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Simply Sweden - Travel Blog Over the years we have travelled extensively throughout Sweden and we want to share our experiences with you. By reading our blog you can follow us as we journey through beautiful cities, quaint picturesque villages and vast expanses of openness. Sweden is approx. 2000km long stretching from Malmö & Skåne in the south, to Lapland in the far north, home of the midnight sun and the mesmerising Northern Lights. Join us, be our eyes and ears and share your holiday experiences of Sweden. This is not only great fun but also provides a valuable insight to those looking to travel to Sweden. 13 Jan 2010
The Mio Gullo Spa offers a range of facials and massages in a relaxing environment in what the New York Times has listed as one of the most interesting places to visit in 2009. Once a retreat for the Swedish Royal Family this 1700acre area is now a wise choice for those looking for space, relaxation, clear clean skies and above all an escape from the big city environment. Book your winter holiday / break to Fjällnäs with Simply Sweden. 18 Dec 2009 17 Dec 2009 14 Dec 2009
Between 8th and 12th of December we have been in Lapland, making sure your holiday in Lapland lives up to and exceeds your expectations. We travelled to Swedish Lapland on the overnight train from Stockholm. A simple, comfortable and environmentally friendly way to cross the Arctic Circle and into Lapland. The train takes approx. 16 hours and is an increasing popular way to travel. We arrived at Kiruna Train Station at 9,45 on the morning of December 9th where our hire car was waiting for us. Our tour of Lapland was intense as we wanted to experience as much as possible to enable us to answer as many of your questions as possible. We started at one of Lapland's leading hotels, Hotel Arctic Eden, located in Kiruna Centre in a renovated old school, designed with a heavy Sami influence. The rooms here are spacious and there is a new indoor swimming pool & sauna in the relaxation area. Inga, Erik and Paul will make you feel extremely welcome. The Thai restaurant next door is a great place to eat lunch! Here is a full list of winter activities available at Hotel Arctic Eden.
That afternoon we wrapped up warm and took to the snowmobiles, travelling across frozen lakes and rivers, through ancient forests and gasped in amazement at the awesome scenery surrounding the Torne River Valley. We visited many of the wilderness log cabins you will stay in on your overnight husky and snowmobile tours. The husky holidays are very much back to basics, offering a wilderness experience in natural surroundings. The husky's themselves offer a hands on tour where you drive your own team of 3 or 4 huskies. You may prefer to travel 2 per sled and take it turns to drive! The wilderness log cabin used primarily for the overnight husky tours is basic yet comfortable. There is no running water or electricity and water is sourced from the nearby lake. The cabin is heated by a log burning stove and there is a wood fired sauna to relax in prior to or after supper. If you are looking for a genuine wilderness holiday then the overnight husky excursion is for you! We stayed at the Wilderness Camp (also home to the Wilderness Suites) used mainly for the overnight snowmobile holidays. Supper was served around an open fire in a traditional sami tent as we sat on insulating reindeer skins. You won't be surprised to hear that reindeer meat was on the menu! We stayed in the Wilderness Suites, private rooms with private sauna and shower. Sit back, relax and enjoy the Lapland scenery sitting on the sofa with crackle and spark of an open fire. We tested the wood fired sauna, with space for 6 people. The sauna looks across the night sky and over the Torne River. If the Northern Lights dance for you could see them whilst sitting in a hot sauna! We also did a very Swedish thing of having a sauna, rolling in the snow and very quickly jumping back in the sauna to warm up. The Swedes describe it as a full body massage - I'm not so sure! This wilderness location means that these wilderness log cabins offer great chances to see the Northern Lights. During our stay the skies were a touch cloudy and unfortunately there were no bright colourful ribbons of light in the night sky for us. Our guide, Gunnar, met us after a traditional Swedish breakfast of bread, cheese, ham and yoghurt. At this time of year the days are short and the sun skims below the horizon casting a blue light across the morning sky.
