What is Sweden known for?

What is Sweden known for?

 

Sweden is a lovely little country that borders the Baltic Sea and is northern enough to be considered an Alpine territory. It makes a wonderful place to visit in Summer; when fascinating views and cultural markets run alongside festivals and celebrations. In the winter months it is a haven for skiers the world over, homing more than 200 ski resorts alone. Despite being one of the few places in the world where you can enjoy natural ski slopes and still need to apply sunscreen; Sweden is known best for a handful of things…

 

When I thought of Sweden, there were 6 specific things that sprung to mind before I actually lived there.

 

Pop Music

 

Sweden was the home of famous band Abba, the pop sensations. When you think of Sweden you think of Eurovision, of strangely sung English style pop songs and of Abba! In fact, the Swedes love that dedicated pop band so much that there is now an Abba museum. The museum features some of the bands iconic costumes and guitars, and sports a new exhibition on a yearly basis.

 

Ice Hotel

 

The world famous Ice hotel made entirely from ice and snow is based in Sweden. It changes its theme and layout yearly and is open in the winter months. It is a great place to stay if you want to get a good view of the northern lights. Ice Igloos and glass-ceilinged hotel rooms are also all the rage. With ice sculptures produced on demand and a whole host of other activities run from the hotel, this is a sight to behold.

 

IKEA!

 

Thanks to this big brands success in America in the nineties, IKEA is a world renowned furniture supplier and home ware based department store – and guess where they hailed from? Known for their iconic flat pack, DIY home improvements, IKEA and Sweden go hand in hand…Although I can’t say that it is a tourist attraction!

 

H&M

 

H&M are a huge clothing retailer that hail from Sweden – but are so huge around the world that everyone tends to forget where they started! They have come a long way from their humble origins – but the company themselves have never forgotten it, and have set up the H&M foundation to give something back to the community and to ensure the sustainability of their products.

 

Neutrality

 

Prior to WW2, Sweden was one of eight countries that had been neutral in all international disputes for at  least a hundred years already. During the war they were one of a handful able to keep their neutrality in tact, therefore staying out of it. They did cooperate with either side when asked, but their stance was neither in favour of one or the other.

 

Sustainability

 

Sweden are world leaders in sustainability. The government have earmarked some 4 million SEK into research and development of environmentally friendly working practices… not to mention that they are number 1 in the EU for consumption of Organic Foods, are leading the way in plastic reduction and are home to H&M – one of the most sustainable companies in existence. When it comes to recycling these people are doing it right!

 

So what images come to mind for you when you think of Sweden? Is it of rolling hills or is it of furniture stores? In any case, once you finally bite the bullet and go there you will see how much more it has to offer than just Abba!