Spent about ten days in Sweden, including two days in Malmö, three days in Gothenburg, and four days in Stockholm. It was a wonderful tour through southern Sweden, with interesting old/new cities, lots of history, cool architecture, and even a few outdoor and nature adventures.
Sweden, one of three Scandinavian countries (the others are Norway and Denmark), is a country with about 10.5 million people in an area about the size of California or Spain. It is the largest Nordic country by size, and the fifth largest country in Europe. It has the world's 14th highest median income and ranks very highly in quality of life, health, education, protection of civil liberties, economic competitiveness, income equality, gender equality and prosperity (from Wikipedia). Top global brands headquartered in Sweden include Spotify, Volvo, Electrolux, Ericsson, and IKEA.
MALMO is Sweden's third largest city (pop ~350,000) and is across the Öresund Strait from Copenhagen. I started my tour of Sweden here.
The Turning Torso; an award-winning residential skyscraper in Sweden; 54 stories of mostly condos, designed by Santiago Calatrava, opened in 2005
Historic places: Malmö Castle, built in the 1530s. This castle has been repurposed and adapted to house an aquarium, a museum of natural history, and an art museum. A few original sections of the castle, including an execution chamber (!) have been preserved
"Poseidon" by Carl Milles, at Götaplatsen, in front of the Art Museum. Three museums and the sculpture were all clustered together, built for the World Exposition in 1923, during Gothenburg's 300th anniversary as a city
Gothenburg city view from Skansen Kronen, an old military fortress and the highest point in the city
The World of Volvo Exhibition Center and World Headquarters. There are a LOT of Volvos in Sweden. The center opened in 2024; a fun place to visit!
The Giraffe: A shipping crane, no longer used, is maintained as a reminder of the shipping and trading roots of Gothenburg
Feskekörka (tr: Fish church): Not actually a church, but this fish market has been around for a long time. When it was renovated, the churchy appearance was an intentional nod to the importance of fishing in this town. Built in 1874
Rented a kayak to paddle around the island of Donso in the Gothenburg archipelago. A nice break from city life!
The colored houses in Stortorget, Stockholm's oldest square and the center around which Gamla Stan (Old Town) grew. Also the site of an important set of public executions. More at:
The Nobel Prize Museum: This is where the committee meetings happen and where prize winners are announced
Gällnö is one of about 30,000 islands in the Stockholm Archipelago, and one of about 150 islands that is inhabited year round. I met up with friends Matt and Nadine to hike about 5 miles / 8 km on Gällnö
The Vasa Museum (left) and the Nordic Museum (right). They are both located on Djurgården, an island that once was a royal hunting ground, and now houses these fabulous museums as well as Sweden's only National Urban Park. The Vasa houses a 17th century sailing battleship that sailed less than a mile / 1.3 km before a gust of wind flipped the ship over. It sank in the Stockholm harbor (it was top-heavy) and was recovered after being submerged for about 350 years. It was kind of a vanity project to then King Gustavus Adolphus as a symbol of strength in his war against Poland and Lithuania. Apparently none of his advisors dared to tell him the boat had a bad design! A fun story, but it is an impressive boat with lots of interesting statues carved into its wooden structure. Also a very interesting place to visit.
Had the time to visit the National Park that is closest to Stockholm. Tyresta National Park is about 17 miles / 25 km south of the city. It was designated a national park to protect the largest tract of virgin forest in southern Sweden, and to provide easy access to recreation for Stockholmers. After consulting with a ranger there, I hiked a set of three trails that linked walks through old forests on varying terrain and that had two small lakes as destinations along the way. Very nice!
Sweden, one of three Scandinavian countries (the others are Norway and Denmark), is a country with about 10.5 million people in an area about the size of California or Spain. It is the largest Nordic country by size, and the fifth largest country in Europe. It has the world's 14th highest median income and ranks very highly in quality of life, health, education, protection of civil liberties, economic competitiveness, income equality, gender equality and prosperity (from Wikipedia). Top global brands headquartered in Sweden include Spotify, Volvo, Electrolux, Ericsson, and IKEA.
MALMO is Sweden's third largest city (pop ~350,000) and is across the Öresund Strait from Copenhagen. I started my tour of Sweden here.