We headed to Aurora Retreat Guest House for lunch in the village of Junosuando 90mins from Kiruna. Aurora Retreat is exactly what it say's it is - a retreat tucked away in a quiet corner of Swedish Lapland way off the tourist trail, with great chances of catching the Northern Lights. Mobile phones and laptops are against the ethos of Aurora Retreat! Maya and Mikael have worked hard to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in what is the old vicarage and bakery in the village of Junosuando. Lunch (a fantastic pumpkin soup with spinach samosas) was served in the dinning room, where you will find a constant supply of tea, coffee and fruit. After lunch we met Stefan, a warm and welcoming native Sami and local reindeer herder. Reindeer herding has been in his family for generations and during the Sami experience you will have a chance to lasso and feed the reindeer. The reindeer are key to the culture and lifestyle of the Sami. Stefan is also likely to be your snowmobile guide during your snowmobile tours and to your guide to the overnight northern lights wilderness log cabin. The Wilderness Log Cabin is cosy and built in a traditional style on the shores of a small lake. A wood fire sauna sits at the edge of the lake just a few meters from main log cabin. With no electricity or running water this really is a fabulous wilderness retreat. With no light pollution there are great chances of seeing evening weak Northern Lights. Your guide will prepare your evening meal before leaving your to appreciate the true size of nature, natures silence and each others company. We also visited the husky kennels from where the husky's excursions depart. The 80 huskies all eager to pull your sled it can get quite loud! Once you step on to the husky sled and head out into the wilderness the huskies turn their attention to pulling and the barking ceases. All you can hear is the gentle crunching of snow under the sled runners as you glide effortlessly through Lapland. After a comfortable evening relaxing in the lounge in front of the open fire and a good nights rest we headed to Ripan for a very nice lunch, a hotel located in Kiruna, close to the centre, but more importantly on the edge of the snow white wilderness. The rooms are located in individual log cabins and if you are looking for a room with a small hob and microwave make sure we book you into a family cabin. New for 2009/10 is the Jacuzzi and for 2010/11 there are plans for a 'winter park'! This hotel is perfect for those looking for a full range of activities, staying in a hotel, with a log cabin environment.
During our trip of course we visited ICE HOTEL! No holiday to Lapland is complete without a visit to this annual masterpiece in ICE. Wonders will never cease as the magical hotel takes shape on the banks of the Torne River every year. Although delayed slightly by the warm weather in November, ICEHOTEL was once again looking in great shape. We started with a tour of the magnificent ARTsuites. A 'SPOONING' room of ICE and a some 'REST IN THE NEST' were the highlights of the completed ARTsuites. We were able to have a short chat with the artist of the Deluxe Suite who was hoping to complete his incredible work by Monday 14 Dec. All overnight guests receive a guided tour of ICE HOTEL. After a couple of drinks in the new lounge bar we walked across the road to ICEHOTEL restaurant. Wonderful service, attentive waiters and waitresses and mouth watering food, some of which was served on a plate of ICE. We were even lucky enough to have an ICEsculpture, made of ICE and SNICE (Snow and ICE mixed together) grace our table for a short period towards the end of our meal. After ICE HOTEL restaurant we noticed the skies were perfectly clear and keeping our fingers crossed (or holding our thumbs as the Swedish say) we headed for the darkness of the frozen Torne River. Staring at the night sky made us appreciate just how much of the natural environment we miss out on in large towns and cities. The sky was scattered with stars complete invisible from the UK. The Great Bear was as close as I have ever seen it and quite low in the night sky. Orion was perfectly clear towards the South. Shooting stars darted across the blackness at regular intervals and once again the northern lights were not visible. We did find out that they were visible just 2km away. After a comfortable nights sleep in a Nordic Chalet we took our time over a large breakfast buffet before heading to the airport for our SAS flight back to Stockholm. Yet again another memorable journey to Lapland. We took a deeper and more intense look at the hotels and activities you will enjoy on your holiday and have come away with a much wider knowledge of the surroundings, intricate details and personalities of the people who who take great care of you. If you have already booked your holiday to Lapland we wish you a great holiday and if you have not yet booked your holiday to Lapland and ICEHOTEL - what are you waiting for? 21 Oct 2009
