Sweden - Suécia

Sweden (in Swedish: Sverige) [1] is the biggest of scandinavian countries, at the north, with a population of approximately 9.3 million inhabitants. It borders the Norway and the Finland and is connected to the Denmark across the Öresund bridge (resundsbron). The Baltic Sea is east of Sweden, as is the Gulf of Bothnia, which separates Sweden from much of Finland.

Understand

Despite having been a military power about three times its current size during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in nearly two centuries. Having long remained outside any military alliance (including the two world wars), the country has a high profile of peace, with internationally renowned names such as Raoul Wallenberg, Dag Hammarskjöld, Olof Palme and Hans Blix. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, but King Charles XVI Gustav has no executive power. The country has a long tradition of Lutheran-Protestant Christianity, but today Sweden is a secular state with few practitioners.

Sweden has a capitalist system and is constituted by a highly developed post-industrial society with a very advanced welfare state. Standards of living and life expectancy are among the highest in the world. Sweden joined the European Union in 1995, but decided by referendum in 2003 not to commit to the European Monetary Union and not to adopt the euro. The country has been led for most of the 20th century by the Social Democratic Party, which started as a labor movement in the late 19th century but today follows a mix of socialism and social liberalism. Since the last elections, a coalition of centre-right liberal/conservative parties has been in power.

Sweden has a strong tradition of being an open but discreet country. Citizens sometimes seem quite reserved at first, but once they get to know their interlocutor, they are usually as warm and friendly as one would like. Privacy is considered a key element and many visitors, such as stars of various commercial categories, have often found that they can often walk the streets of cities virtually undisturbed.

Sweden hosts Nobel Prize committee [2] of all the awards except the peace one, which is based in Oslo, a reminder of the Swedish-Norwegian union that dissolved about 100 years ago.

Regions

Norrland the sparsely populated northern part of the country (about two-thirds of the total area), with nine provinces. Many desert areas, with forests, lakes, large rivers, huge swamps and high mountains along the borders with Norway. Very good for walking. The biggest cities are Gavle, Sundsvall, Umeå and Luleå.

Svealand the central part of the country, encompasses Stockholm, Uppsala and the provinces of dalarna, Närke, Varmland, Sodermanland, Upland and Vastmanland.

götaland composed of the ten provinces of the southern part of the country, it comprises the islands (and provinces) of land and Gotland. The biggest cities in Götaland are Gothenburg in Västergotland and malmo in Skåne.

Cities

Major cities

• Stockholm (Stockholm) - The capital, divided by small islands.
• Enviken
• Gothenburg (Göteborg) - The second city in the country, on the west coast.
• Linkoping - The 5th most populous city in Sweden. University City.
• Kiruna - A mining town in Lapland, and the northernmost city in Sweden.
• Luleå - Industrial city in Norrland Northern, with a university of technical education.
• malmo - Located far south, not far from the Danish capital Copenhagen.
• Umeå - University city in Norrland.
• Uppsala - Very lively and old university town. The fourth largest city in Sweden.
• Brain - Former shoe manufacturing centre, halfway between Stockholm and Oslo.

Other destinations

• Are - One of Sweden's biggest ski centers with 44 lifts.
• Esrange - A rocket launch facility near Kiruna.
• Gotland - The biggest island in Sweden, and also the biggest island in the Baltic Sea. Your capital Visby is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is a popular vacation spot for mainland Swedes.
• Kebnekaise - Sweden's highest mountain surrounded by vast wilderness and a popular trail to Abisko National Park.

To arrive

Sweden is a signatory country to the Schengen Agreement. For citizens of European Union and EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), a legal document such as an ID card or passport is sufficient to enter. Under no circumstances will a visa be required for a stay of any length. Other visitors usually need a passport to enter.

There is no border control between the signatory countries that comply with the agreement - the European Union (except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and UK), Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, a visa provided by any Schengen signatory country is valid in all other countries that comply with the agreement. But be careful: Not all members of the European Union have signed the Schengen Agreement, and not all signatory members are part of the European Union.

