The most interesting places in Sweden. Where to go in Sweden? Sweden

Located in Northern Europe, and occupies the east and south of Scandinavia - the most large peninsula this part of the world. In terms of territory, the country is “not one of the last” - fifth place among other European countries. It borders with Norway - from the west, with Finland - from the north-east, and the lands in the east and south are washed by the waters of the Baltic; in the south it borders by sea with Denmark. There are two in the Baltic Sea big islands, belonging to Sweden: Gotland - a paradise for archaeologists and treasure hunters, and Öland, which for many centuries served as a hunting ground for royal family.


Swedish climate – moderation and tranquility

Although Sweden is a northern country, the climate in most of its territory is temperate. It is still colder in the northern and western regions: air from the Atlantic is trapped by the mountains that form the legendary fjords. Winter is considered long, and it’s true: in March there is almost no smell of spring, but according to our understanding, there are no severe frosts even in January - the thermometer rarely drops below -18°C. In the south and southwest there is generally a slight minus, but there is a lot of snow almost everywhere, with the exception of the flat areas of the north. Summer in Sweden is not hot, but cool and warm - 20-22°C, although there is not much rain.


When to go to Sweden? Of course, in winter or early spring, if you like winter sports and entertainment; or in the summer, when the water in the lakes is clear, and there are a lot of mushrooms and berries in the green forests - the ecology in Sweden is “at its best.”

City attractions are also easier to explore in summer: of course, there are fewer tourists in cities in spring and autumn, but the weather is not so favorable.

Some attractions of Swedish cities

Sweden is rich in attractions - both natural, cultural and historical. But a considerable part of them are concentrated in Stockholm, the capital of the country, one of the most elegant cities in the world. " Old town", or Gamla Stan, is considered the main value of the capital, one of the largest and best preserved historical centers - it has hardly changed for several centuries: Stockholm began from here in the 13th century. Stortorget Square, surrounded by houses of different colors, is the center of Gamla Stan. Most of the houses have been here for 300-400 years and look great. It is worth paying attention to the ancient Stock Exchange building, which now houses a museum, a large library and the Academy of Sciences.



The royal palace was built at the end of the 17th century, but it was unlucky then: the barely completed building burned down, and everything had to be rebuilt. The palace that exists today has more than 600 rooms, and officially it is active - it is the residence of the royal family. On at the moment Of all the operating royal palaces in the world, it is considered the largest.

An interesting attraction is the Iron Boy, a small metal figurine only 15 cm tall; in Sweden he is very loved, although there is no history associated with him. It’s just that the sculptor depicted him in such a way that everyone wants to pat the sitting iron baby on the head, and the locals also dress him in different outfits, especially in winter; It is also customary to leave small coins nearby for good luck. In Gamla Stan there is another attraction that the Swedes are proud of - the monument to St. George slaying the Dragon. A bronze copy is installed on the square, and in the Church of St. Nicholas - the original sculpture.



Many monuments were damaged during the war, but by the end of the 20th century they were restored, and now Gamla Stan, where you can again feel the atmosphere of the Middle Ages, attracts the attention of many tourists.

In Gothenburg, the first largest after Stockholm, the famous Opera House is an original modern building built in the last decade of the 20th century. Both the stage and the auditorium are equipped with the latest technology; Not only operas are performed here, but also ballets, music and dance shows, and musicals. Gothenburg is a beautiful and rich city, and it is interesting not only for its culture and history, but also for its wonderful landscapes: the Swedes themselves consider its surroundings the most beautiful places countries. Both adults and children can have a complete relaxation in the Liseberg amusement and amusement park: it is the largest not only in Sweden, but throughout Scandinavia, and is also included in the top ten amusement parks in the world.


All Swedish cities attractive in their own way, and cannot be described briefly. But the third largest is Malmo, which is quite ancient and colorful: it dates back to the 13th century, and in the 15th century it was a large shopping center. Now it is a transport and industrial center, with many modern buildings and structures. Among them, a spectacular landmark is considered to be a 54-story building called “Turning Torso”, 190 m high - as it grows higher, the building constantly twists clockwise. Among the ancient buildings, the 16th century Malmöhus fortress and St. Peter's Church, built of brick in the Gothic style, stand out. In the same city there is one of the largest museums in Europe - Art Museum Malmö.

