- Beach holidays in Sweden
- Family resorts in Sweden
- TOP 4 best ski resorts in Sweden
The usual associative series with Sweden certainly includes the most successful musical quartet in the entire history of Scandinavia, whose single Happy New Year has symbolized the coming of the New Year for many years, and a car, whose safety has been and remains the main priority for its designers.
However, in recent years, the homeland of ABBA and Volvo has increasingly attracted the attention of Russian tourists due to its excellent leisure opportunities. Compatriots usually arrive at the best resorts in Sweden in winter, but in the summer, people who want to get acquainted with the cozy and hospitable Scandinavian kingdom increasingly come down from the ramps of planes and ferries.
Beach holidays in Sweden
Despite the fairly northern latitude, Sweden is ready to offer its guests a decent beach holiday. It will be pleasant to spend a vacation at the local summer resorts for those who are not too fond of the heat and bright southern exoticism. The Swedish coast is washed by the almost native Baltic Sea, and every tourist can count on the restrained beauty of the landscapes, high-quality service, perfect cleanliness and the opportunity to enjoy their vacation to the fullest.
Visby, on the northwest coast of the island of Gotland, is known as the best preserved medieval town in all of Scandinavia. Its center is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The beaches in the vicinity of Visby are covered with both sand and pebbles, and therefore are suitable for families with kids and active tourists. The swimming season in Visby begins towards the end of June, when the air warms up to + 25 ° С, and the water in the sea - up to + 19 ° С. Due to the large number of sunny days in the summer, the resort is quite popular with both locals and neighbors. After the beach, tourists prefer to spend time in restaurants and bars serving seafood and local wine. Despite the not too hot climate, the island of Gotland grows its own grapes.
Among the many Swedish lakes, Vättern is the second largest by area, and every summer the city of Jönköping on its shores turns into a beach resort. The city beach is popular among young people not only in Sweden, but also in neighboring countries. They play volleyball on the banks of the Wettern, and ride catamarans, boats and jet skis on the lake surface. Also, every July in Jönköping, an international computer sports competition is held. The DreamHack festival brings together hundreds of IT professionals at the resort, who are also not averse to sunbathing after intense online battles.
Gothenburg is proud to be the unofficial cultural and sports capital of Sweden and one of the kingdom's finest resorts. In summer, it becomes a place of pilgrimage for beach lovers, because the coast in the Gothenburg region is unusually picturesque. The beaches of the city's outskirts are polished by the sea and time, granite platforms and are ideal for those who do not like sand because of its amazing ability to stuff into all pockets and folds of clothes. The resort offers guests a variety of other opportunities for active recreation. From Gothenburg you can take a ferry to the islands of the Western Archipelago, where there are cute eco-friendly hotels and seafood restaurants on the menu. Or, renting a kayak, go along the Dalsland Canal and the system of the surrounding lakes. The city invites lovers of nightlife to clubs, bars and discos. Young tourists will rejoice at the opportunity to visit the Liseberg amusement park, the largest in this part of Europe, with dozens of attractions and will gladly go on an excursion to the Museum of Science and Technology, part of the exposition in which is interactive.
Connecting Sweden with Denmark, the 16-kilometer Øresund tunnel bridge is not the only attraction in Malmö. The old city center is cozy and picturesque, dozens of parks delight the eye and smell with blooming roses, restaurants attract guests with delicious Scandinavian-style dishes, and nightclubs with musical novelties worthy not only of quiet sleepy Scandinavia, but also of Ibiza in the midst of July. And Malmö is a real beach resort, where a very different audience flocks every summer. The city even has its own "Copacabana" in Scandinavian, as Ribbersborg Beach is called. It was organized at the end of the century before last, and a swimming complex with women's and men's departments is still preserved on the beach. The young and athletic hang out in the Western Harbor. This beach is the most modern in Malmö, and its guests prefer active recreation by the water and on the water: riding on catamarans and boats, volleyball, paragliding and water skiing. In the vicinity of Malmö there are also several recreation areas by the water, and one of them, Stenshuvud Beach, is located in a national park.
Despite the short northern summers, the beaches in Sweden are very popular. Neighbors from Scandinavia and residents of other European countries also come to the kingdom. In June, July and August, the population of resort towns increases several times. It is pleasant to combine beach holidays in Sweden with active sports and excursions. Each resort has a rich history, and acquaintance with its architectural and cultural attractions will pleasantly diversify your vacation or vacation.
Family resorts in Sweden
The Kingdom of Sweden has resorts where it is pleasant to visit at any time of the year. These are unique corners of nature, where both summer and winter guests are offered an exciting and entertaining program. The list of such resorts includes Hydre, located in the west of the country near the Norwegian border. In winter, Hydre is a great place for fans of downhill skiing and snowboarding. Its tracks are ready to receive the first guests already in mid-November. In total, almost 30 km of slopes of varying degrees of difficulty have been laid in Hydra, but the bulk of the tracks are intended for family skiing, beginners and those who are not yet ready to storm extreme distances. For young athletes on the slopes of the resort, a kindergarten and a ski school with experienced instructors are open, and special lifting devices are delivered to the places of their first starts. In summer, Idre is especially popular with fishing fans. After purchasing a license, you can stay at a camping or rent a cottage on the shore of a lake or river - there are a great many of them in the vicinity of the resort. The most active guests of Hydre choose canoeing, mountain biking and horse riding.