Airports in Europe are thus divided into "Schengen" and "non-Schengen" sections, which effectively function as the sections for "domestic" and "international" flights anywhere else in the world. Anyone flying from a country outside Europe to a Schengen signatory country and continuing on to a second will go through Immigration and Customs in the first country and then continue to their destination without further controls. Traveling between a Schengen member and a non-Schengen country will result in traditional border control. Please note that regardless of whether you are traveling within the Schengen area or not, some airlines will still insist on verifying your identity or passport.

Remember that the time count starts when entering a Schengen country and not will be restarted when leaving a certain Schengen country to enter another Schengen country.

In January 2010, only who are nationals of the following non-EU/EEA/Switzerland countries not you need a visa to enter the Schengen area: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Northern Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauricio Islands, Mexico, monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia**, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, U.S, Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela, including persons holding British National (Overseas) passports, Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR. These visa-free visitors must not stay more than three months in half a year and must not work while in the European Union.

Comments:

• citizens connected to Gibraltar, as British subjects possessors of the right to reside in the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories, are considered "citizens of the United Kingdom for purposes of the European Union" and therefore eligible for unlimited access to the Schengen region,
• Citizens of the British Overseas Territories and British subjects destitute of the right of residence in the United Kingdom, as well as citizens of the British Overseas Territories and protected British in general, need a visa.

However, all citizens of the British Overseas Territories (except those exclusively linked to the Cyprus Sovereign Zones) are eligible for British citizenship and hence unlimited access to the Schengen region.

(*) Macedonians, Montenegrins and Serbs need a passport biometric to enjoy travel without a visa.

(**) Serbs with passports issued by the Serbia Coordination Directorate (Serbs resident in Kosovo) still need of visa.

By airplane

For arrival and departure times, as well as various other information about flights and airports in Sweden, visit Luftfartsverket - Swedish Airports and Air Navigation Services[3].

Main airports:

• Stockholm Arlanda (IATA: RNA) (ICAO: THAT)[4] - serves most major airlines. Check the page of Stockholm for information on how to move between the airport and Stockholm city.
• Göteborg Landvetter (IATA: GOT) (ICAO: ESGG) [5] - serves some international airlines and provides convenient bus transportation (~20min) to the center of Gothenburg.
• Copenhagen Kastrup (Denmark) (IATA: CPH) (ICAO: EKCH) [6] - serves most major airlines. Located on an island between Copenhagen and malmo and is ideal for traveling in southern Sweden. Train connections depart from the airport to both cities.

Minor airports:

• Stockholm Skavsta (IATA: NYO) (ICAO: ESKN) [7] - airport for low cost airlines like Ryanair [8] and Wizzair [9]. Located at a good distance (about 100km) from Stockholm, close to the city of Nykoping.
• Stockholm Vasteras (IATA: VST) (ICAO: ESOW) [10] - international flights to/from Copenhagen and London. It is also about 100km from Stockholm.
• Göteborg City Airport (IATA: GSE) (ICAO: ESGP) [11] - located just 14 kilometers from the center of Gothenburg, this airport is used by Ryanair, Wizzair and Germanwings [12].
• Malmo-Sturup (IATA: MMX) (ICAO: ESMS) [13] - Serves domestic flights and low cost flights. Located about 30km from malmo.

Most airports can be reached via the Flygbussarna - Airport coaches[14] with tickets valued between 70 and 100 SEK. Copenhagen airport is more accessible by train. Enter in Skånetrafiken[15] to see the schedules.

By train/train

Sweden can be reached by train by three companies at the moment:

• Denmark: Trains depart from Copenhagen and from Copenhagen airport to malmo every 20 minutes, and costs only somewhere around 100 SEK ("Öresundståg / Øresundstog" regional trains). The train crosses the magnificent Öresund bridge to get to Sweden in less than 30 minutes. In addition, direct trains (X2000) depart from Copenhagen to Stockholm. The connection Elsinore-Helsingborg, known as one of the busiest railway lines in Europe, can also be used (exchange by ship).

