The 25 most beautiful places in Sweden

Are you looking for the most beautiful places in Sweden? Then you’ve come to the right spot. Over the past decade, I have travelled all across Sweden and honestly, I can name you at least 100 places where my jaw dropped in amazement and WOW was all I could think of. However, as 100 places may be a bit much to mention in one article, I have decided to list 25 beautiful places in Sweden for you, spread across the country and listed from south to north. Enjoy reading!

Hej hej! My name is Antonette and in 2023 I moved from The Netherlands to Sweden. On my website, you will only find firsthand information, written by a local. Enjoy!

Ales Stenar or Ale’s Stones, is one of the most important sights in southern Sweden. These stones are located on an isthmus high above the sea and are well worth a visit. A total of 59 stones, each weighing about five tons, form a gigantic ship that towers 32 meters above the sea. It is the best preserved ship-shaped monument in the entire country and attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Want to know more? Then read in this article more about Ales Stenar.

Stenshuvud National Park is located in the southeast of Skåne and on a sunny day the bright blue water with white sandy beaches almost feels tropical. Stenshuvud is not a large national park, in half a day you can visit all the highlights without any problems, most of them are only accessible on foot.

You read more about Stenshuvud National Park here.

The Kullabergs Nature Reserve is located on a headland in the Kattegat, just north of Helsingborg. Here it becomes clear that this side of southern Sweden is a lot rougher than that of eastern Sweden. Here you will find turbulent rocks and lonely lighthouses. At Naturum they are happy to tell you about the area and the hiking options.

Want to know more? Read my post about Kullaberg Nature Reserve here.

Another beautiful national park in southern Sweden is Store Mosse. This park has the largest wetland area in the south of Sweden. The origins of nature in the park date back 14,000 years ago, when the Ice Age ended in Europe. At the Naturum visitor center they will be happy to inform you about the various hiking trails and observation posts.

Fjällbacka is truly one of the most beautiful places in Sweden, from the water it looks like a postcard. The colored houses on the Bohuslän archipelago are very photogenic and unfortunately it is also very busy and touristy in the summer. This doesn’t change the fact that you Fjallbacka really must visit. You will find a nice walk to the gorge where Ronja the Robber’s Daughter was filmed and you can of course go out by boat.

The Vättern is one of the largest lakes in Sweden. There are numerous nice sights around the lake and you can enjoy beautiful walks, including on the lake the John Bauer members. Other attractions near the lake include the candy cane town of Gränna, the town Jonkoping and the island of Visingsö.

Are you looking for more beautiful places in southern Sweden? Then read this article with the most beautiful places in the south of Sweden.

About a year and a half ago I was visiting a friend in Stockholm and as it turned out, I had planned it exactly so that the blossoms on Kungsträdgården were in bloom. Wow, how beautiful it was! Although Stockholm is of course a major attraction all year round, I thought my visit to Kungsträdgården in April was really one of the highlights!

Go here to read more about visiting Kungsträdgården in blossom season.

I have noticed that the archipelago near Stockholm is one of the most varied archipelagoes in Sweden. I have visited several islands in recent years and notice that many islands have their own character. For example, on Sandhamn you will find beautiful beaches, on Utö there are beautiful walks and on Sävö you can completely relax in the beautiful nature.

The Brattfallet waterfall is located near Hagfors, a popular region in Värmland for families to go on holiday. It’s a nice waterfall to visit but not super spectacular. Which, let’s be fair, is quite typical for the Värmland region. Everything is beautiful, but nothing is really spectacular. And perhaps that could be just exactly why Värmland is such an attractive place for your Sweden vacation.

Read more about Brafftallet here.

One of Sweden’s most important cultural-historical sights is the Falun Gruva, an ancient copper mine. The area around the mine has now been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after the mine closed in 1992. You can learn more about the history at the Falun Gruva visitor center, and it is also possible to visit the mine on a guided tour. The mine is also clearly visible from the outside, the open quarry is located next to the museum and information center. 

My favorite part of Sweden actually starts further north, where the mountains are. One of the most beautiful national parks that you can easily visit is Fulufjället National Park. At 93 meters high, the Njupskärs Vattenfall is Sweden’s highest waterfall and is located about an hour’s walk from the parking lot. If you are lucky and it has rained heavily in the days leading up to your visit, then it will be huge. If you are unlucky, it will only be a small stream.

Read all you want to know about Fulufjället here.

The beautiful Städjan-Nipfjällets nature reserve is located just outside Idre and has two large mountains, the Nipfjället and the Städjan, both of which you can climb. The Trollvägen is also located here, a very special road where it seems that you are driving upwards, but yet you roll downwards as soon as you put the car in neutral! If you have not yet seen reindeer during your holiday, you have a good chance of seeing them here.