Sälen, Sweden's largest ski resort, is a family-friendly paradise. It seems that the whole country comes here for the Christmas holidays in winter. Each of the five ski areas in Sälen welcomes its fans of downhill skiing and snowboarding. The season at the resort starts in the second half of November and lasts until mid-April. The Selen Trails are equipped in accordance with the needs of both beginners and pros. In the ski areas of the resort you will find a park with jumps for children, trails for beginner skiers, snowboard slopes for free riding, a fan park and a quarter pipe for those who want to hone their boarding skills. Evening and nightlife for Selen's guests is also organized at the highest level. There are restaurants and nightclubs in the Tandadalen ski area, where the fun continues until almost dawn. Hermits choose Hegfjölet with its silence and privacy. Parents with children tend to stop and ride in Lindvalen - schools for the youngest athletes operate in this area.
TOP 4 best ski resorts in Sweden
Pure white snow and a mild climate are not the only advantages of skiing Sweden. Both a beginner and a professional can spend time at its resorts, children can always be left in the care of experienced nannies in a kindergarten on the slope, and the quality of the tracks will give odds to many other European resorts, because the concept of comfort and safety in Swedish applies to all areas in the kingdom human life activity.
The list of the best ski resorts in Sweden invariably includes four villages belonging to the same ski region called Åre:
- Tegefjell is the village most often chosen by representatives of the snowboarding brotherhood and active youth. This part of Åre is often called the Scandinavian capital of snowboarding, as the local snow park is one of the best in northern Europe. To services of visitors - virgin slopes and railing stations, half-pipe and jumps. Instructors from a popular snowboarding school in the country will help you improve your skills or even get on the board for the first time. Experienced skiers will appreciate seven slopes, three of which are marked in red. The length of the longest track is 2.5 km, the height difference is also quite impressive - 330 m. The ski lifts at the resort are drag tow, and the hotels are located in the immediate vicinity. So the athletes will not have to waste time. Ski equipment is convenient to rent. In the evenings, guests of Tegefjell spend their nights in the restaurant, bar or nightclub.
- Even more trails for pros are concentrated in the resort of Aure-Bue in the ski area of Are - about fifty. There are several "red" and "black" slopes, although for beginners there is a "green" slope in Ore-By. The longest descent distance from the mountain is 6, 5 km, and the launch sites are located at an altitude of over 1200 meters. Skiers are brought there by a dozen different lifts. The system of slopes in this ski area of Are recognized as the best in the region. In the center of the resort there is a ski equipment rental office. Aure-Bue has the largest number of restaurants, bars, shops and other entertainments in the resort, and therefore tourists come here, for whom a winter vacation is not only skiing, but also a varied ApreSki program.
- The season in Duveda starts in December and ends only in the middle of spring. Its slopes are so numerous and varied that both a "penguin" and a real guru of alpine skiing will be able to choose the right one. The highest starting point is located at just over a kilometer, which can be reached using any of the seven lifts. It's nice that the resort did not forget about the snowboarders. For them, special slopes are equipped and there is an opportunity to go down the virgin lands. The school in Duved is open throughout the season, and its instructors willingly put everyone on skis or snowboards, both big and small. Off-piste, guests of the resort are no less active: they go hiking on snowshoes, ride dog and reindeer sleds and snowmobiles, run on flat skis and visit the local natural attraction - the Tanforsen waterfall, which looks especially impressive in winter.
- Are Bjornen is considered the best family skiing area in Åre, where there is a kindergarten and a center where young tourists are taught to ski and board. The family playground with trails for the youngest riders and toboggan slides is extremely popular with fans of winter holidays in Sweden. Other activities include dog sledding, excursions to a reindeer farm, pizza and sauna trips, and games at an amusement park. For adults, Åre Björnen has its own trails marked in red, blue and green. The maximum height of the starting point is over 1000 meters. The resort has evening lighting on some of the slopes and cross-country skiing trails. It is worth noting the peculiarities of the climate in this ski area. Due to its location, Åre Björnen is protected from strong winds, and therefore the air temperature is slightly higher here than in the other three villages.
Are is often called the Scandinavian Alps, because the technical characteristics of the resort, the comfort and service offered here to tourists, and the hospitality of the staff are in no way inferior to the vaunted German or Italian. In any case, if you come to ride, and not appreciate the unimportant details of the interior of the chalet or serving lunch in a restaurant. The resort is ideal for all groups of tourists, you just need to choose the right ski area and book a hotel in advance.