• Norway: Main connections between Oslo and Stockholm and Gothenburg as well as the connections between trondheim - Are - stersund and Narvik - Kiruna - Boden - Stockholm.

• Germany: Berlin for malmo with the "Berlin Night Express". There are also some trains every day from Hamburg for Copenhagen, and night trains from Munich, Basel, Koln and Amsterdam for Copenhagen. See the Denmark section on how to get to Sweden from Copenhagen.

• Finland: Travel via Kemi-tornio-haparanda-Luleå / Boden by bus. Interrail tickets are valid on these buses. There are no train connections as Finland and Sweden use different gauges.

By bus/bus

Enter Sweden through "Eurolines" [16] or "Safflebussen" [17]. All connections here are via Copenhagen.

Buses to and from the Western Balkans are also operated by Toptourist, [18]. More information by phone 46 (0) 4218 2984.

Of boat

Baltic Sea Cruises "Our level of drunkenness was normal for a cruise of this type." The director of the Tallink shipping company gave an interesting quote after an uproar involving him and the crew completely intoxicated on a Tallink cruise in 2006. a fire due to a fish in a toaster.) The director's explanation clearly shows the main problem with Baltic Sea cruises: they have a reputation for useless boats full of drinks, far removed from the glamor of international cruises. This is partly because the tickets are absurdly cheap - sometimes less than 50 SEK - and because among the main attractions is the sale of duty-free alcohol. Still, some of the new ships are really beautiful, and it's a easy and cheap way to catch a glimpse of a country on the other side of the Baltic Sea. It should also be noted that not all cruises include obnoxious drunks trying to turn fish into toast. Stockholm is the main port in Sweden for embarking cruises, and the main destinations are Helsinki, land and turkey at Finland, Tallinn at Estonia and Riga at latvia. The ships are operated by Silja Line [19], Viking Line [20], Birka Cruises [21] and of course Tallink [22], MSC cruises [23]. To buy the cheapest tickets, try going on a weekday in the off-season, share a 4-bed cabin with a few friends, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for last-minute deals.

Belgium

• In Ghent for Gothenburg by DFDS Torline [24] (freighter line with limited passenger capacity).

Denmark

• In Grenå for Varberg by Stena Line [25].
• In Frederikshavn for Gothenburg by Stena Line.
• In Elsinore for Helsingborg by Scandlines [26] and HH-ferries [27].

Estonia

• from Tallinn for Stockholm (via Helsinki) by Viking Line [28].
• from Tallinn for Stockholm (direct connection) by Tallink [29].

Finland

• In Helsinki for Stockholm (via land) by Tallink Silja [30] and Viking Line.
• In Naantali for Kapellskär by Finnlink [31].
• In turkey for Stockholm (via land) by Tallink Silja and Viking Line.
• In Vaasa for Umeå by RG Line [32].

latvia

• In Riga for Stockholm by Tallink [33].
• In Ventspils for Nynashamn by Scandlines.

Germany

• In Travemunde for Trelleborg by TT-Line [34].
• In Travemunde for malmo by Nordö Link [35].
• In Kiel for Gothenburg by Stena Line.
• In Sassnitz for Trelleborg by Scandlines [36].
• In Rostock for Trelleborg by Scandlines and TT-Line.

Norway

• In Sandefjord for Strömstad by Color Line [37]

Poland

• In Gdansk for Nynashamn by Polferries [38].
• In Gdansk for Visby by Polferries.
• In Gdynia for Karlskrona by Stena Line.
• In Świnoujście for Ystad by Polferries.

Russia

• In Baltijsk, Kaliningrad for Karlshaman by DFDS Tor Line [39].

UK

• In Immingham and Tilbury for Gothenburg by DFDS Torline [40] (freighter line with limited passenger capacity).