And many more interesting things

Sweden has many interesting places, in addition to medieval and modern urban wonders. For example, the building of Ales Stenar is the “Swedish Stonehenge”, no less mysterious, but less famous than the English monument. 59 huge stones are lined up and dug into the ground on the coast in the form of a drakkar, although this place is considered both a burial ground and an ancient calendar; versions vary, but the structure is believed to be at least 1,400 years old. There is a sign: if you walk around the entire structure at sunset, touching every stone, you can absorb the energy of this sacred place.



And in the city of Jukkasjärvi you can relax in an “extreme” snow and ice hotel, which is no longer the only one of its kind: there are such establishments in Norway, Finland, and Canada. There are few rooms there - only four, and there are always guests. Almost everything is made of ice and ice blocks - even the glasses at the bar, but the beds are still not ice. You can rent a room for a day - at a temperature of -7°C it is better not to stay long. This building is built anew every year - in December, and with a new design - and melts in April; Original exhibitions of ice sculptures are also held here.


A little about the nature of Sweden

The beautiful and pure nature of Sweden deserves special description. As in Finland, it is strictly protected, but there are no prohibitions on visiting natural areas: anyone can safely enter even private property. Like the Finns, the Swedes carefully protect their natural values, and attitudes like ours - litter, fires, broken trees - are simply unimaginable for them.


It is prohibited to drive cars and motorcycles “out into nature” - you can walk or ride a bicycle, and even then not everywhere: dirt roads on private property must not be damaged. You can swim and boat in any body of water, except in nature reserves with rare animals; in many lakes you can fish without a license - with a fishing rod; flowers, mushrooms and berries can also be collected if they are not listed in the Red Book. Even dogs should not be let off leash at certain times of the year, so as not to disturb wild animals during the mating season.

So, it is better to go to Sweden from May to August, but many are interested in both the Christmas holidays and the New Year - a time of cheerful mass celebrations, bright parties and fireworks.



Autovoyage Saransk - Finland - Sweden - Norway. Part 4. Nature and roads of Norway

Norway has the most expensive gasoline in the world. To fill the tank of his Lada-Largus station wagon, Denis Tyurkin paid three times more than at home. Is this why there are so many electric vehicles in that country? Oh amazing beautiful views, endless tunnels and toll roads- in the photo report.

At gas stations in Norway, as a rule, only two types of fuel are sold: 95 gasoline and diesel fuel. Moreover, a liter of the latter is always cheaper by one crown. Interestingly, the price changes (and sometimes significantly!) depending on the time of day. Many gas stations operate without operators, accepting cards. Converted to rubles, a liter of 95 reached 130 rubles! But it is unlikely that the high cost of fossil fuels will force local residents buy electric cars. Rather, it is their eco-consciousness. Teslas are especially popular there (Model X to a lesser extent, Model Es to a greater extent) and BMW i3, almost unknown in the Russian Federation. Their habitat is not always limited major cities and suburbs, electric cars can often be seen in villages. Just think: more than half of new car sales in Norway in 2017 were electric vehicles and hybrids. And the Model X crossover, which sold almost 4,800 units and cost more than 8 million in rubles, took fourth place among new cars. Just a second: There are only 5.3 million people living in Norway.


© Denis Tyurkin
© Denis Tyurkin
© Denis Tyurkin

If now they ask me what Norway is associated with, I will say: with road tunnels. A significant part of the country is occupied by the famous fjords, which you can cross by ferry (also an example of amazing transport organization, they take minutes and cost pennies). And ferries have been gradually replaced by bridges and tunnels in recent years. In the latter they even build entire roundabouts, can you imagine?! Almost all underground roads have artificial lighting and do not have... a ban on overtaking. How do you like this? Near Oslo there is just a whole anthill of tunnels. And God forbid you miss the right turn (and underground, as you know, the navigator does not pick up a satellite signal), the next one may only be ten kilometers away!

