5 best Cities to Visit in Sweden

5 best Cities to Visit in Sweden

Sweden is a country of outstanding natural beauty, it is only fitting that its beautiful coastline and ancient forests are home to such fantastic cities. Delightful winding alleys give way to old castles and churches while pagan sites border these picturesque and lively cities. Atmospheric cafes and bars dot their streets and delightful museums are scattered amongst daring modern architecture and more traditional buildings. The nightlife options on offer are fantastic and many of its cities are home to sizeable student populations. With a youthful and dynamic feel to their streets, the best cities in Sweden seamlessly mix the old and new. Let’s take a look at the 5 best cities in Sweden.

1. Stockholm

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Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is located at the junction of Lake Mälar (Mälaren) and Salt Bay (Saltsjön), an arm of the Baltic Sea, opposite the Gulf of Finland. The city is built upon numerous islands as well as the mainland of Uppland and Södermanland. By its location, Stockholm is regarded as one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world.

Stockholm was first mentioned as a town in 1252 and was largely built by the Swedish ruler Birger Jarl. It grew rapidly as a result of a trade agreement made with the German city of Lübeck. Stockholm developed rapidly in the mid-17th century as Sweden temporarily became a great power. Stockholm had by then become the cultural centre of Sweden; many of its literary societies and scientific academies date from this time.

A new period of development began with industrialization in the 19th century, and the introduction of municipally organized cleaning (1859) and sanitation (1861) contributed to a rapid increase in population. During this time redevelopment took place in the medieval city nucleus, buildings were reconstructed, boulevards, avenues, and parks were laid out, and many of the city’s present-day schools, museums, libraries, and hospitals were built.

 2. Malmo

Malmö became a Swedish city in 1658. It was first mentioned as a city in 1275 and received its coat of arms in 1437. Having been Danish, Malmö became Swedish in 1658 through the Treaty of Roskilde. The city had around 3,000 inhabitants at the time. The city boasts a modern University; Malmö University, founded in 1998. It houses educational facilities that form part of Lund University, e.g. Malmö Academy of Music, Malmö Theatre Academy and Malmö Art Academy. The UN’s World Maritime University is also in Malmö. In Malmö, everything’s amazingly close at hand.  It’s no more than 10 km from the centre to the city boundary, and there is 490 km of cycle paths within the city. There are long beaches with excellent bathing water quality within walking and cycling distance of the centre. Along the coastal strip are the bathing houses of Ribersborg Sibbarp. By the coast of Malmö are approx. 2,000 berths for leisure boats at places including Limhamn, Dockan and the Western Harbour.

3. Gothenburg

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Gothenburg, Sweden, located halfway between Copenhagen and Oslo, on a rocky Swedish coastline, lies the largest non-capital in the Nordics. Gothenburg has always played second fiddle to its big sister Stockholm. Historically seen as a lesser city, this salty seaport has spent the past few decades completely reinventing itself after the collapse of its vital shipbuilding industry in the 1970s.

The Gothenburg of 2019 is a place where an old warehouse might be reborn as a food market, a boiler house as an art gallery and a slaughterhouse as an urban winery. The guts of its grittier past are now canvases on which to paint new ideas.

The city does retain some of its industrial roots, but it’s also a youthful university town, a high-tech research hub and, most importantly, a leader in sustainability whose population is expected to balloon by a third over the next 15 years thanks to its increasing allure.

Perhaps its little surprise the nation that gave the world Greta Thunberg is at the forefront of sustainability. But this is one arena where Gothenburg truly outshines the Swedish capital.

4. Karlskrona

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Karlskrona town and port, capital of the län county of Blekinge, southern Sweden can be found on the Baltic coast. Founded by Charles XI in 1680 as a Baltic base, it has been Sweden’s chief naval base ever since. Karlskrona was carefully planned as a city that would reflect Sweden’s grandeur, and it remains an outstanding example of town planning in the Renaissance style. Among the notable buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries is the Admiralty Church, the town’s oldest building and the largest wooden church in Sweden. Karlskrona grew rapidly, and in the mid-18th century, it became Sweden’s second-largest city. Following a fire in 1790, it experienced economic stagnation and never regained its previous prominence. The fishing harbour is among the largest in Sweden. Other industries include shipbuilding and telecommunications. Blekinge Institute of Technology has a campus in Karlskrona as well.

5. Helsingborg

Helsingborg, formerly Hälsingborg, city and seaport, Skåne län county, southern Sweden is situated at the narrowest part of The Sound, opposite the Danish town of Helsingør (Elsinore). Helsingborg is the most convenient place for motor traffic to cross to and from the European continent. Because of its situation, Helsingborg is known as “the Pearl of The Sound.” It was first mentioned as a town in 1085 and was of great military and political importance during the Middle Ages because of its strong fortress. Ceded to Sweden by Denmark in 1658, Helsingborg was thereafter laid waste several times by the Danes before hostilities ended in the early 18th century. The abolition in 1857 of the toll for crossing The Sound marked the beginning of the town’s commercial prosperity. Of the ancient fortifications, only Kärnan, also known as ‘the Keep’, has survived. Other notable buildings are the town hall, in North German Gothic style; the concert hall; the 13th-century Gothic-style Maria Church; and an indoor sports centre that is one of the biggest stadiums in Sweden. Museums include Vikingsberg Art Gallery and an open-air museum. Two monuments are of special interest: a Carl Milles statue to shipping and a black and gold globe of the universe in honour of the astronomer Tycho Brahe. Sofiero Castle, the royal summer residence, is nearby. Helsingborg is a leading shipping centre and a major manufacturing town. Shipbuilding is quite important here. There is ferry service to Helsingør, and railways run to Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö.