What to do in Sweden

Live like a Sami

The Sami people are Sweden’s only indigenous population in the country.

Today, there are less than 150,000 Sami people scattered throughout the countries of Finland, Russia, Norway, and Sweden. They were originally nomadic, and followed their herd of reindeers up into the mountains or they simply go wherever their herds of reindeers go.

You can experience living with a Sami family and experience what it feels like to eat a traditional Sami meal or to herd the reindeers.

Although the Sami people are now accustomed to modern equipment and tools for herding such as snowmobiles, they still follow their traditional ways of living.

Unlike the old times, however, anyone – male or female – herd the reindeers nowadays. However, it is still only the males that are allowed to carry heavy modern equipment.

Experience the traditional Sami way of living, learn to make traditional Sami handicrafts, and even get to try out the traditional Sami special dress.

Trek the mighty Swedish Alps

Trekking and hiking is one of the best tourist activities you could do. Sweden has the largest area of wilderness in Europe so there are definitely a lot of things to see and discover in Sweden.

Hiking in the Alps is best done during the summer, since hiking during the winter is really dangerous due to the very harsh weather up in the mountains.

Hiking is already a widely popular tourist activity, so there are many hiking stations in the Alps where tourists can buy food, sleep, and even take a shower, helping make the trip up the Alps a bit lighter for the hikers.

Other hikers who prefer a more authentic hiking experience bring their own food and tents and just camp on site during their trek.

If you plan to do the latter, just make sure that you already know your hiking or trekking route so you won’t get lost. Of course, it’s always best to bring someone along who knows the path.

Either way there is always fresh spring water, which tourists can drink on their way up.

Go Skiing

One of the best holiday tourist activities in Sweden is skiing in one of the numerous ski resorts in the country.

If you plan to go to Sweden during the winter, don’t forget to bring all your winter clothes, and of course your entire ski gear.

One of the best ski resorts in Sweden is in Are. It is also the largest ski resort located in the northern Alps.

This ski village is very ideal since you get to ski all around the village. There are also a lot of shops and restaurants in the area, where you can buy all sorts of things.

Aside from this, tourists also enjoy the “after-ski,” where guests can enjoy the rest of the night in some of Are’s nightclubs, lounges, or music lounges.

Are is also popular for its snowboarding parks where snowboarders can enjoy park features such as quarter pipes, slides, and jumps for both expert and novice snowboarders.

See a Polar Bear

We all know that polar bears in the wild are threatened due to rapid climate change and the melting ice up in the north.

Polar World in Sweden is the largest polar bear park in the world and operates for the sole purpose of preserving the polar bear species and providing them with a new home.

The Polar Bear Park creates awareness that even these majestic animals are not safe, even in their natural habitat. As you enjoy seeing a real polar bear at the park, learn a little too about what they are and how we can all help to preserve this wonderful species.

Go Shopping

In almost every country in the world that you visit, shopping is a must. The stores of a country reflect its culture just as surely as its museums do.

For shopping enthusiasts in Sweden, the best place to go is at Avenyn, which literally translates to “avenue.” This street has all sorts of stores to satisfy your shopping (or window shopping) need, and tons of restaurants afterwards to refresh the weary shopper after a long shopping trip.