Things to do

In all honesty, this list is more for me than anyone else. I was looking through my stack of things to do in Sweden and put everything I want to do and visit into one list. If anyone knows of anything awesome and relatively cheap that I missed, definitely let me know (make a comment about it).

• Turning Torso building constructed in Malmö: This building looks amazing and it was relatively inexpensive to produce, though the engineering looks like it might have been a pain. Google it if I forgot to put a picture up.

• Royal Castle in Stockholm: only because I feel like it’s a requirement to visit, but also because I’ll be there a couple times anyway.

• Bohus Fortress, Borgholm Castle, and Skokloster Castle by Lake Mälaren: Castles are awesome, and the few pictures I’ve seen of these shouldn’t disappoint.

• Liseberg theme park in Gothenburg: Scandinavia’s largest themepark, and also because I can’t get enough of sweet high speed coasters.

• Dog sledding in Jukkasjarvi: this is part of when Jenny comes to visit. Her relatives own a large dog sledding company so I’m tagging along so I can learn how to mush.

• Sand dunes and beaches of Skåne: again, the picture looked pretty cool and it seems like a relaxing place to visit with friends.

• Hemavan and Tärnaby (see image below) in Lappland : incredible hiking, really all I need to say. (I think I’ve already got these places covered in a small backpacking trip on the King’s Trail).

• Visby: The town of Visby, on the island of Gotland, is a mixture of idealistic Swedish small town and medieval city. Medieval cities are pretty amazing to see.

• Kalmar Castle: Built in the late 12th century, Kalmar Castle is the best preserved Renaissance castle in Sweden…see above, castles are awesome.

• Ales Stones: Ales stones in the county of Skåne is an arrangement of 58 boulders raised in a ship-like formation some 1,000-1,500 years ago. I don’t know if I’ll actually visit this one, but I’d really like to go to Skåne to I mine as well see it if I’m there.

• Caving in Korallgrottan, Jämtland (longest cave in Sweden, 4800 meters in length): just because caving is pretty cool, but if the budget doesn’t allow, it will probably be the first to be cut from the list since caves are pretty similar all around the world. But I’ll also be in the area for some ice climbing so we’ll see.

• Laponia, Lapland: The breathtaking scenery of Laponia encompasses deep pine forests and mysterious, sweeping mountains and is home to a fascinating variety of wildlife. It is also recognized as a World Heritage Site. Basically, Laponia is a collection of four large national parks, including Sarek (which you’ll read about it a bit further down) so this probably doesn’t need to be on the list.

• Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in Northern Sweden: I’ll probably see this while dog sledding, staying at the ice hotel, skiing in Riksgränsen, or backpacking in Abisko.

• Backpack Ammarnäs to Hemavan on the 440 km Kungsleden trail (Swedish for the Kings Trail): Arjeplog mountain region, including Ammarnäs and Hemavan, two beautiful mountain villages that are connected by the Kungsleden trail. Along the journey between these two villages, which takes five days, you will discover Vindel Mountain’s “Golden Gate”, an archipelago with five suspension bridges and two plank bridges. Along the entire Kungsleden trail there are strategically placed mountain cabins for overnight accommodation, food preparation and provisions, as well as two youth hostels.

• More backpacking, just read this sentence: The Swedish mountain regions stretch over a thousand kilometers from Treriksröset in the north to Dalarna in the south.

• See the midnight sun (meaning the sun is still up at 00:00 hours) in Abisko which is also the start of the King’s Trail.

• Sarek National Park: Sarek is an alpine region with dramatic mountain massifs and narrow valleys, glaciers and free-flowing watercourses. There are no less than 200 mountains over 1,800 meters high, and over 100 glaciers in the national park. Sarek’s “artery” is the famous and beautiful Rapadalen, with the river Rapaätno that carries a huge flow of green glacier water from around 30 glaciers. Sarek is characterized by the unparalleled variety of the natural surroundings, from open views with undulating mountain plateaus and marshy moorland, gentle mountain ridges, dense primeval forests and expansive areas of surface water to the sharp peaks and narrow ravines of the high mountain region. The great valleys provide rich animal life, with excellent chances of encountering the particularly grand Sarek moose along with predatory animals such as bear, wolverine and lynx. Sarek is also home to the unique remains of an ancient Sami culture, which show evidence of centuries of reindeer herding. It is a fantastically beautiful but also demanding landscape. Come on, who’s not jealous after reading that?

• Kayaking the Stockholm Archipelago: With its 24,000 islands, the Stockholm archipelago is a unique environment to visit all year round. On some of the islands, you’ll find picturesque homes, delightful restaurants, quality hotels, youth hostels and country stores. Other islands have no man-made facilities at all, just their natural harbors and wildlife.

• Spend the night in the Ice Hotel in Kiruna: The Ice Hotel is absolutely incredible. Double rooms and suites constructed entirely of ice, an ice lobby, a chamber of ice pillars and the famous Icebar. The beds are made of ice too, but the chill doesn’t get through thanks to a bed base comprising wooden slats, a mattress and a thick reindeer skin. Everything has a bluish sheen, as though you were staying in a glacier that had just calved.

• Whitewater Rafting the Gevsjöströmmarna: Sweden’s steepest navigable river allowing fast and furious, outstanding, world class white-water rafting. The high point of the trip is the Storfallet rapids with its fully six meter drop.

• Climbing the Kebnekaise, Sweden’s tallest mountain - I'll do both hiking and rock climbing here.

• Ice Climbing in Maltbrännan (possibly also Lunndörrspasset in Jämtland): I’m doing this one through a program at the university (that is a lot like Hoofers) so I’m going to get to learn ice climbing this year afterall.

• Whitewater Kayaking – there are some good rivers that I should be able to handle, but I don’t have any specifics for it yet.

• Mountain biking in Laponia (also possibly Western Härjedalen, where the best mountain biking is found): I don’t know how much, but I’ll get out there for at least two or three days.

• Sweden hosts competitions called Extreme Challenge Events which sound pretty awesome and I think I’m more than qualified to make a run for them. Now if only I could find their website.

• I’m also looking into the possibility of doing some snowmobiling through some heavy powder up north (more the cost than the possibility, there are places everywhere).

• Alpine skiing in Åre: Sweden’s top international ski resort is Åre, which will be host to the Alpine Skiing World Championships in 2007 (I’ll actually be in Åre to see the ski championships, again through this amazing program at the university).
  

• Sweden has a coastline of, approximately, 3000 km, exquisite and diverse archipelagos and at least one hundred thousand lakes. This means, if I can afford it, some windsurfing, lots of sea kayaking, and swimming.

• More alpine Skiing in Riksgränsen with Jenny: Riksgränsen is the world’s northernmost ski resort and internationally renowned for two things. Skiing under the midnight sun and high speed skiing. Several of the world’s best skiiers visit Riksgränsen every year. The vast mountains have masses of ravines, channels and snow overhangs to play in.

Seriously, if anybody knows of something I’d probably like to do, please let me know. Also, look for the upcoming edition of what I plan to do in the rest of Europe. Man, time is definitely going to be working against me this semester.