During the winter months, when Sweden is famous for being cold & dark, there is this immense warm and light feeling. Candles welcome you into cosy cafes and festive shops, Christmas lights decorate houses, shops, city centre squares and tall Christmas trees. Indulge yourself in the Swedish Christmas spirit. Restaurants serve a traditional Julbord (Christmas table) with a range of cold meats, fish and cheese. Cafes serve warming hot chocolates with traditional Christmas Pepparkakor biscuits. Shopping highlights include the combined cosmopolitan region of Malmö and Copenhagen, Liseberg Christmas market and the large shopping centres in Gothenburg, department stores, Skansen Christmas Market and Gamla Stan Christmas market are just some of the attractions in Stockholm. 1 Oct 2009 10 Sep 2009 Here at Simply Sweden we have been keeping a careful eye on the developments surrounding tourism. The creation of this national park has led to an increase in tourism opportunism. We believe that the Koster Islands are now more accessible than ever and the tourism industry is being carefully monitored to ensure maximum exposure whilst protected this incredible natural environment from unnecessary damage. Following our visit to the Koster Islands in June the local tourism board, hotels and operators are much more aware of the English speaking market and are opening their doors to you. If you are looking for a short break to the Koster Islands we recommend the Syd Koster Hotel. Located on the southern island and just 45mins from Strömstad by ferry, the hotel offers unrivalled views across the Koster Fjord and easy access to the entire national park. Cycling is the easiest way to see the islands and local activities include seal safaris, boat tours, diving and guided walks. The peak summer season is from mid-June to mid August and we also recommend a holiday here from the beginning of May to late September. It may be off-season but this only means your stay will be a much more genuine Swedish experience. Speak to one of our expert travel consultants for further information. 28 Aug 2009
Some Hot Tub myths! Hot tubs are not as common as many may think and it is extremely rare to find them at a private log cabin as they are relatively expensive to install and maintain. They are large pools with space for 7 or more people, commonly heated by a wood fire. The locations where Simply Sweden can arrange hot tubs are at the impressive Fryksås Hotel, 4hrs north of Stockholm, in Lapland on many of our overnight wilderness tours and at ICEHOTEL (groups only). For more advice and information about our holidays that include hot tubs do not hesitate to contact one of our consultants on 0845 8900 300. 5 Aug 2009
Looking for cheap holidays to ICE HOTEL - look no further! Here at Simply Sweden we thought we'd confirm / destroy some of the myths for you! Come and see whether these myths and true or false during your holiday in Sweden. 23 July 2009
14 July 2009
Upon arrival at Kiruna Airport your husky guide will introduce you to your eager team of huskies who will provide your transport to ICEHOTEL. Sit back and relax as you cuddle up on the husky sled. Enjoy the pristine white wilderness as you glide effortlessly across the River Torne, through the forests of Lapland and onto ICE HOTEL. There really is no better way to arrive. At ICEHOTEL you will stay in an ARTsuite; stunning rooms of ICE elaborately decorated with amazing works of art and enjoy a 7 course evening meal served on plates of ICE. During the afternoon you will depart on your overnight snowmobile excursion. You can choose to share a snowmobile or drive your own. You will need to be in possession of a driving licence. You will be guided through the wilderness across fields of snow and over frozen lakes. When you reach your log cabin you will have the opportunity to have a sauna, your guide will prepare your evening meal and then leave you to enjoy your night alone. Appreciate the silence, the vast expanse of nature and if you look to the skies the mesmerising northern lights may provide you with a romantic display of beautiful colours. Your guide will return the following morning to guide you back to ICE HOTEL! During your honeymoon you will tick all the Lapland boxes! Huskies, cultural experiences, snowmobiles, northern lights, ICE HOTEL and traditional wilderness log cabins. This really is a complete holiday! Speak to one of specialist advisors on 0845 8900 300 as we tailor make all our holidays.
Our tour started at the gateway to the Koster Islands in the picturesque town of Strömstad, which is easily accessible by car or train. The tourism office is perfectly located at the waters edge close to the Koster ferry terminal. This is the perfect location to obtain information about beaches, bathing locations, activities, excursions, cycle rental, canoe rental, diving, high speed RIB tours, cafes and attractions. After catching a high speed water taxi from Strömstad to the Koster Islands we enjoyed a guided cycle tour of the southern island, featuring spectacular views across the Koster Islands, ancient oyster beds and fika (sandwich and coffee) by the sea. Our guide was a local biologist, Stefan von Bothmer who has an awesome amount of local knowledge and a passion for sustainable tourism. He is also the owner of Kosters Trädgårdar (Koster Gardens), ecological home grown produce that is then used to create a delicious array of sandwiches and classic dishes served in his cafe and restaurant.