By car

Circular

Traveling around Stockholm and visiting various places can easily be quite expensive. Therefore, Stockholm offers a card called "The Stockholm Card". With it you can ride trains, buses, ferries, and trams for free. The card also provides free access to more than 75 museums and attractions.[41]

The old one right of public access (alemansrätten) guarantees everyone the right to move freely through nature on foot, horse, ski, bicycle or boat, and even on someone else's private property. With this right comes the obligation to respect the integrity of nature and the property of others. So it's important to know limits.

By airplane

Although Sweden is a pretty big country, most of the action takes place in the south, where distances aren't huge. Domestic flights are mainly for travelers with little time or a lot of money, however, if you go to the far north it is best to consider this option. There are also low cost tickets, but these must be purchased in advance.

The most important companies for domestic flights:

• SAS[42] - the international company also has many domestic routes.
• skyways[43] - the greatest number of domestic routes, some of Copenhagen.
• nextjet[44] - has many domestic routes to smaller places, has taken control of some Skyways routes.
• Direktflyg[45] - some domestic routes and also flights to Norway.
• Norwegian[46] - some domestic and some international destinations.
• Malmo Aviation[47] - serves domestic destinations, Brussels and nice.
• Gotlandsflyg[48] - connect Stockholm and the island of Gotland.

By train/train

Sweden has an extensive rail network. Most of the main lines are controlled by a government company called SJ. To purchase a ticket or for more information, call 46 771 757575 or check the Web site[49]. As of summer 2009, the cheapest SJ tickets are sold out exactly 90 days before departure, so carefully plan your online ticket purchases if your itinerary is ready and don't buy tickets before 90 days in advance. SJ recently started auctioning last minute tickets on the Swedish eBay-affiliated website Tradera [50] (Swedish site only), available from 48 to 6 hours before departure. Swedish train passes [51] are also available for international guests to Sweden.

The national public transport authority is called Rikstrafiken[52], and provides online timetables in English, including train, bus and ferry information. The service is called Resplus[53].

Regional public transport is normally operated by companies contracted by the municipalities. For example, when someone travels regionally through the province of Scania (Skåne in Swedish), you should search for the Skånetrafiken[54]. For traveling in the [Mälardalen] region (the "Lake Mälaren Valley"), you can check all train and bus operators on a mutual website, Trafik i Mälardalen[55]. This regional traffic cooperation includes many of Sweden's largest cities, such as Stockholm, Uppsala, Vasteras, Linkoping, Norrkoping, Brain and skilstuna, and reaches the reach of more than three million people. Connex[56] provides accessible rail transport to the north. If you are on a tight schedule, be aware that trains, especially those limited to distant destinations (i.e. trains to Norrland Connex and SJ) sometimes experience very significant delays (between 1 and 2 hours).

By bus/bus

Express Express[57] it runs a few bus lines in the southernmost third of the country, Götaland and Svealand. They tend to be a little cheaper than taking trains if you don't take advantage of SJ's youth discounts. Y-buss[58] and Härjedalingen[59] operate between Stockholm and Norrland. Swebus Express also operates from Stockholm and Gothenburg to Oslo. At the municipal level or there, buses are a good way to travel short distances from city to city (as they are more frequent and cheaper than trains). It is best to check with your local transport authority for routes and schedules. A newcomer to the bus market is Bus4You [60]

By car

In Svealand and götaland driving quickly takes you from place to place. In Norrland distances tend to be greater between different places, so the time spent driving should be long. Unless you really enjoy driving, it's usually more convenient to take a train or fly to places, particularly in the north of Norrland. Traveling at night can be dangerous due to the unexpected appearance of animals on the roads and cold nights during winter. Collisions with moose, deer and other animals are not an uncommon cause of car accidents. See also drive in sweden and drive in winter.

Ride

Sweden has a reputation for being a very difficult country to hitchhike with, although it is quite possible to get one (but not guaranteed to be risk free). Ordinary people are often reluctant to take in strangers... Truck drivers are the most likely to give rides, so focus on them. Ordering at filling stations works very well.

