Sweden
Tuesday, 25, Jul 2006 11:12
Sweden, the largest of the Nordic states, is a vast, beautiful country full of contrasts: dynamic cosmopolitan cities and tranquil coastlines, picturesque archipelagos and snow-covered winter wonderlands, the midnight sun and the polar nights.
Stretching from the Baltic coast to the northern reaches of the Arctic Circle, Sweden has developed into one of the most internationally popular holiday destinations, renowned for its fabulous ski slopes, idyllic island cruises, pampering spa towns, wonderful shopping and award-winning restaurants.
Its most famous attractions include the challenging Kungsleden wilderness hiking trail, the Ice Hotel where everything really is made of ice including the beds, the Northern Lights, and of course Stockholm, its beautiful capital city floating on a bed of islands.
Getting to Sweden
Sweden is situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Officially the Kingdom of Sweden, it borders Finland to the north-east, Norway to the west and is connected to Denmark by the Oresund Bridge in the south.
There are several direct flights from the UK to Sweden with a maximum flight time of 2.5 hours.
SAS, Ryanair and British Airways fly directly to Stockholm and Gothenburg
easyJet has also introduced low-cost daily flights to Stockholm
The fastest rail route is by Eurostar to Brussels with connecting trains to Cologne, Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Eurolines operates scheduled coach services to several destinations in Europe.
Sweden essentials
Currency Swedish Krona (SEK)
Language Swedish
International dialing code +46
Time zone GMT +1; in summer GMT +2
Visa Not required for British passport holders
Weather Sweden enjoys a fairly moderate climate, although the winters are longer in the north than in the south of the country. The region north of the Arctic Circle also experiences the 'midnight sun' phenomenon for part of the summer when the sun never sets and in the winter the endless polar nights when the sun never rises.
Sweden is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement.
Famous Swedes
August Strindberg - playwright
Greta Garbo - screen legend
Alfred Nobel - founder of the Nobel Prize
Henrik Ibsen - playwright
ABBA - pop group
Bjorn Borg - tennis player