is very changeable; one day it could be 25 degrees and sunny and the next just 10 degrees and rainy. The trick is to have a change of clothes for all types of weather. But it is a lot warmer than you think. Sweden has four seasons that provide for a varying climate and a range of temperatures. The geography of the country means that it could be spring in Northern Sweden and yet summer in the South.
Average temperatures (day and night) in July:
Malmö: +16.8°C.
Stockholm: +17.2°C.
Kiruna: + 12.8°C
De Bilt (The Netherlands) +17.4°C
Zweden heeft zomers een gemiddelde temperatuur die boven Nederland ligt, het is gemiddeld droger en er zijn meer zonuren (o.a. door de lange avonden).
Het is dus vaak zomerser als in Nederland, maar het kan ook zijn dat het een periode af en toe regent, meestal zijn dat dan buien en schijnt diezelfde dag de zon ook weer.
Het zwemwater in de meertjes en de zee is aan het begin van de zomer nog vrij koud, maar in augustus kan het, als het een warme zomer is geweest oplopen tot 20 graden of zelfs iets meer.
More information
Tourist office in Kungälv
Göteborg
Lonelyplanet on Sweden
Stenungsund
Bästkusten
Gotacanal
Gotakanal
Liseberg
Smorgasbord
dyron.net
Allt om goteborg.se
Gullbringa Golf & Country Club
www.zweden.nl
www.zwedenweb
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