More here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/tys4KTGNMyCQdDsL7
The Turning Torso; an award-winning residential skyscraper in Sweden; 54 stories of mostly condos, designed by Santiago Calatrava, opened in 2005
Historic places: Malmö Castle, built in the 1530s. This castle has been repurposed and adapted to house an aquarium, a museum of natural history, and an art museum. A few original sections of the castle, including an execution chamber (!) have been preserved
Malmo Castle: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qj5PZy4VVeZyncY9A
GOTHENBURG is Sweden's second largest city and is on the southwest coast, roughly halfway between Malmö and Oslo. Its population is about 600,000; the Volvo group is the largest employer in town.
"Poseidon" by Carl Milles, at Götaplatsen, in front of the Art Museum. Three museums and the sculpture were all clustered together, built for the World Exposition in 1923, during Gothenburg's 300th anniversary as a city
Gothenburg City Tour: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FkUvAig1pZQqaLWn6
Gothenburg city view from Skansen Kronen, an old military fortress and the highest point in the city
Gothenburg City Shots: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dC1276iXVnRsA5Ko8
The World of Volvo Exhibition Center and World Headquarters. There are a LOT of Volvos in Sweden. The center opened in 2024; a fun place to visit!
The World of Volvo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PtYHjv19PsEkGYaZ7
The Giraffe: A shipping crane, no longer used, is maintained as a reminder of the shipping and trading roots of Gothenburg
Feskekörka (tr: Fish church): Not actually a church, but this fish market has been around for a long time. When it was renovated, the churchy appearance was an intentional nod to the importance of fishing in this town. Built in 1874
Buildings and Architecture in Gothenburg: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Smquq9uUzPae5xFe7
Rented a kayak to paddle around the island of Donso in the Gothenburg archipelago. A nice break from city life!
Paddling and hiking in Donso: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dmqknxJE6SvWgvKM7
STOCKHOLM is Sweden's largest city (pop about one million people; another million people live in the greater metro area) and the capital city of the country. I was fortunate enough to snag a BnB in the middle of Gamla Stan (Old Town), near pretty much everything in downtown Stockholm
Stockholm City: https://photos.app.goo.gl/taAtUpSsXd6d6M4P9
The colored houses in Stortorget, Stockholm's oldest square and the center around which Gamla Stan (Old Town) grew. Also the site of an important set of public executions. More at:
Gamla Stan: https://photos.app.goo.gl/MgUPHzoymAnp9NDm6
The Nobel Prize Museum: This is where the committee meetings happen and where prize winners are announced
Gällnö is one of about 30,000 islands in the Stockholm Archipelago, and one of about 150 islands that is inhabited year round. I met up with friends Matt and Nadine to hike about 5 miles / 8 km on Gällnö
Stockholm Archipelago: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1DQXS98UgKYmseHb6
The Vasa Museum (left) and the Nordic Museum (right). They are both located on Djurgården, an island that once was a royal hunting ground, and now houses these fabulous museums as well as Sweden's only National Urban Park. The Vasa houses a 17th century sailing battleship that sailed less than a mile / 1.3 km before a gust of wind flipped the ship over. It sank in the Stockholm harbor (it was top-heavy) and was recovered after being submerged for about 350 years. It was kind of a vanity project to then King Gustavus Adolphus as a symbol of strength in his war against Poland and Lithuania. Apparently none of his advisors dared to tell him the boat had a bad design! A fun story, but it is an impressive boat with lots of interesting statues carved into its wooden structure. Also a very interesting place to visit.
The Vasa Museum: https://photos.app.goo.gl/xC2qZJABPpvmwhmN6
The City of Stockholm: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6ZQmYc68bQ2WqjSL6
Had the time to visit the National Park that is closest to Stockholm. Tyresta National Park is about 17 miles / 25 km south of the city. It was designated a national park to protect the largest tract of virgin forest in southern Sweden, and to provide easy access to recreation for Stockholmers. After consulting with a ranger there, I hiked a set of three trails that linked walks through old forests on varying terrain and that had two small lakes as destinations along the way. Very nice!
Tyresta National Park: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mUiKLMJEMJ1hJwFA7
A wonderful visit to a fabulous country. And when my time was up in Sweden, I boarded a ferry and headed over to Finland!
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