The Sydkoster Hotel is perfectly located on the shores of the South Koster Island and just 100m from the Koster ferry terminal, where you will also find cycle rental. Many of the rooms have balconies with views across the Koster fjord towards the main land and all the suits and flats have unrivalled coastal views. The outside bar and restaurant are the perfect place to relax and enjoy a drink, snack or meal as you absorb the beautiful surroundings. Reception are able to assist with booking activities, excursions and offer advice on the best swimming locations. Your Simply Sweden travel advisor will also be able to help! The following morning was filled with a Norwegian Lobster (or cray fishing) trip. With the help of a local fisherman, Nicklas, we hauled up lobster pots in scenes similar to those commonly seen on the TV series Deadliest Catch, only on a much smaller scale and in calmer conditions! After emptying our catch and re-baiting the pots they were cast back into the ocean for another day. Back in harbour the catch was cooked in a boiling vat of water and taken to the nearby restaurant, owned by Nicklas' sister, where it was prepared by the chef for lunch. A thoroughly enjoyable hands on experience with the satisfaction of enjoying the result at the end. An alternative hotel for those looking to stay in Strömstad is the Laholmen Hotel, 400m from the train station, 50m from the Koster ferry terminal and 50m from the very centre of Strömstad and the tourist office. Some of the rooms offer a sea view and the restaurant bar has an open terrace overlooking the Southern Harbour. Book your holiday to West Sweden and the Koster Islands with Simply Sweden here. 9 June 2009 ** SPECIAL OFFER **
Local towns and villages celebrate national day with a festivities in main squares and parade streets. The main celebrations take place in Stockholm at the worlds first open air museum, Skansen, where the king and queen lead the festivities. The distinctive blue and yellow flag will fly high on flag poles across Sweden, locals will dress up in traditional costumes and Sweden will play Denmark in a Scandinavian World Cup Qualifying football match at the national football stadium in Stockholm. Kungsträdgården, in the centre of Stockholm will be a hive of activity with music, entertainment and an excellent food festival. 3 June 2009
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, occur in many forms. Curtains of colour, ribbons of green, a scattering of pink arcs of violet and rays of yellow light up the night sky as electrically charged particles from the sun collide with the earths atmosphere creating a dazzling show of light, which can last from just a few seconds to many minutes. The most common colours, green and yellow, are produced by low altitude oxygen in the atmosphere. The rare red and blue / purple aurora are caused by high altitude oxygen and nitrogen respectively. Our recommended northern lights holidays include Lapland, Husky & Snowmobile tours and Aurora Retreat. 5 May 2009
Visitors to Sweden and native Swedes have a 'Right of Public Access' and this is deeply entrenched within the Swedish culture and is the basis for outdoor recreation from Lapland in the north and the mountains in the west to the archipelagoes of eastern & southern Sweden. Here is our take on the 'Right of Public Access':
You can visit National Parks in Sweden during your holiday in Sweden. The holiday log cabins at Fulufjällsbyn are located in the Fulufjället National Park (recognised in 2002 with Sweden's largest waterfall, bare mountains covered with 'reindeer moss', ancient forests and steep rocky canyons), in the Swedish mountains close to the Norwegian border. The Marine Reserve surrounding the Syd Koster Islands in West Sweden will be inaugurated in September 2009 (noted for their bio-diversity on land and in the sea), and there are also a huge variety of nature reserves across West Sweden. Stay in Stockholm with easy access to Tyresta National Park (from 1993 famed for 300 year old giant pine tress and deep ravines with rocky outcrops abraded by ice) and Ängsö National Park in the Stockholm Archipelago (one of the original 9 national parks from 1909 with fragile fauna and abundance of bird life). 18 May 2009
The 2 polar bears that have been introduced to this state of the art breeding centre in the hope of building a strong platform for reintroductions and regeneration (should it become necessary) are Ewa and Wilbär. Ewa was born in 2006 and weighs 180kg. She has come from Rotterdam zoo. Wilbär has come from Stuttgart and was born in 2007. He weighs just 60kg but is growing quickly! With roots in Scandinavia (his mother was born in Copenhagen) he is almost coming home! Both are coming to a more natural environment than their previous locations with a much longer winter period and plenty of natural snow. Simply Sweden hopes to have some excellent winter log cabin holidays available in Orsa (walking distance to the bear park) very shortly. As Polar Bears do not hibernate this will be an excellent opportunity to see these magnificent animals enjoying winter. 8 May 2009 Book you holiday or wedding in West Sweden here. 21 Apr 2009 Book your holiday to Lapland here. 17 Apr 2009
I visited the Kosta Boda Art Hotel on Thursday 9 April 2009 and received a guided tour from Johan, who will be the bar & restaurant manager when it opens on 27 June 2009. The hotel is almost complete and the finishing touches to this glistening glass hotel are being put in place. The Kosta Boda Art Hotel will have 104 uniquely decorated rooms & suites, a luxury spa, indoor pool, outdoor pool and a cobalt blue glass bar all decorated with glass sculptures and glass art by world famous glass artists from the Kosta region. The indoor pool is decorated with glass tiles and a glass exhibition at the bottom. Feel free to borrow a pair of goggles to have a closer look! The restaurant has been designed by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien. During your meal you will be entertained by the expert glass blowers from Kosta Boda as they blow and sculpt glass on a stage in the restaurant.
