What is Sweden Famous for: Places, Food, Culture and Activities (2024)

Sweden is the country where brands like IKEA and Volvo originated from. Not to mention, Sweden is also the global pop music capital. Despite being a small and remote country with extreme weather conditions, Sweden has made a global impact with amazing innovation and their social welfare system.

So, if you are wondering what Sweden is famous for, here is a list of popular things you can check out.

If you are planning a trip to Sweden, remember to have some cash in hand in their official currency. Moreover, as of November 2022 Swedish Krona (kr) 1 is equal to INR 7.83.

Here are the top 10 tourist attractions you don’t want to miss:

1. Drottningholm Palace

The Drottningholm Palace, located on Lovo Island, about 11 kilometers from Stockholm, is one of the most beautiful places in Sweden. Built during the late 16th century, it was added to the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1991. The palace's park has beautiful bronze sculptures from Denmark and Bohemia, brought as war trophies.

2. Gamla Stan

Gamla Stan is regarded as the Old Town of Stockholm. It is a concentrated area that became a city during the mid-13th century. It comprises islands such as Helgelands, Stads, and Ridder. You will find several well-maintained, freshly painted enclave remains from the mediaeval period. Some notable places you must visit include The Post Museum, the Nobel Museum, and the Royal Coin Cabinet.

3. Skansen and Djurgarden Park

Skansen is a historic village in Stockholm and one of the world's oldest and largest open-air museums. This village includes preserved farmhouses and houses from across the nation. The location where Skansen village is situated is known as Djurgarden park. Besides, there is a zoo including some native animals of Sweden.

4. The Gota Canal

To witness the most innovative engineering in Sweden, you must visit the Gota Canal. This 120-mile-long canal was constructed during the early 19th century to create a water link from Stockholm to Gothenburg through its connection with the Trollhattan, Vanern and Vattern canals. Moreover, there are 58 locks in this canal and 47 bridges stretching from Sjotorpto Soderkoping that can be experienced with a boat ride.

5. Vasa Museum

The Vasa Museum, also called the Vasamuseet, in Stockholm, is one of the most famous places in Sweden. It is home to one of the most significant Vasa warships, used in 1628 by the Imperial soldiers of Sweden. Inaugurated in 1990, this museum houses the one and only most well-preserved ship of the 17th century.

6. Stockholm City Hall

The Stockholm City hall is one of the most popular buildings in Sweden, constructed from 1911 to 1923. The most striking feature of its structure is that it was made of eight million bricks. The tower consists of three crowns at the top and is approximately 106 metres in height. Aside from that, Stockholm City Hall also is the venue for the Nobel Prize ceremony, taking place annually.

7. Town of Visby

The town of Visby takes you back to the mediaeval times of Sweden and is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is located on Gotland Island, consisting of ruins of ancient churches and cobbled streets. This walled town is home to several medieval merchant houses along with wooden buildings built during the 17th and 18th centuries.

8. Liseberg Theme Park

Liseberg is the largest amusem*nt park and one of the most visited places in Sweden. The park, filled with flower gardens and colourful lighting, will cheer your soul. This amusem*nt park is home to a wide range of rides, from twisted corkscrew rides to water fumes to the great wooden roller coaster. It also houses the highest free-fall ride in Europe.

9. Recycling

Sweden is a nation absolutely obsessed with recycling. In 2019 they recycled over 2.14 billion cans and bottles and were single-handedly responsible for the remission of approximately 180,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Moreover, things that cannot be recycled are taken away as a cheap fuel source and burned. Such measures and vitality have taken Sweden to the top of the chart in Europe and made it the fifth-best country in terms of global recycling.

10. IKEA

The multinational conglomerate IKEA is based in Sweden. It is one of the furniture industry's most revolutionary and economic inventions. From kitchen appliances to bedroom furniture, IKEA made it possible to fit all sorts of large furniture ready to go in a box. The simplistic and logical strategy has made IKEA one of the largest selling furnishing retailers.

11. Pop Music

The next point justifies what Sweden is known for. Sweden has contributed largely to world music, dominates the world of pop music, and given us some of our favourite pop musicians. Starting from Abba to Roxette, Sweden is home to some of the greatest artists of all time. Another great musician, Max Martin, is a songwriter and producer credited with the success of The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd. Needless to say, Sweden.

12. Fika

The term Fika comes from "Kaffi", which refers to coffee in the Old Swedish language. Swedish people are well-known as heavy coffee drinkers, which was also predominant during the 18th century. However, unlike most European nations, Swedish people prefer taking their coffee at home rather than frequenting cafes. Therefore, if you ask what exactly Fika means, the answer would be – a state of mind. It is a concept rather than an activity or thing.

13. Volvo

The Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo is mainly known for high-end cars. However, it also manufactures heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks. Consequently, it divides Volvo into two distinct brands: Volvo Group and Volvo Cars. Moreover, the Volvo Car Corporation is now incorporated into Ford Motor. Nevertheless, it still produces luxurious automobiles with full autonomy in Sweden and is among the most reliable auto brands preferred by many.

14. Swedish Meatballs

The list of popular things in Sweden goes incomplete without including their signature dish. Sweden is famous for its delicious meatballs that combine different kinds of meat, mainly pork and beef, mixed with eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and onions. They mostly serve these crispy yet moist meatballs with potatoes and the special lingonberry jam.

15. Aquavit

Aquavit is a traditional nordic drink highly prevalent in Sweden. It is a distilled liquor typically produced in Scandinavia since the 15th century. It is prepared mainly from potatoes or grains and comes in various herbal flavours. Moreover, you can also try this drink with your food. It goes best with smoked salmon, herring, or other seafood cuisine.

Hopefully, now you know what Sweden is famous for. As this article pointed out, Sweden is a country filled with varied places, activities and other interesting features that are more than adequate to draw tourists. It is also one of the cleanest nations that you can visit to enjoy the splendid landscapes and amazing cuisines. Therefore, before visiting the country, you need to make proper arrangements and have enough time so that you do not miss these destinations.