8 – Days Culture, Design and History
Experience the variation of Sweden culture and nature as you drive from Skåne to Stockholm and back again!
This is a self drive tour but could also be adjusted to groups. Packages include 7 nights in double rooms with breakfasts in quality town hotels, maps and sightseeing suggestions.
Price and conditions here. Scroll down for a map.
Skåne – hazy lazy summer resorts
Skåne, the southernmost part of Sweden a small area with big experiences. Its vicinity to the continent and its Danish history intriguingly influences Skåne’s soil and soul. Enjoy 400 km of sandy beaches and big, beautiful national parks. Fields of yellow rape and deep green forests. Peaceful country life and grand city vistas.
Småland – wild and picturesque
The province of Smaland bordering to Skåne is not only the native country of Astrid Lindgren and Pippi Long stocking. It is also a country of great beauty with 5000 lakes flanked by untouched forests, large numbers of elks, timber churches and crystal handicrafts. Besides the visit to the oldest glass works of Sweden you will see the elk park in Grönåsen, home of the king of the Swedish forest.
Östergötland – medieval and mysterious
The Swedish realm was shaped in Östergötland! Take a mediaeval monastery tour in and visit significant sites including Alvastra Abbey, Vadstena,Saint Birgitta(Saint Bridget of Sweden),Birger lake Tåkern It is considered one of northern Europe’s foremost bird lakes. Pass the mythical Omberg Mountain.
Dive into Stockholm
More than anything else, Stockholm’s character and atmosphere are products of its unique, naturally magnificent location. The city is built on 14 islands where Lake Mälaren flows out into the Baltic Sea and the Stockholm Archipelago – a unique maritime landscape of more than 24,000 islands. In the centre is the Old Town northern Europe’s largest and best-preserved medieval city, with a history dating back to the 13th century.
Itinerary Tour Idea
Day 1. Trelleborg – Lund (50 km)
Lund, situated in the centre of the attractive and expansive Öresund region in southern Sweden, is one of the oldest cities in Sweden with a history more than one thousand years old. In Lund you should visit the old cathedral and the outdoor museum Kulturen.
Visit Malmö and the new harbour district with the turning torso building.
Day 2. Lund – Växjö (230 km)
After breakfast cross the landscape direction Hässleholm. Pass Flyinge one of the world’s oldest active national studs. King Carl Gustaf X Sweden established it as a Royal Stud almost 350 years ago. Drive to the Ringsjö Lake and beautiful Bosjökloster (Monastary). 
Cross the ridge direction Hässleholm. Pass Hovdala Castle, just south of Hässleholm, close to the shores of Lake Finjasjön. Enjoy its simple majesty and discover the heritage of almost 500 years of history. Close to the castle the distinctive Tree House is rising five metres above the ground. In addition to wood, is built of glass and steel. The treetops are growing right through the floor of the terrace.
The small country road north of Hässleholm will take you to next district Småland and Växjö.
Visit Huseby Bruk Museum with castle, 20 km south west of Växjö in Sweden. The works estate offers a numbers of attractions, including watermill ironworks-museum, a mill, a display of wagons, an Archimedes´ screw, a cotter-museum etc.
Drive to Växjö and check in to First Hotel Cardinal located in the city centre surrounded by quaint, pedestrians-only streets. Just around the corner you will find theatre, cinemas, shopping, culture and other entertainment.
Day 3. Växjö – Gränna(180 km)
Before leaving Växjö you should visit the cathedral with a magnificent glass sculpture designed by Vallien. Head north for Lammhult (40 km) and a tour in the “Kingdom of furniture”. Here you will find genuine Swedish and Scandinavian design for furnitures. Make a stop halfway to Lammhult at the charming café and countryside shop in Ör. Continue to Värnamo (49) km and the exhibition of the designer Bruno Mathsson. Take the motorway to Gränna (100 km).
