Travelers and tourists can now stay wherever they want in Sweden – because now the entire country is listed on AirBnB.
In a press release, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said that Sweden’s new official tourism brand “Visit Sweden” is working hard to get more people to “see the benefits” of traveling to the Nordic nation, whether for recreation or adventure.
Visit Sweden incorporates the nation’s “freedom to roam,” a concept based on a constitutional guarantee known as the Right of Public Access. In Swedish, this right can be translated to “allemansrätten,” literally meaning “every man’s right.”
This freedom allows both residents and travelers of Sweden to explore and roam just about anywhere in the countryside, as long as there is no disturbance or destruction of property or the environment. For many Swedes, the freedom to roam is considered a cultural heritage – sometimes it is even as highly regarded as a national symbol, dating back to provincial laws and customs from the Middle Ages.
In the press release, Löfven also listed his top five things to do in Swedish nature:
- Having a glass of wine with [his] wife, Ulla, watching the dramatic coastline of Höga kusten near [his] hometown of Örnsköldsvik.
- Walking in one of Sweden’s grand forests, which are very relaxing in their simplicity.
- At [his] summerhouse in the north of Sweden, nature is in [his] backyard, and chopping some wood in the morning can aid in clearing the mind.
- It’s not only about being in nature, it’s also about what nature gives. Take, for example, Swedish cloudberries, which are also known as “the gold of the north.” Try it with a waffle and some ice cream.
- Stone skipping at a beautiful lake, as [the Swedes] say, “Kasta macka,” which translates in English to “throw a sandwich.”
The Visit Sweden site suggests exploring one of the country’s 29 national parks, including its first national park, Sarek, established in 1909, or Söderåsen, Dalby Söderskog and Stenshuvud National Parks, which together cover approximately 4,900 acres. Tourists can also travel to cities like Gothenburg for its world-class seafood; the country’s 700-year-old capital, Stockholm, which spreads across 14 islands in Lake Mälaren; and the small village of Abisko, where the aurora borealis comes to life – especially from the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko National Park.
Visit Sweden is currently present in 10 countries globally, including the United States, France, Germany, Russia and Norway.
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