I had a chance to drive through the world's longest road tunnel - Loerdal, which is located near Bergen and was built in 2000 at a cost of 113 million dollars. Its length is 24.5 km. There are rest stops located at a certain distance. For some reason, it is believed that drivers get tired from such monotonous driving. And some even feel afraid. And for this purpose, such parking lots are illuminated in different colors. On Norwegian roads, the speed limit is 80 km/h, and in tunnels, as a rule, 70. In front of many there are barriers that block traffic in the event of some kind of emergency inside or during road works. Having traveled about 1,500 km in Norway, I only stood in line in front of the tunnel twice, half an hour at most. At the same time, information boards warned about road works long before the site, offering detour options.


© Denis Tyurkin

This is what the entrance to the tunnel on the Hardanger Bridge in Norway looks like. This is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. The length of the single span is 1,310 m. In addition to the sidewalk, there is also a bicycle path. A ride on it costs 150 Norwegian kroner, or 1,159 rubles 73 kopecks at the exchange rate as of July 27. Yes, yes, many roads and similar structures in Norway are toll. If earlier there were barriers and payment points at the entrance, now there are only video cameras that read the license plate number. Before the trip, I took care of this issue and registered on a special Norwegian website, entering my data and the car data. I did not link a bank card (although there was such an option, and approximately 3,500 rubles would have been immediately debited from it as an advance payment). A month after the trip, a letter arrived by email. Like, you have money. It turned out that I had spent almost the prepaid amount in this country, and the Hardanger Bridge became the most expensive on my route. In my personal account on the website, each place where the camera photographed me is listed (pictures are attached). Interestingly, the operator of this system is a British company. By the way, on a trip to St. Petersburg and back along paid sections, I paid about 2,000 rubles. And among the complex structures there was only a beautiful section of the Western High-Speed ​​Diameter in St. Petersburg...


© Denis Tyurkin

This is how cars pass closely on some Norwegian roads. On the left you see a typical motorhome that Europeans love to travel in. In one place I saw a parking lot of these motorhomes (50 of them!), and it looked like a bison camp.


© Denis Tyurkin
© Denis Tyurkin

If you see a beautiful place or landmark on the road in Norway, feel free to brake. Rest assured, there will be a pocket or even a parking lot with a restroom where you can stop and photograph everything. But be prepared for the gaze of passing locals. Are you throwing away trash in the wrong place? Did they leave the fire? The infrastructure of every more or less significant attraction is developed at an incredible level. The wooden building in the second photo is an emergency aid station in the mountains halfway to Preikestolen. It opens automatically when you call the specified phone number.

Not far from this beautiful place For the first time in my entire trip, I stopped in the wrong place. The excellent free English-language navigator maps.me (made by Belarusians, by the way) led us along a gravel road that stretched into the mountains and then ran into a closed barrier. We had to turn around and make a 100-kilometer detour. It turned out that the path originally laid out by the navigator was indeed the shortest, but it ran through a difficult area that was highly dependent on nature. Even in early June the snow did not melt there. And in this way Norway is similar to Russia: in a short stretch of road you can see winter, spring and summer, as well as different geographical zones. All thanks to the mountains. But is it worth saying that wherever you go, the roads will be perfect?


© Denis Tyurkin

This is the famous Preacher's Plateau (Preikestolen) - a rock jutting out above the fjord. In the photo she is impressive and mesmerizing. That's why I went there. But since this point was one of the last on the Norwegian route, and during the trip I saw so many amazing things, the Preacher Plateau was remembered only by people. The one-way walk there takes 4.1 km, and during this time three things shocked me. First: almost every tourist greets you (incredible good nature and openness, of course, are characteristic of Europeans, but it’s one thing when you communicate with a neighbor in a hotel, and another thing when you greet a person in the mountains whom you will never see again). Second: adults take small children on a difficult hike. Even babies. They are dragged in a box behind their back, similar to those where the bear in the Russian fairy tale carried pies with Masha. And even girls are dragging. Third: even old people and even very fat people go on hikes. This should be motivation and fortitude. And the path to the plateau is not a smooth asphalt path in the park. Yes, in some places these are stones cut by special workers, but in others there are cobblestones near the cliff and long climbs.


© Denis Tyurkin

It turns out that Norway is full of waterfalls! Of course, most of them are temporary: they disappear in the summer, when all the snow melts from the tops of the mountains, but some are so powerful that they flood the road with splashes

"- Welcome! “You are visiting Her Majesty Nature!”

This is how we can briefly express our attitude towards natural wealth in Sweden.