When approaching Gränna you will find Amalias Hus Hotel situated right by the town’s entry, and next to the thickly foliaged “Södra Parken” with its small waterfall and stream. Experience a moonlight walk in the evening along the shores of Lake Vättern, in mountains and valleys, promenade through the woodlands where John Bauer was inspired to his fairytales.
In 1859 the poor widow Amalia Eriksson asked the town’s council for permission to manufacture “polkagrisar” – peppermint rocks. The rest is history. Nowadays Gränna “polkagrisar” are one of Sweden’s most popular souvenirs. You can watch the manufacturing in any of the many bakeries.
Day 4. Gränna – Vadstena – Motala – Stockholm (260 km)
Start the day with a sightseeing trip in the neighborhood and then take the motorway to Stockholm. Start with the Alvastra Monastery Ruin (Alvastra Klosterruin) at the foot of mythical Omberg Mountain. Turn east and visit the Rök Stone (Rökstenen), one of the most famous and interesting rune stones in Sweden. If you are longing for coffee and a pastry or a simple meal, drop into Röks Handel at the exit of the old road heading towards Rök. The fascinating history of the Rök Stone takes you towards the medieval period and the next stop is Vadstena. Head north again around the Lake Tåkern.It is considered one of northern Europe’s foremost bird lakes. The Monastary in Vadstena is in a beautiful location, on the shore of Lake Vättern. The Birgittine abbey buildings date from the 13th century. King Gustav Wasa built the castle in 1545 as a fortress against attacking Danes. Shortly afterwards it was rebuilt as a suitable residence for the Duke in the centre of Vadstena beside the edge of Östergötland.
Continue to Motala and follow the Göta canal that cuts through Östergötland and is one 
of Sweden’s largest culture historical constructions. The canal stretches from Motala, which lies next to Vättern and then flows beside Linköping, Norrköping and Söderköping before ending its journey at the Baltic. This canal is not just for the boat tourists, but also offers much in the way of sights and experiences for the not so nautical of us all. There are bank side cafés; a social life has grown from the harbors and the 58 locks.
Pass Linköping and take the motorway directly to Stockholm
In Stockholm check in to your hotel Amaranten in the centre of the city. From here you could easy walk to the attractions and restaurants for a nice dinner.
Day 5. Stockholm – Norrköping (160 km)
Check out and leave your luggage at the hotel. Take a walk through the old town and hop on one of the ferryboats to Djurgården. Here you will find one of world’s most exciting museum Wasa Museum. The Vasa is the world’s only surviving 17th-century ship and one of the foremost tourist sights in the world. The ship is displayed in a purpose-built museum in Stockholm. You can walk back to the city centre or take the tram back.
In the afternoon start your journey back south. Drive through Sörmland the Countryside of Stockholm. On your way you will pass waterways and idyllic villages. This is in the province of Södermanland, a territory known for its large number of stately homes and manors.The Nynäs manorial estate and nature reserve is located on the Swedish Baltic coast, about 80 km south of Stockholm, right between the small historic towns Trosa and Nyköping.
Back on the motorway at Nyköping and a short drive to Norrköping. The hotel is beautifully located by the Motala River in a luxurious building from the turn of the last century. The hotel is centrally located, near the town hall, with shopping, theatre and other recreational activities within walking distance.
Day. 6 Norrköping – Kalmar with a round trip (300 km)
Drive to Västervik at the Baltic coast, 115 km south from Norrköping. Visit the little idyllic town for a coffee brake before turning west to Vimmerby (55 km). Vimmerby much is the same as it was when Astrid Lindgren lived here. The small alleys in the town and the charming countryside. But you also find Astrid Lindgren World here, a theme park for the whole family.
Curiosa: On the international arena, Greta Garbo is one of the five most famous Swedes throughout time. At the exhibition in Högsby you can follow her career with the help of fantastic studio pictures, film props and much more. Drive from Högsbo to Orrefors Glass Studio and enter the Kingdom of Crystal. Start with Orrefors Glass Studio; visit the moose park before the Kosta Glass Studio.
