The Linnaeus Garden, Aquarium lacustre with orangery behind, Hammarby, Sweden

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Central Sweden

Central Sweden is the perfect distillation of all the things that make Sweden so Swedish, plopped not exactly in the nation's geographical centre, but in the middle of its population belt, making access to a diverse range of sights and experiences a cinch. You'll see plenty of old Volvos, Dalahäst (carved wooden horses), saunas, sunsets over lakes and candles in the windows out here. It's a paradise of forests, mountains and meadows and oh so much water,and is within easy reach of Stockholm and Gothenburg.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Gamla Uppsala
Uppsala
One of Sweden’s largest and most important burial sites, Gamla Uppsala (4km north of Uppsala) contains 300 mounds from the 6th to 12th centuries. The…
Falu Gruva
Dalarna
Falun’s kopparbergs gruva was the world’s most important copper mine by the 17th century. Called 'Sweden's treasure chest', it drove the small country's…
Tiveden National Park
Örebro
Carved by glaciers, this trolls’ home and former highwayrobber’s haunt 84km southwest of Örebro makes for wonderful wild walking. The park, reopened in…
Sala Silvergruva
Central Sweden
Even if you’re reluctant to take the plunge, there's plenty to see and do above ground at this vast mine complex 2km south of the town centre. Underground…
Carl Larsson-gården
Dalarna
Don’t miss Sweden's 'most famous home', located 13km northeast of Falun in the picturesque village of Sundborn. After their deaths, the early-20th-century…
Engelsbergs Bruk
Central Sweden
Looking more like a collection of gingerbread houses than an industrial relic, Engelsberg Bruk, a Unesco World Heritage Site in the tiny village of…
Anundshög
Central Sweden
Västerås is surrounded by pre-Christian sites. The most interesting and extensive is Anundshög, the biggest tumulus (burial ground) in Sweden, 9km…
Stora Sundby Slott
Central Sweden
Occupying tranquil lands on the shores of Lake Hjälmaren, this outstanding castle was built in the 16th century in the Renaissance style and later…