And it lies not only in careful handling of flora and fauna, but also everything that the land and subsoil of this northern country of the Scandinavian Peninsula gives.
If you look at geographical map, then you can see that Sweden looks elongated in the direction from north to south and this makes a difference in its nature.

The terrain ranges from the Kebnekaise mountains (about 2100 m high) and plateaus to hilly terrain. The subsoil is rich in minerals: large reserves of iron ore, as well as gold, silver, tungsten and other rare minerals.

Forests range from taiga (mainly pine, spruce) to mixed coniferous and broad-leaved trees, and in the very south of the country - oak, beech and broad-leaved trees. Spruce trees have been discovered that took root about 5,000 years ago and are among the oldest trees.

In the wild you can find today's rare reindeer, as well as elk and roe deer, lynx, fox, brown bear, squirrel, marten, and other various animals and birds.

The country abounds in swamps, rivers, and lakes. Swans, gulls, geese, ducks nest and raise their chicks along the banks of reservoirs, and there are several hundred species of birds in total.

Grayling and salmon, pike perch, trout and perch swim in the rivers - more than 150 species of fish in total.

Sweden is a country with unique flora and fauna. And the caring attitude of the country’s indigenous population and special rules of conduct in natural areas, enshrined in law, help preserve it. A large number of national parks and reserves, which include unique natural landscapes, are protected by the state. The first one national park was established in 1909. 1964 – the law on protection was passed environment in Sweden. Having been in this amazing country and having become acquainted with its real treasure - Nature, you will receive a lot of impressions and discoveries.

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Sweden (officially this country is called the Kingdom of Sweden) is a state located in the northern part of Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula (Scandinavian Peninsula). The area of ​​the entire territory of Sweden is about 449,964 km2, which is comparable to the area of ​​Uzbekistan. IN Russian Federation would fit approximately 38.5 Swedens! Nevertheless, the Kingdom deservedly ranks 5th in area in all of Europe after Russia, Ukraine, France and.

Few people know that Sweden is located beyond the northern Arctic Circle, which means in winter time There is a polar night here, and in the summer there is a polar day. Polar night and day are phenomena in which the Sun practically does not set below the horizon or does not appear because of it for more than a day. To survive such periods, residents of the Kingdom have to take vitamins and fight the terrible reluctance to wake up early “at night” and fall asleep with the sun’s rays hitting their faces “during the day.” But the Swedes are not discouraged and see the positives in everything: they enjoy the northern lights and the opportunity to launch beautiful fireworks at any time of the day, they are charged with energy and a positive mood from the sun that never goes away...

Geographical location and geology

The length of Swedish borders is 2233 km, while most of its borders “touch” with the Kingdom of Norway (1619 km), then with Finland (615 km), and the rest is a water border with the Baltic Sea and Botanical Bay, as well as several bays separating Sweden and Denmark. The kingdom also owns 2 fairly large Baltic islands: Gotland and Öland, as well as several very small ones.


Relief, volcanoes and mountains

Needless to say, Sweden is rich in tall mountains and volcanoes - there are only 12 peaks above 2000 meters, the highest of which is Kebnekaise. The height is this mountain range is 2106 meters above sea level. But there are no active (active) volcanoes in Sweden at all. However, the Kingdom was not spared by the “natural disaster” that happened not so long ago - in 2010. One of the volcanoes in Iceland, rich in seismic activity, under the name Eyjafjallajökull, which is difficult for a Russian speaker to pronounce, began to erupt in March of that year. The amount of ash emissions released into the atmosphere was incredible. A huge cloud of ash was carried by westerly winds towards Europe. After Iceland, sunlight was hidden from human eyes in Norway, Sweden, and then in almost all of Europe. The ashes settled quite quickly - less than a month after the incident, the sky over European countries was clear. Despite the rapid drop in emissions for several days, the whole of Europe stopped communicating with the rest of the World by flights.

Hundreds of flights had to be canceled and rescheduled. This event is still remembered, and many stories were made about it for news channels around the world. Some said that the ash cloud would reach Russia, but this never happened. Returning to the topography of the earth's crust, it is important to note that Sweden is not one large plain - although there are not very many mountains there, there are more than enough hills and fields, rocks, lakes and rivers for such a small state. Wide coastlines, behind which the fresh coniferous forest mysteriously froze. It hides forest dwellers going about their business, hides small villages, hides many tiny streams, rivers and lakes. An inspiring picture of a cold and secretive Northern European Kingdom immediately pops into your head.