Just 1hr south of Kosta is the coastal & naval city of Karlskrona which is a great summer escape. Karlskrona is on the UNESCO World Heritage list as an outstanding example of a 17th Century planned naval city. Ship building, architecture and town planning have attracted international attention since the 18th century and Karlskrona is proud to be one of Sweden's most popular summer destinations. The naval base and ship yard are still in use today and Karlskrona is home to Sweden's naval fleet. A myriad of beaches and bathing spots are located in the city centre and scattered across the 1,650 or so islands of the Karlskrona Archipelago, which is well served during the summer by boats departing from the city centre harbour. Other activities & attractions include the Marine Museum and The Admiralty Church (Sweden's largest wooden church). If you travel to Sweden with young children Vämöparken has a small range of farm animals, an excellent playground and a maze to negotiate. You will also find 'over-sized' chess and ludo to keep the big child in you entertained! 8 Apr 2009
2 April 2009 24 March 2009
Summer is nearly here! The Djurgården tram in Stockholm has started to run with more services than in previous years. Described as a 'museum on wheels' these historic trams run approx. every 12 mins from Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm City Centre, along the harbour front, to the island of Djurgården, home to the Vasa Museum, Skasan and many other attractions. The island of Djurgården is the traditional hunting ground for the Swedish Royal Family, and is renowned for it's large open green spaces and many tourist attractions. You can travel on the Djurgården tram for free with your Stockholm Card. The tram is in operation every day from 1 June 2009 to 30 August 2009. Outside these dates the tram runs on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, but is not operational after 20 December 2009. The Djurgården tram, along with other organisations such as the Lennakatten museum railway, referred to in our entry on 23 February 2009, are run and maintained by volunteers. If it was not for their hard work and dedication such successful and entertaining projects would not exist. 17 March 2009 If you are looking for an excellent day out during your winter holiday to Stockholm, or the surrounding area, then you can do a lot worse than travel to the Romme Alpin Ski area / resort north of Stockholm. Chris Carrington explains all!
The day’s excursion began early Saturday morning. The coach to the Ski resort leaves at 06:30am from T-Centralen, the main station in Stockholm for coaches, underground and rail network.
Putting the boots on and ski’s was mixed with excitement and anxiety as I hadn’t skied for over 10 years. The equipment gave me some confidence, so off we went to the first set of lifts. Going up the lifts was an excellent way of taking in the view, the sound of your ski’s over the snow was reminiscent of our Trip to Lapland with the Huskies. It was peaceful, the only sounds you could hear were other fellow skiers and the clicking of the lift as it went further up the hill. 10 March 2009
The British & Swedish press report that a male chimpanzee at a zoo north of Stockholm and Uppsala planned several stone throwing attacks on visitors, as he displayed his dominance to visitors. The first collection of hidden stones were found in 1997. Since this time the stones have been regularly removed to protect the public, but this behaviour has become a major research program for scientists. The zoo is called Furuvik and is under 2hrs from Stockholm or approx 1hr15 from Uppsala and just 10km from Gävle. It is easy to travel to Furuvik by public transport as the zoo has its own train station. Furuvik is located on the coast and offers a great day out when staying in Stockholm, Uppsala or a log cabin nearby. Some of the 60 species include native reindeer and more exotic kangaroos, snakes, orangutans, chimpanzees, lemur and much more. There is a 'touch & feel' area where young children can stroke and mingle with native sheep & goats. You will also find a small amusement park and adventure pool, along with stunning coastline to keep you busy for the whole day. Furuvik is open daily between 30th May & 16th August. You can visit Furuvik from Stockholm or a nearby log cabin during your holiday in Sweden. 9 March 2009 Simply Sweden features in the Waitrose Food & Drink magasine. You can stay on the West Coast of Sweden this year and enjoy some of the most exquisit sea food in Scandinavia and Europe. West Sweden is renowned for the quality of the local restaurants and is often over looked for the more famous destinations of Italy & France. Almost of the hotels we feature in West Sweden are in the 'Taste of West Sweden' guide. Oysters and Lobsters are local specialities. Although summer offers the warmest weather, you will find that Lobster season starts in the Autumn as the local fisher men go in search of the 'black gold'. Book your holiday to West Sweden here.