Bus stops are common places to attract attention, post yourself before the bus stop itself so that the vehicle can stop at the bus stop. This works even better if the road is widened at the bus stop, allowing cars to exit easily.

By bike

Most Swedish cities have excellent bike lanes, and renting a bike can be a quick and healthy method of getting around locally.

On foot

Cars are required by law to stop in front of any unpoliced ​​crosswalks (zebra stripes on the road, no red lights) to let pedestrians cross the road. But remember that you need to make eye contact with the driver to let him know you're about to cross the lane.

Speak

Swedish is the national language of Sweden, but you will find that people, especially those born since 1945, also speak English very well - there is an estimate, according to the Eurobarometer, that 89% of Swedes can speak English, making Sweden the country with the highest English language proficiency on the continent. Swedish is a North Germanic language that is mutually intelligible with the Norwegian it's the Danish, so speakers of these languages ​​are able to take care of themselves. German, French and Spanish are optionally taught in secondary schools; However, NOT try to get by with French or Spanish: most students find themselves with a language useless. In contrast, German speakers (and Dutch) are more likely to be understood once their language is sufficiently intelligible with Swedish, especially in spoken form. O Finnish it is the language of the large minority. Regardless of your mother tongue, Swedes greatly appreciate any attempt to speak Swedish and starting conversations in Swedish, no matter how quickly your understanding develops, will help you a lot to be in harmony with the locals.

hej (King) is the overwhelmingly dominant greeting in Sweden, useful to kings and vagabonds alike. You can even say that when you leave. Swedes often don't say "please" (snälla), but are generous with the word tack (ok), which means "thank you". If you need to grab someone's attention, whether it's a waiter or someone in a crowded situation, a simple "ursäkta" ("Excuse me") will do the trick. You'll feel pressured to overuse this, and sometimes you'll see some people almost chanting it like a mantra while trying to get out of a crowded place like a bus or train.

Many Swedes are overconfident about their English skills. One problem may be too many bad words (accepted in colloquial Swedish, and encouraged by Hollywood movies), but also some false cognates can be shocking to a native English speaker; some examples are fake ("union" or "compartment"), fart ("velocity"), prick ("local") kock ("chef") and slut ("order" or "sold"). Be sure to forgive these misunderstandings.

Some things carry English names that don't match the original English word. Some examples are light which is used for diet products, and freestyle which means "walkman". In the context of distances, the colloquial expression thousand in Swedish, corresponding to "mile" (mile), designates 10 kilometers, not the value of a mile as understood by an Englishman.

Swedes learn British English at school, affecting their vocabulary, but they also watch American English movies and TV shows. Whether they use British or American standards, speech varies from person to person.

Look

Knife

Where are the Vikings? Many tourists from English-speaking countries wonder where they can see real Vikings. Unfortunately, they haven't been around for a thousand years. "Viking" it is not the name of an isolated nation or tribe - it is simply a word for "sailor" or "navigator of the fjords". Some Swedish, Norwegian and Danish men (in a few cases, women too) gave up farming or fishing to embark on commercial, exploration and piracy expeditions, reaching as far away as present-day Canada, Morocco and the Caspian Sea. As pagan Scandinavians were Christianized around 1000 AD, the Viking crusades declined. There are still traces of the Viking era, such as the rune stones and tombs, all over Sweden. Some good places to see Viking artifacts are The National Museum of Antiquities ("Historiska museet") [61] in Stockholm, Gamla Uppsala in Uppsala and Birka and Adelsö just west of Stockholm. The Viking legacy has been warped through history - romanticized during the 16th century. XIX, maligned by neo-Nazis, but more authentically revived by neo-pagans and live-action RPG players. Most Swedes are proud of their Viking roots, although they don't take it too seriously.