Climate

Sweden is located in two main climatic zones - subarctic (in the northern and eastern parts of the country) and temperate (in the southern and western). Most of the subarctic (as it is also called the subpolar) part is occupied by glaciers; it is there that the polar days and nights are longer, and the northern lights are brighter. In parts with a temperate climate weather conditions much softer. The main roles in shaping the climate of the small Kingdom were played by the Scandinavian mountains, which do not allow the winds that come from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream, which brings moisture and heat to the cold northern country, to pass through. Due to the high humidity in Sweden there are many swamps, heavy rainfall and frequent fogs, giving the Kingdom that very Scandinavian mystery and perhaps even charm.

Reservoirs within the state, on its mainland

The whole world knows Sweden not only for its foggy forests that seem to exude freshness, but also for its huge number of lakes. Lakes alone occupy about 10% of the total area of ​​the state, and yet it is also rich in other bodies of water such as rivers! In the Kingdom there are only more than 4000 lakes with an area exceeding 1 km2! It is difficult to imagine what their total number is, including even the small ones located in the middle of dense forests. Lake Vänern is considered the largest in area with a value of 5519 km2, and the deepest is Khurnavan, to reach the bottom of which you will have to dive 221 meters under water! There are only 7 largest, longest rivers in Sweden: Thorneälven (522 km), Dalälven (520 km), Umeälven (470 km), Luleälven (461 km), Kaliksälven (461 km), Klarälven (460 km) and Indalsälven (430 km). ). It’s hard not to notice that at the end of every name of almost every river in the Kingdom there is the root -elven-, which translated from Swedish alven means “river”.

Flora of the Kingdom of Sweden

Nerds share everything flora Scandinavian Kingdom into 5 separate extensive “branches”: the region of northern latitudes and mountain peaks; an area of ​​forests with trees with crooked trunks, otherwise this territory is called “crooked forest”; an area of ​​coniferous forests in the north of the state, which is the most extensive in Sweden); area of ​​coniferous forests in the south of the state; area of ​​pine and beech forests.

In addition to zonal natural areas, there are also azonal ones: for example, near numerous lakes the vegetation is much richer and more lush than in relatively dry places for Sweden; in almost every swamp (which, by the way, together occupy about 14% of the entire area of ​​the Kingdom) and their surroundings there is its own special microflora, unique plant world. Various types of forest occupy about 65% of the entire area of ​​the small country. If we add up these and the above data on the occupancy of the territory, such an amazing thing becomes clear: about 90% of the entire small kingdom is occupied by nature, the miraculous world, and only 10% is allocated settlements with a high number of people per square kilometer.

Some choose to live deep in dense forests or, more often, on the shores of lonely small lakes in wooden huts. Many city residents often go to such places to escape from the bustle of the city, from large quantity people and constant distractions, “hiding” in a quiet and peaceful place near a small village. Many people practice meditation or yoga, and practice “communication with nature.” In Sweden there are a huge number of lonely hermits living in the wilds and devoting their lives only to themselves and nature.

A favorite “natural attraction” of tourists is one of the most ancient trees on our planet, whose age, according to scientists, is more than 2500 years old, and its roots are even older - for about 9000 years they have not stopped their development and have not died to this day! Its mass and volume are incomparable with anything on the planet, without considering inanimate nature and man-made structures - this tree is an absolute winner, because it is the heaviest and largest in size of all living organisms on Earth. Scientists gave the oldest giant sequoiadendron in the world (the generally accepted name of the species of this amazing plant) a separate “name” - General Sherman. It acquired this name back in 1879 thanks to Major General, later Army General William Tecumseh Sherman, who became famous in wide circles after the Civil War in the United States of America.

Fauna of Sweden

Sweden is quite poor in various species of mammals, but their number is enviable. In the northern part, especially in Lapland, it is common to see entire herds of reindeer. In coniferous and deciduous forests there are animals common to temperate climate zones: foxes, hares, small rodents, martens, brown bears, lynxes with wolverines and other similar species.