The elk park in Grönåsen
If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of an elk at the edge of a forest or close to the road. Admission fee SEK 40 per person and open until 6 p.m. take the 1,300 m long walkway around the forest enclosure that includes a number of moose. Stop awhile at the pond and you may be lucky enough to see an moose taking a swim or having a drink. The elk shop offers a wide range of moose products. Why not grill over the open fire your own moose hotdog, which you can purchase in the moose shop!
Kingdom of Crystal
This is a fascinating spectacle where dexterous glassblowers mould glowing masses into leaf-thin wine glasses and colourful, scintillating art. The world’s most beautiful glass in exhibits and glassworks 
museums. And on top of that, delightful finds in the glass shops! Surrounded by enchanted forests and thousands of lakes, the Swedish glassworks lie close together. Within only a few hours distance, you encounter 13 glassworks between Växjö and Nybro – some as world-renowned as Orrefors, Boda, and Mats Jonasson Målerås. Your are welcome to visit the blowing room at almost every glassworks until around 3.00 p.m. every afternoon. See for yourself how the glassblowers gather the glowing melt from the furnaces. Feel the heat and see how the living material of glass is transformed into a myriad shapes both possible and impossible.
After the round trip drive to Kalmar on the Baltic coast and check in to your hotel. Kalmar is one of the oldest cities in the country – once it was even the third largest city in Sweden. History is waiting around each corner – you will find traces of every different historical period – everything from the Stone Age to the period of great power.Take a walk down the cobbled streets in the Old Town and finish with a visit to Kalmar Castle, which has a history dating back 800 years. Today it is a living Renaissance palace with room for both banquets and conferences. Kalmar is also becoming an European metropol for Chinese companies. But that is another story. Hotel Witt in Kalmar is Kalmar’ss oldest hotel; the present building has been home to the Krueger family as well as to the father of Sweden’s former Prime Minister, Olof Palme.
Day 7. Kalmar – Kristianstad (191 km)
Time to return to Skåne. Follow the coastal road and visit Karlskrona on your way to Kristianstad. See Drottningskär citadel and Kungsholm fortress with its circular harbour and exotic plants from all over the world. The Great Square, one of northern Europe’s largest, has the Fredrik Church and the Church of the Holy Trinity, also known as the German church. The Admiralty Church is Sweden’s largest wooden church.
Take a round trip around the lake Ivö; visit the beautiful nature reserve called Kjugekull one of the largest and best areas for bouldering in Sweden. The boulders are mostly big and round and are scattered in sparse beech wood and hilly paddocks.
Pass the Bäckaskog Castle, located on a narrow neck of land between two glittering lakes. Monks built a monastery on this location in the 13th century. They combined the monastery life with outdoor activities and lived by farming, fishing and gardening. Prince Oscar (I) rented the castle in 1818 and assigned it to his son Karl XV, who spent each summer here from 1845 until his death in 1872.
Check in to your hotel Christian IV. Located in Kristianstad’s most beautiful building and named after the town’s founder, the Danish King Christian IV, the hotel is conveniently situated in the town centre, with a lot of restaurants and shopping streets just around the corner.
Day 8. Kristianstad – Trelleborg and departure! (130 km)
After breakfast follow the coastal road to Österlen the “Tuscany District of Sweden”. You will find art studios, cafés and picturesque fishing villages alongside the road.In Kåseberga (90 km) the monument Ale Stenar is the Swedish “StonHenge” and one of the most famous touris site in Sweden. Before you reach Trelleborg, visit the little town Ystad, with timbered houses and cobbled streets, also know for housing a fiction inspector, the Kurt Wallander from the books of Mankell who also lives in the area.(Ystad-Trelleborg 50 km)
Images: Dive into Stockholm
Photo:Richard Ryan – Stockholm Visitors Board
Holdar – Stockholm Visitors Board
Rökstenen Photo: Bengt Olof Aradsson
Beach and Kalmar Castle: Photo Göran Assner, Copyright Swedish Travel an Tourism Council
