Travelling In Sweden
This is not a comprehensive list of everything you should see in Sweden, just a list of what I was able to see in 3 weeks and other information I found during my research. If you would like to add your own travel tips to this google doc or thread please do!
Brännö
Beautiful car free island right next to Gothenburg. One of my very favorite places I visited!
Very easy to get to via public transport. Take the city tram all the way to Salthomen and take one of the ferries to Brännö.
Right next to Brännö is an island called Galterö. It is entirely a nature reserve and very beautiful. You can get to it by walking through the Brännö nature reserve, then cross a small bridge. There is also a super secret public sauna on this island. The sauna is a bit of a hike to get to but very worth it. Hand built from an old ship and nestled in a little cove. You can email me to get more details (hayleyahuston@gmail.com)
Beautiful sunset views and easy swimming in the ocean
Stay at the Brännö Värdshus inn and have some of the fish soup (very good). They also have a great breakfast
They don’t advertise this but they will let you do your laundry there if you ask. Very nice staff
There is a small nature reserve on Brännö that is walking distance from the hotel. Had a lovely walk there at night.
Visit the cute tiny Brännö museum to see the ancestors and information about the island, cute tiny book shop next to the museum and a loppis
Always had good reception
Felt very safe, walked around late at night in the forest and it was lovely
Göteborg
Big city with nice gardens, food, museums etc.
Take a walk in Slottskogen park
Visit the Palmhuset and the Rose garden at Trädgårdsföreningen
Go antique shopping in the Haga district
Natural history museum
Take the tram then the ferry to Brännö, Vrångö, or Hönö if you want a day trip outside the city
Be cautious of certain hostels, some are very gross and unclean. Slottsskogens hostel was horrible.
Tjörn
Larger Island not too far from Göteborg. I drove here but I think it is accessible by public transport
Some of the best hiking I did in Sweden was on St. Dyrön, Härön, and Myron. My favorite out of the three was Härön. There were thousands of wild orchids blooming and there were so many beautiful plants. St Dyrön was also very beautiful though I did not hike too much of this island, what I saw was really nice, very spectacular views of the ocean and big ravines and cliffs. There are also big horned sheep that roam, also carfree island. On St Dyrön there are also sites of archeological importance.
Myron was very nice as well but has less of the island vibe. You can hike around Stigfjorden and get some really beautiful views. After your hike you can visit the Sundsby manor and have fika at the cute cafe there. When I visited they also had a play going on as well as some dancing. Very good coffee and pastries. I did not eat lunch here but the food looked great. There are several very old oak trees near by, one is around 900 yrs old. Very beautiful pond with water lilies and irises. Lots of frogs!
I never visited but I hear Mollösund near by is a really beautiful and really great place for hanging on the beach and swimming
Good cell phone reception throughout
Strömstad & Koster Islands Reserve
I stayed a little ways outside of Strömstad on Tjärnö, near Saltö.
If you want to visit the Koster Islands I would really recommend staying at Gullnasgarden. It is a yoga and meditation retreat center in a really beautiful part of the area. Feels very out of the way and is located in some really nice nature right on the water. You can rent bikes and kayaks from them as well. I really thought this area was beautiful and enjoyed my stay a lot.
You can take the train all the way to Stromstad and take a bus to Gullnasgarden, they also offer to pick you up for free if you ask (check first though before planning on it)
The cabin I stayed in was very rustic and did not have running water or heat. There was a well right next to my cabin and a shared bathroom in one of the main houses. I think if you book a more expensive house there you can get running water if that is your preference.
The Koster Islands were definitely worth a visit. If you want to hike I suggest going to the north island, which has the most impressive walking trails, really beautiful beaches too. The south island you can rent bikes and bike around the whole thing. There are also some restaurants and a permaculture garden there.
Rent Kayaks and do a camping trip around some of the islands in the area.
Swim on Saltö or the north Koster Island (very nice beaches)
To get to the Koster Islands it is very easy to take a ferry from Stromstad. Stromstad itself felt a little touristy to me, which is why I recommend staying at one of the neighboring islands.
Mostly good reception
Falköping
Stay at Antik Fiket B&B next to the 11th century church
They have a key to the church and can open it when it is locked
Stay at Stenbrottets smedja
Really loved staying at this place, fairly inexpensive too. They had a really good breakfast with produce fresh from their garden. Their garden was absolutely lovely, filled with beautiful flowers, a pond, fruit trees, and a veggie garden. Good hosts too!