The area surrounding Lake Grövelsjön on the border of Sweden and Norway is a true paradise for hikers, the trails of the Långfjället Nature Reserve invite you to be explored on foot. One of the most beautiful walks you can take here is the Sylen route from Norway to Sweden, where you cover the first part of the route by boat. I’ve been to Grövelsjön three times and love it so much!

The Sonfjället mountain is known for being one of the best places to see bears in Sweden without being lured with food. You can take beautiful walks there, but because it is a lot more inhospitable than, for example, Fulufjället, there are considerably fewer tourists. We saw a bear, elk and lots of reindeer!

One of the most beautiful lakes in Sweden is Blanktjärn in the Vålådalen Nature Reserve. This nature reserve is located south of the E12 between Östersund and Norway and has beautiful nature. To get to the turquoise Lake Blantjärn you have to walk about an hour, but it is more than worth the effort!

The Tännforsen waterfall is located a little further on the E4, towards the border with Norway. The Tännforsen is Sweden’s largest waterfall and has a height of 38 meters and a width of 68 meters. You have to walk a short distance from the parking lot, but beware: the boardwalks can be extremely slippery (I can tell you from my own experience). There is a cafe at the parking lot where you can buy a fika and souvenirs.

The Skuleberget is a mountain on the High Coast of Sweden, just north of Sundsvall. With a height of 295 meters it is one of the highest mountains on this side of Sweden. You can go up with a cable bean or via ferrata, but of course you can also just walk!

Stekenjokk is a plateau located partly in Jämtland and partly in Västerbottens (Lapland). Adjacent is Sweden’s highest paved road, the Vildmarksvägen. This route is not open all year round, the part around Stekenjokk is normally open between June 6 and October 15.

The Vindelfjällens nature reserve is my playground! I come here at least twice a month to hike, camp or build a fire and grill. It is the largest nature reserve in Europe and best known because the Kungsleden ends here. However, there are much more beautiful hiking trails in the area, which I have written about in this article.

The “frog cave in the swamp” (literally translated) is one of the bluest lakes in Sweden and very special. It is a spring and you can see the water bubbling up from the bottom. You will find Grökallan just outside Arvidsjaur and to get there you have to walk about fifteen minutes through the swamp (on planks) …

I thought that a bit of culture is also appropriate in this list. As far as I’m concerned, the Ájtte museum is in Jokkmokk the most beautiful museum in Sweden (one can of course argue about taste) and you will learn more about the fjälls and the Sámi culture. If you only visit one museum during your tour in Sweden, make it this one. Together with the Vasa museum in Stockholm by the way!

Áhkká is a mountain massif with no fewer than 11 peaks and is located in the particularly beautiful Stora Sjöfallet National Park. There are numerous glaciers between the peaks and Stortoppen is the highest peak with a height of 2,105 meters. Áhkká is a sacred mountain for the Sámi and you will find it when you drive from Naturum Laponia to Ritsem on the other side of the lake.

You’ll love it or you’ll hate it, but the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi is a must-see. But don’t worry, you don’t necessarily have to spend the night there to see the hotel rooms and the ice bar. I myself stayed in a regular “warm room” and thus received free entrance, otherwise you have to pay an entrance fee. Whether that is worth it? I leave that to you to decide.

Look at here the availability and rates of the Icehotel.

Lapporten is a valley in the Abisko National Park, which is flanked by two immense mountains, which make it look like a kind of gate. According to the Sámi, Lapporten is also called the gateway to Lapland. The most beautiful view of Lapporten without actually having to venture into the wilderness is from the Njakajaure Nature Walk that starts at the Naturum Abisko.

Read my complete article about Abisko National Park here.

And last but not least, it Treriksröset Cairn on the border with Norway, Sweden and Finland. This is located in the far north of Sweden, but you reach the point via Norway or Finland. From Kilpisjärvi you take a boat, from where you walk a short distance to the three-country point. The area is absolutely beautiful and I can highly recommend this trip.

E-book Sweden for Beginners

Are you planning your first trip to Sweden? Excellent choice—there’s a good chance you’ll fall in love with this country just like I did.

I was once a beginner myself. Back in 2015, to be exact. Since then, I’ve traveled to Sweden every year, and since 2023 I’ve been living in Swedish Lapland. In my e-book, you’ll find everything you need to know about your first trip to Sweden, written by a local (me!).

I share many of my own experiences and all the things I wish I had known when I first traveled to Sweden in 2015.

View the e-book

These were it, my 25 most beautiful places in Sweden. Of course I had to make a choice and I tried to create as complete a picture as possible of the whole of Sweden and various things, with nature obviously predominating.

If you want to continue reading, you may also enjoy the following posts:

• The national parks of Sweden
• Is Trollsjön really the most beautiful hike in Sweden?
• Norway or Sweden? Tips for making your choice!

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