With the variety of birds in the kingdom, things are much better - there are more than 340 species, but they are not unique - swans, seagulls and ducks are commonplace in all Northern European countries. The same “fate” befell the inhabitants of rivers, seas and lakes - there are about 160 species of fish, which, like birds and mammals, are found almost everywhere, for example trout, perch, salmon...

At first glance, it is inexplicable that one of Sweden's many mammal species is the American norm. Where did she even come from here? The fact is that, having brought this amazing animal from the United States, no one suspected that it could spread throughout Europe, but, refuting their assumptions, that’s what happened. The population has increased so dramatically that no one could have expected, but the American mink is now the most common animal in Sweden, which now seems to have lived in their climate since the beginning of time.

Ecology and nature protection

The kingdom has currently inaugurated many national parks, as well as more than 1,000 nature reserves. She became the first European state with a system of national parks - the first of these was opened already in the 9th year of the last century! The government spent more than 400 million Swedish crowns (translated into rubles at the current exchange rate, 400 million crowns are approximately equal to 2.87349725 x 10 to the 9th power of rubles - an unimaginable amount) on research and development of ecology in the country, in particular, largely on getting rid of harmful exhaust gases and air purification. It must be said that all efforts were not in vain - Sweden is on the list of the 10 most environmentally friendly countries on the globe.

In Sweden there are two major natural area, this is Northern Sweden (where the eastern slopes of the Scandinavian Highlands are crossed by numerous wide, deep valleys that contain elongated narrow lakes. In the interfluves, large areas are occupied by swamps. In some valleys there are significant areas of fertile soils formed on fine-grained sands and loams; they are mainly used for pastures. Agriculture in the valleys is possible up to about 750 m above sea level. Northern Sweden has experienced relatively little human influence and is quite sparsely populated) and Southern Sweden (which differs from Northern Sweden in its high population density and high concentration of industry and industry). agriculture on its territory).

Within the higher elevations of Northern Sweden, three vertical belts are distinguished:

  • · upper, including the eastern periphery of the Scandinavian Highlands, replete with lakes;
  • · middle, covering the Norrland plateau with a cover of moraine deposits and peatlands;
  • lower - with a predominance of marine sediments on the plains along west bank Gulf of Bothnia.

Within the southern part of the country there are the plains of Central Sweden, the Småland plateau and the plains of the Skåne Peninsula.

Regarding the climate, we can add that since the territory of Sweden has a significant extent in the submeridional direction, in the north of the country it is much colder and the growing season is shorter than in the south. The length of day and night varies accordingly. However, in general, Sweden is characterized by a greater frequency of sunny and dry weather compared to many other countries in North-West Europe, especially in winter. Despite the fact that 15% of the country is located beyond the Arctic Circle, and all of it is located north of 55° N, due to the influence of winds blowing from the Atlantic Ocean, the climate is quite mild. Such climatic conditions favorable for the development of forests, comfortable living for people and more productive agriculture than in continental regions located at the same latitudes. Throughout Sweden, winters are long and summers are short.

The country's water resources are the numerous rivers of Sweden, among which there is not a single very large one; they all form a dense network and are of considerable economic importance. Fast-flowing rivers are widely used for energy production. Timber rafting is carried out along many rivers. The largest lakes in the kingdom are Vänern with an area of ​​5545 km2, Vättern with an area of ​​1898 km2, Mälaren with an area of ​​1140 km2 and Elmaren with an area of ​​479 km2. These lakes are navigable and are important transport system countries through which various cargo transportations are carried out. Numerous narrow, elongated, finger-shaped lakes in the Swedish mountains are used primarily for timber rafting. Lake Silyan, located in historical center Swedish state.

Among the water canals of the state, the Goeta Canal is the most important, connecting largest lakes the countries of Vänern and Vättern. Thanks to this channel, communication is carried out between important industrial centers - these are cities such as Stockholm in the east, Gothenburg in the southwest coast, Jönköping at the southern tip of Lake Vättern and many other cities located in Central Sweden. Other large water canals in Sweden are Elmaren, Strömsholm, Trollhättan, which bypasses the waterfalls on the Göta Älv river and Södertälje, which is one of the first in the country and is still in operation.

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