Take a look at the Trolldom society map to find places of interest to visit (so much to see!!)
Go to the Osteria for a cheesy lunch
Visit Hornborga nature reserve and see all the cranes and other birds. I saw foxes and wild pigs too! I went around golden hour and it was really beautiful, the lake turned a beautiful sunset color and we hiked around it.
Will probably need a car to get around here
Did not always have good reception
Omberg Ecopark
Beautiful and easy place to do a backpacking/camping trip
Hike the Omberg ecopark and camp out around the trail (several places to camp, feel free to email me for details hayleyahuston@gmail.com)
Really nice hike right along the big lake
Gorgeous orchid fen, big beech forest
Visit Queen Omma and her owls
Swim in the big lake (pretty cold but nice)
Visit the Alvastra monastery
Car is necessary
Visit Gränna the candy town! (bit touristy but fun as a stop along the way)
Did not always have good reception
Hedekas
Beautiful more rural area with hills, lakes, rivers, and Kynnefjäll ridge
Visit the sacred sites on the Trolldom map
Swim in the different lakes in the area, lots of nice places to swim (try Kärnsjön Munkedal)
Stay at Kynnefjälls Natur or camp in sections 19 or 20 of the Bohusleden (very beautiful segments, highly recommend)
Car is necessary if you want to go to different sacred sites, or want to be able to get to places other than Johannes’s house or office.
Not too many grocery stores or restaurants around, so I would recommend buying some things in Munkedal and bringing it with you. Kynnefjälls Natur rooms do have refrigerators.
Hedekas is close to the Dalsland area which I didn’t get to visit but if you like lakes and nature it would be a nice area to spend some time.
Did not always have good reception
To get there by public transit you can take the train from Gothenburg to Munkedal, then a bus to Hedekas. The buses only run a few times per day so make sure to plan your travels accordingly.
Stockholm
Visit the Old City if you like old buildings and such. A bit touristy as a warning but very nice!
Restaurants, if you’re a foodie check out the Stockholm Michelin guide and browse some of the places recommended. (Not all have a michelin star, but are at least recommended and fairly good!)
Oslo
NorskFolkemuseum
Swimming in the Oslo fjord, so many nice places!
Places I did not visit but considered:
Oland
Island in the Baltic
One can bike around the whole island and camp along the way
Some very cool sites, check the map
Sandefjord
Take the ferry from Stromstad to Sandefjord, Norway
Notoodon
South of Oslo
Nice nature, beautiful waterfalls and rivers
Amazing nature spirits
Gotland
Island in the Baltic
Cool sites, beautiful place
Interesting churches
Can take a 30ish min ferry from Stockholm to get here
Dalsland
Beautiful area lots of lakes
Dalarna County
Rich folk culture
Has great midsommar celebrations
Other information:
Backpacking/Hiking
Kungsleden (considered one of the most beautiful trails in the world)
Bohusleden (western coast, very beautiful! I hiked many segments)
Kebnekaise (hike Sweden’s tallest mountain)
Tiveden National Park (Hike in a John Bauer forest)
Arctic Trail (Hike from Norway to Finland)
High Coast Trail, Högakusten (North of Stockholm, beautiful coastal trail)
See Skuleskogen National Park as well
Jämtland Triangle (Hike a mountainous area near Norway)
So much more!!! Do some googling and you’ll find a lot of great trails and nature reserves
Transportation
Vässtrafik
Public transport in west Sweden
Download the app and buy tickets there
MTRX and SJ Trains
Trains to and from Stockholm to Gothenburg
Buy tickets on their websites
Trains to Oslo
I know that you can get to Oslo from Uddevala, which you can get to Uddevala from Gothenburg.
Ferries
Consider looking at traveling places by ferry, usually inexpensive
Can be easier to travel and get to Norway by ferry
Rental Cars
I found they were least expensive at the airport, compared to in the city center (Gothenburg)
Buy ahead of the day you travel for cheaper prices
Would not recommend electric if you are driving a lot and in more rural areas. Western coast had many chargers but around Falköping, Hedekas, and Gränna not as much.