9 March 2009
Malmö announces an all new tourism website - www.malmotown.com. Since the completion of the impressive Öresund Bridge, in July 2000, Malmö and Copenhagen (the capital of Denmark) are often talked about in the same breath. They are practically the same location, commonly referred to as the Öresund region. Many Swedes live in Malmö but work in Denmark and vice versa. The Öresund bridge connects Sweden and Denmark by road and rail. Malmö & Copenhagen are just 40mins apart, with Copenhagen International Airport, Kastrup, sandwiched in the middle! Although Malmö has its own international airport, many holiday makers bound for southern Sweden fly into Copenhagen.
If you are looking to do something traditionally Swedish Simply Sweden recommends a visit to Kallbadhuset (The Cold Bath House) at any time of year, at the sandy Ribersborg Beach. Kallbadhuset is open all year round and consists of a warm sauna and a soothing dip in the ocean. Going during the winter months is a little more extreme but the Swedes describe the experience as an all over body massage! During the long sunny days of the summer months you will find the shallow coastal waters around Skåne are warm and relaxing, suitable for the whole family. Book your holiday to Malmö, Skåne & southern Sweden here. 9 March 2009 Sweden ranks #7 in the World for Travel & Tourism Competitiveness in 2009 (produced by the World Economic Forum), rising from eight place in 2008. This years report is titled 'Managing in a Time of Turbulence' and reflects the current difficulties facing the tourism industry and a country's ability to ensure strong tourism growth in the future. Factors taken into consideration include the price of oil, price comparability and travel intensity. Sweden's Scandinavian competitors came well on a global scale but did not reach the top 10! Denmark reached 14th, Finland 15th and Norway came in at 19th. 5 March 2009
By definition: winter is arrives when the average daytime temperature is below 0C. Summer arrives when the average daytime temperature is 10C or higher for 5 days. Don't worry if you are still planning a late winter holiday to Sweden. Sweden is approx. 2000km long and an average spring arrives in Stockholm on 25 March, in Kiruna (home of ICE HOTEL) on 25 April and high in the mountains on 1 May. 5 March 2009 Even better news for holidays to Sweden. Update to the item on 3 March 2009 regarding exchange rates - The British Pound breaks through the 13 SEK barrier!! 3 March 2009 Good news for holidays to Sweden! Sweden is outside the Euro Zone & the British Pound hits a 12 month high against the Swedish kronor making Sweden a cheaper place to travel. Just now the exchange rate is a little under 13 Swedish kronor to the pound. Book your holiday to Sweden now to take advantage of these excellent exchange rates! 23 February 2009 ** A Royal Wedding ** Crown Princess Victoria has announced her engagement to her partner Daniel Westling. Many tourists are drawn to the Royal Palace in Stockholm's Old Town, with glorious views over Stockholm Harbour. The main royal residence of the Swedish Royal Family is at Drottningholms Palace just a few kilometers away in the rural Ekerö Kommun. Daniel Westling officially moved into a wing of the Royal Residence in the summer of 2008. Rumours of a Royal wedding have been circulating since late 2007. The wedding is likely to take place in the summer of 2010. Looking for a holiday to Sweden / Stockholm at the time of the wedding - we'll keep you posted! 23 February 2009 Only 1 hour north of Stockholm, and just outside Sweden's fourth largest city (Uppsala) lies the nature & recreational area of Fjällnora, managed and maintained by Uppsala Kommun (Council). This is the perfect location for all ages to enjoy a traditional Swedish atmosphere by a lake. In the winter the lake is frozen and is currently several centimetres thick. You would struggle to break through the ice with an axe! The ice is so thick that a tractor has ploughed several ice skating tracks into the ice, up to 12km long. You will also find approx. 6km of prepared cross country skiing tracks through the forest. Don't have your own ice skates or cross country skis? Don't worry, these are available to rent from the lakeside cafe, or you can simply enjoy the nature on several marked walking tracks. During the winter you can reach Fjällnora by bus (809 from Uppsala centre) and it is approx. 2km walk from the nearest bus stop (Fjällnora Vägskäl). You will also find several lakeside camp fire locations. The perfect opportunity to eat hot dogs by an open fire in the snow covered forest, next to a beautiful frozen lake. Fire wood is provided and you will need to bring the rest - sausages, bread, ketchup, matches and paper to start the fire!