Sweden is wonderful for the outdoors - skiing, skating, hiking, canoeing, cycling and gathering fruit, depending on the season. Stockholm and Gothenburg have excellent nightlife and shopping opportunities. Most cities have well-preserved pre-industrial architecture.

the year in sweden

The weather in Sweden is better during the summer (end of May to beginning of September). If you like snow, go to Norrland or dalarna between November and April.

Be aware that daylight varies widely throughout the year. In Stockholm, the sun sets at 3pm in December. In the north of the Arctic Circle you can experience the midnight sun and arctic night. However, even at Stockholm's latitude, summer nights only exist in the form of twilight during June and July.

The most important holidays are Easter, Summer Solstice (celebrated from Friday's Eve between June 19th and June 25th), Christmas (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the 26th are all considered holidays), and the " industrial holidays" throughout the month of July. Expect closed establishments, lots of traffic (during holidays) and crowded tourist resorts (during July).

Note that most Swedish holidays are celebrated in the Eve (Summer eve, Christmas Eve, etc.), while the Swedes hardly do anything on the holiday itself.

Buy

The national currency is the Swedish krona, in Swedish krona (SEK, plural kronor). ATMs accept most credit cards. Most shops, restaurants and bars accept all major credit cards, although in some cases there is a 5 SEK fee or a minimum purchase limit (between 50 and 100 SEK). It is usually necessary to present an identity card or passport when purchasing with credit cards, regardless of the amount involved.

It's not common to haggle in stores, but it can work in some cases, especially when buying more expensive items. Bargaining is also no problem at flea markets and antique stores. When eating out, a service charge is usually included in the bill, and there's usually no reason to tip unless you're very satisfied with the service.

Most stores, at least downtown, are open all week, even on Sundays. Closing times are strict, usually to the exact minute.

Many Swedes translate the word krona, which means crown. For example, instead of saying 50 kronor, they can say 50 crowns.

Prices

Sweden is considered by some to be a very expensive country to live in, although you can find cheap alternatives if you look around. For example: Things like a 330ml bottle of Coca Cola costs 20 SEK (€2.20); a beer in a bar will cost 50 SEK (€5.50); the average price of accommodation in a hotel is around 1300 SEK (€140); a meal will cost between 70 and 200 SEK (€7.70-€22.20); 1 liter of gasoline costs around 15 SEK (€1.60) and 25 packs of cigarettes will cost 60 SEK (€6.60). If you are careful with your spending, you will need around 1000 SEK (€110) per day. But housing prices are among the cheapest in Western Europe and discount stores such as "Lidl", "Netto" and "Willy's" have recently opened, offering a wide variety of items; why not buy a sewing machine when shopping over the weekend? Accommodation and dining out are cheaper in Stockholm than in most other western European capitals.

Purchases

• An unofficial national symbol, the dala horse (Swedish: dalahäst) is the souvenir of souvenirs to bring from Sweden. Named after its origin, the province of dalarna, these little wooden horses have been around since the 17th century. They are usually painted orange or blue with symmetrical decorations. But these horses are quite expensive: be prepared to pay somewhere around 100 SEK for a very small specimen or a few hundred crowns for larger versions. They can be purchased at gift shops all over Sweden. If you would like to learn more about how horses are bred, visit Dalarna and the city of lives where horses are carved and painted in workshops open to tourists. And if you decide to drive to Mora from Stockholm, stay tuned when passing through the city of Avesta where the largest Dala Horse in the world (13 meters tall) is visible from the road.
• O glass Swedish is world famous for its beauty. Several talented glass artists have contributed to this reputation through innovative and complex (and expensive) art creations, but mass-produced Swedish glass tables have also achieved international success. part of the province of Småland, among the cities of Växjö and Kalmar, is known as the crystal kingdom[62]. 15 glass factories are housed in this small area, the most famous being the Orrefors, Kosta and wedding. Tourists are welcome to watch the glassblowers turn incandescent material into glowing glass, and you can even try it yourself.
• Exclusive wines from Systembolaget.

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