Central Sweden

Svealand, Sweden's historical heartland, covering Stockholm and its archipelago, the old city of Uppsala, the lake country of Värmland, and Dalarna with its rich folk traditions.

This region corresponds to the traditional Svealand. By province it includes Stockholm, Uppsala, Södermanland, Västmanland, Örebro, Värmland and Dalarna. To the south it borders Götaland (Southern Sweden); to the north, Gävleborg and Jämtland mark the start of southern Norrland, and to the west lies Norway. Highlights: Stockholm's Old Town, Royal Palace, City Hall, Vasa Museum, Skansen open-air museum and ABBA The Museum, plus the World Heritage Drottningholm Palace and Skogskyrkogården (the Woodland Cemetery); the Stockholm archipelago of about 30,000 islands; Uppsala's cathedral, university and the royal burial mounds at Gamla Uppsala; Gripsholm Castle on Lake Mälaren and the Viking site of Birka; in Dalarna, Lake Siljan, the home of the Dala horse and the World Heritage Falun Copper Mine; and canoeing and timber-raft drifting on the lakes of Värmland. Allow 3–4 days for Stockholm, with a day trip to Uppsala and a half-day trip to the archipelago; Dalarna, about 3 hours northwest by train, suits 2–3 days. Arlanda Airport is a major Nordic hub. Winter days are short, but there are Christmas markets and ice skating; Midsummer (late June) is a national holiday, and some shops close.

Destinations

• Stockholm
• Dalarna & Lake Siljan

Itineraries

• Dalarna & Lake Siljan Folk Culture Loop – Drive from Stockholm around Lake Siljan to see copper mines, Dala horse workshops, and artists' homes
• High Coast, Åre & Dalarna Northern Loop – Drive along the Baltic Sea to the High Coast, head west into the Åre mountains, and return to the capital via Dalarna
• Night Train North to Abisko & Kiruna – Take night trains for both ways to see the aurora and the Icehotel inside the Arctic Circle from Stockholm.
• Tromsø to Stockholm via the Inlandsbanan – Head south from the Norwegian Arctic in summer via the Ofoten Line, the King's Trail, and the Inlandsbanan
• Gotland, Visby & Fårö – Take a ferry from Stockholm to the island, explore medieval city walls, and marvel at Fårö's sea stacks
• Tallinn, Helsinki to Stockholm – Connect Tallinn, Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku by ferry and train, with an overnight cruise through the archipelago to S…
• Scandinavian Capitals by Rail – Travel from Copenhagen across the Øresund to Stockholm, then take the train to Oslo, connecting three Nordic capitals.