You can visit Stockholm, Uppsala & Fjällnora on our 3 cities + 2 tour. 23 February 2009 Stockholm will be Europe's first ever Green Capital in 2010. Stockholm has the ambition to be fossil fuel free by the year 2050. With 10% of the city area covered by water and many recreational areas centred at the waters edge, Stockholm has some of the cleanest waters around. An initiative set up in 2006 aims to ensure all the water in and around Stockholm meets the EU water directives by 2015. 95% of the population of Stockholm live just 300m from 'green areas' including lakes, beaches, parks and other recreational areas. This environmental award will no doubt lead to an increase in holidays to Stockholm / Sweden between now, 2010 and beyond. Stockholm beat Scandinavian rivals Copenhagen & Oslo to the title of Europe's first ever Green Capital. Visit Stockholm with Simply Sweden. 19 February 2009 Sweden Brochure - Download the latest Visit Sweden brochure here. Vasaloppet - The world famous Vasaloppet week starts tomorrow (20 February 2009) with activities and attractions for the whole family. The Vasaloppet week is open to all with various different races to suit all abilities. There are junior races, half distance races, short races, a women's race, open tracks (with no competition!) and this all culminates in the oldest, longest & largest cross country ski race in the world on 1 March 2009. The main race takes place between Sälen and Mora (Central Sweden) and is 90km long. Vasaloppet takes place on the first Sunday in March annually with around 14,000 eager competitors. The course record is 3:38:57 and has stood since 1998. You can enjoy a holiday in Dalarna and Mora with Simply Sweden. We have some excellent self catering log cabin holidays at Fulufjällsbyn and the highly recommended Fryksås Hotel just outside Mora.
Simply Sweden recommends you get in touch for a tailor made holiday to Sweden if you wish to visit the Winter Market in Jokkmokk next February. We are also hoping to launch a holiday which includes spending time with the Sami high in the Swedish mountains as they follow their reindeer through the Swedish wilderness. If this is of interest please let us know so we have an idea of the level of interest & can let you know when we launch this reindeer spectacle. To experience the Sami culture during summer we recommend out Soul Of Lapland Tour on the Inland Railway, or enjoy a winter break in Lapland with a Sami excursion. 13 February 2009
During 2008 Gothenburg saw an increase in visitors of a massive 6% from the UK, making this an extremely popular city break destination. Simply Sweden works closely with the Elite Park Avenue Hotel, in the heart of Gothenburg and the Elite Park Avenue Hotel now has recently opened the Elite Wellness centre. The wellness centre includes a large gym, a relaxation department with two saunas and a relax pool and treatment rooms for a wide range of massage and skin therapies. Book your break to Gothenburg with Simply Sweden. Dates for the 2009 diary across West Sweden:
Travel to West Sweden & Gothenburg with Simply Sweden. 2 February 2009 29 January 2009
Sweden proved to be a major tourist destination in 2008 (reports Nutek - the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth). Hotels, log cabins and youth hostels reported a growth of 3% on 2007. Total holidays to Sweden from abroad grew by 4.1% and domestic holidays within Sweden grew by 2.5%. Provisional data shows that holidays to Sweden from the UK increased by 2.2%. Destinations such as Stockholm (+4.6%), West Sweden (+1.7%) and Lapland (0.5%) all reported positive growth. All the data is measured in guest nights within Sweden.
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