SWEDEN
21-26 July 2017
Map of our roadtrip:
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Day 1 - Malmo - Ystard - Kaseberga - Glimmingehus - Ossterlen
This afternoon, we drove across Europe’s longest combined road and rail bridge; the Öresund Bridge, which connects the Danish capital with the city of Malmö in Sweden. The toll charges for this 21km bridge was about 52 euro one way. The area Skåne, which once belonged to Denmark, is today Sweden’s southernmost region and is characterized by endless open fields and wide, flat horizons and its magnificent castles from various historical eras. Started our journey by heading south towards the small coastal town of Ystad. Ystad has more than 40 km of sandy beaches and has some of the finest and best-preserved medieval half-timbered houses in Sweden. Ystad is also home to the fictional citizen detective Kurt Wallander, the character in the popular crime series written by Swedish author Henning Mankell and for fans of his books there is a special walking tour through town. In Kåseberga, 14km east of Ystad, we visited the megalithic Ale’s Stones, often referred to as Sweden’s Stonehenge. In the early ages of the Viking’s, about 500 to 1000 A.D. 59 megalithic stones were raised here in form of a Viking ship. Thereafter, we continued our drive north east towards Glimmingehus close to Simrishamn. Glimmingehus is the best-preserved medieval castle in Scandinavia, dating from 1499 and was built as a fortress meant to defend what was then Denmark. Thereafter, we continued our drive to Österlen (Hammenhog), situated in the south east part of Skåne and stay the night. Villa Pastora Bed & Breakfast |
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Day 2 - Osterlen - Kalmar
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we drove around the region of Österlen. Here, you find gently rolling hills, long sandy beaches and lush apple groves, famous for its unparalleled light. Österlen that has attracted many of Sweden´s authors, musicians and other creative people move here. During spring and summer there are many exhibitions and various events going on throughout the region. We also visited a castle dating from the Middle Ages in this area. Our last stop for the day is the historic town of Kalmar, one of Sweden’s oldest cities dating back to the 11th century. Accommodation in Kalmar. Best Western Plus Kalmarsund Hotell |
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Day 3 - Kalmar - Oland islands - Kalmar
After breakfast at the hotel, we did an excursion to the island of Öland, the smallest province in Sweden. The island is 137 km long and has a width that varies from 4 to 16 km. On this island you will find 400 windmills, 34 churches, 16 ancient fortifications, 34 orchid species, the highest lighthouse in Sweden, the largest windmill in Scandinavia, one of Europe's longest bridges and the largest castle ruin in northern Europe, the Alvaret - a bare limestone biotype not found anywhere else in the world. In addition Öland offers more sun than any other Swedish province, drenching an endless variety of beaches and more than 50 places to swim. After a long day driving on the island, we headed back to our accommodation in Kalmar Best Western Plus Kalmarsund Hotell |
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Day 4 - Kalmar - Oskarshamn (Gotland)
Today we departed Kalmar after breakfast and headed for Oskarshamn located one hour north of Kalmar. In Oskarshamn, we boarded the 3-hour ferry to Gotland, Sweden’s largest island. We arrived the medieval town of Visby with its city wall, winding cobblestone streets and alleys. Visby was an important Viking centre between the 12th and 14th century and it is the best-preserved fortified commercial city in northern Europe. It is today recognised as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Gotland itself has many historic monuments, museums and ruins of churches and abbeys. More buried treasures have been found here in modern times than anywhere else in the world. From Visby, we drove to a large number of interesting sites and attractions spread out across the island. We started by visitingthe southern cape; Sudret, with its rocky coasts and barren, highly scenic landscape crisscrossed by ancient stone fences and dotted with windmills. All along the Gotland coastline, there are many beautiful beaches, rocky cliff areas and secluded spots for swimming and sunbathing in the summer. Accommodation in Visby STF Hostel Visby/Rävhagen |
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Day 5 - Gotland
Today, we drove northwards to the remote island Fårö. We got to Fårö from Fårösund on Gotland with a free car ferry departing every 30 minutes and taking only 8 minutes. On northern Gotland and the islands of Fårö, rock formations called "Raukar" can be found. These are unique limestone formations and these rock structures were featured in the films of Ingemar Bergman, who filmed extensively on Fårö. He often declared Fårö to be one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in the world. We also visited the north-western parts of Gotland to see the Lummelunda Caves with beautiful dripstones and interesting fossils. The cave is almost 4 km long and the Lummelunda creek is flowing through the caves for approximately 1,3 km. Accommodation in Visby. STF Hostel Visby/Rävhagen |
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Day 6 - Gotland - Vadstena
Departed Gotland to Vadstena today. Along the way, we made a detour to Mariefred where we visited the 16th-century Gripsholm Castle, a lavishly built fortress located on an island. The former royal barn which at one time housed cattle, horses and a hay-loft has now been beautifully renovated and has become the home of Grafikens Hus (the House of Graphics). The castle houses the Swedish state collection of portraits and here you can find portraits from the time of King Gustav Vasa to the present day. The charismatic town of Mariefred itself is well worth a visit with its narrow streets, colourful, low wooden houses and boatmen’s cottages. Here, you will find many local specialities and handicrafts on offer. Continue to Vadstena, a town with a rich medieval history where practically every building has its own story to tell, the most prominent being the castle and the abbey. During the middle Ages, Vadstena was the location of a catholic monastery for monks and nuns of the Birgittine order. The abbey church was built by the directions of Sancta Birgitta and it was consecrated in 1430. Today it is one of the few still active abbeys in Sweden. One Room Bed & Breakfast |
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Day 7 - Vadstenna - Gothenburg
Departed Vadstena to Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city is often overshadowed by the capital, Stockholm. But the popularity of Gothenburg—birthplace of Volvo (and Alicia Vikander), home to Michelin-star restaurants, picturesque architecture, sophisticated bar culture, renowned galleries and art museums, and designer shops Dockyard Hotel |
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Day 8 - Gothenburg - Malmo
It was a rainy day and hence we just took it slow and drove around some neighborhoods in Gothenburg before heading out to Malmo. Along the way, we stopped by at the UNESCO site, Grimeton. The Varberg Radio Station at Grimeton in southern Sweden (built 1922–24) is an exceptionally well-preserved monument to early wireless transatlantic communication. It consists of the transmitter equipment, including the aerial system of six 127-m high steel towers. Although no longer in regular use, the equipment has been maintained in operating condition. Malmo Mayfair Hotel Tunneln |
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Day 9 - Malmo
After breakfast, we spend the day driving around Malmo city, and spend about an hour walking in the city center before driving back to Denmark |
TRIP PHOTOS - SWEDEN