Sweden

Understand

The "Nordic model" of economics and social policy was largely developed by Swedish social democrats and liberals during the early 20th century. The foundation is a strong welfare state, combined with market economics. Swedish society, as it has become through this policy, is often described as "folkhemmet", comparing solidarity in the society with that in a family:

Get in

thumb|The Öresund Bridge connects Sweden to [[Denmark.]]

Get around

thumb|The X40 train, used on many regional routes, has an upper deck, which gives a good view of the Swedish scenery.

The ancient right to access (allemansrätten) grants everybody a right to move freely on most land on foot, swimming, by horse, by ski, by bicycle or by boat, even on privately owned property – but not through private yards. With the right comes an obligation to respect the privacy of people and the integrity of nature. It is important to understand the limitations.

See

As modern as its society is, Sweden is a country full of seemingly untouched nature and ever-present history. The first stop for many visitors is historic and compact Stockholm, full of heritage, home to the Vasa Museum and gateway to the Stockholm Archipelago. There's the canals and cobblestoned streets of Gothenburg, with its famous botanical garden, or the modern architecture of Malmö. For more history, head to the port town of Visby, a recognized Unesco World Heritage Site, or the medieval town of Ystad, famous through the Kurt Wallander novels that are set here and for Ales stenar, one of the ancient iron-age burial monuments in the country.

Do

thumb|Besides [[association football and ice hockey, bandy is a major spectator sport in Sweden, with the 26th of December as a traditional game day. The stands are usually outdoors, so the audience needs to dress warm.]]

Eat

See Nordic cuisine for an in-depth description of Swedish food. Swedish food is typical of Nordic cuisine, based on meat (notably pork and game), fish, dairy products, potatoes and bread, together with berries and wild mushrooms. Fresh fruit and vegetables are rather recent additions to the menu.

thumbnail|Meatballs with mashed potatoes and a glass of milk Traditional everyday dishes are called husmanskost (pronounced whos-mans-cost). Some of them are: Pickled herring (sill) is eaten with bread or potatoes for summer lunch or as a starter on the smörgåsbord, at traditional holidays. Many forms of salmon (lax), especially cured salmon (gravlax). Meatballs (köttbullar), the internationally most famous Swedish dish. Served with potatoes, brown sauce and lingonberry jam. Hash (pytt i panna) consisting of meat, onions and potatoes, all diced and fried. Sliced beetroots and a fried or boiled whole egg are mandatory accessories. Pea soup (ärtsoppa) with diced pork, followed by thin pancakes, is traditionally eaten on Thursdays. Blodpudding, a black sausage made by pig's blood and flour, eaten with lingonberry jam. thumbnail|Falukorv in a supermarket fridge Falukorv, a big baloney from Falun. Sweden has many varieties of bread (bröd). Many of them are whole-grain or mixed grain, containing wheat, barley, oats, compact and rich in fiber. Some notable examples are tunnbröd (thin wrap bread), knäckebröd (hard bread - might has a bland taste, but is nearly always available), and differe…

Sleep

Car camping is convenient and cost-efficient, as you can stay overnight nearly anywhere.

Stay safe

thumb|Swedish police car thumb|Swedish security officers

Sweden is generally a safe place to travel. Avoid drunk brawls on weekend nights as you would in most parts of the world, look out in the traffic and, if driving, look out for wildlife crossing the road, and you'd be quite safe. Also mind ice safety and the advice for any potentially risky activity you are going to engage in, including boating and hiking.

In metalworking districts such as Bergslagen, mining holes are a particular risk factor.

Stay healthy

Certified pharmacies carry a green cross sign and the text Apotek. For small medical problems the pharmacy is sufficient. Major cities carry one pharmacy open at night. Many supermarkets carry non-prescription supplies such as band aid and antiseptics, but strong painkillers and other actual medicines are sold only at pharmacies, even those that don't require a prescription.

Swedish health care is usually of high quality, but can be quite challenging for foreigners to receive. Most medical clinics are run by the public sector, and their accessibility varies. Therefore, getting a time within a week at some medical centres could prove difficult. In case of a medical emergency, most provinces (and of course, the major cities) have a regional hospital with an around-the-clock emergency ward. However, if you are unlucky you can expect a long wait before getting medical attention. Call 112 for emergencies, and 1177 for non-emergency medical consulting, as well as directions for open medical clinics. Bring your European Health Insurance Card, if you are eligible to one.

Tap water in Sweden is of great quality, and contains close to zero bacteria. Water in mountain resorts might contain rust, and water on islands off the coast might be brackish, but it is still safe to drink. There is no real reason for buying bottled water in Sweden. Also, there is bottled water that doesn't meet the requirements to be used as tap water in Sweden.

There are few serious health risks in Sweden. You…

Respect

thumb|The [[Stockholm Pride Festival is held annually in June/August. Same-sex marriage is legal in Sweden, and homosexuality is nearly universally accepted.]]

Many Swedes have liberal, cosmopolitan, secular, egalitarian and environmentalist values by international standards, similar to other Nordic countries. This spares Western tourists from some cultural clashes that might be imminent in other countries. However, some strict rules of etiquette are almost unique to Swedish people. There are also intolerant circles.

Though some people in Sweden use narcotics, most Swedes, old and young, are strongly opposed to them. Possession and intoxication of non-medical drugs (including cannabis) lead to a fine and a note in the criminal record. The police can force a suspected drug user to produce a urine or blood sample. When it comes to alcohol, Swedes are as double-natured as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Before work or driving, one beer is one too many. However, drunkenness can be a regular part of many Swedish traditions (e.g. Midsommar, Valborg, etc.) – keep this in mind if you abstain from alcohol. Some Swedes frown on people being sober at a party and reject excuses other than driving or pregnancy. Swedish people want and expect privacy and personal space. Salespeople, waiters and other service employees are usually less attentive than their colleagues in other countries, to respect customers' privacy, except a short "hej" to entering customers. Customers are supposed to call for …