{"id":11754,"date":"2018-05-11T17:11:27","date_gmt":"2018-05-11T14:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ants-in-pants.com\/?p=11754"},"modified":"2018-07-16T23:32:49","modified_gmt":"2018-07-16T20:32:49","slug":"the-best-sweden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ants-in-pants.com\/en\/blog\/the-best-sweden\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Things to See in Sweden between Stockholm and Gothenburg"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guides on the Internet usually recommend seeing Stockholm, Uppsala, and Abisko National Park in Sweden, but the more we travel here, the more we admire the number of other absolutely amazing attractions. Last weekend, we travelled from Stockholm to Gothenburg by car, and, by the recommendation of a colleague, visited several attractions on the way. We did not expect these 470 kilometers in between two cities to be so rich in things to see; three days were not enough to cover all we wanted. In this post, we tell about the attractions in-between Stockholm and Gothenburg, because both cities deserve (many) separate posts.
\nBest<\/p>\n

The most convenient way to visit all the attractions is to make a circle following different routes on the way to and from Gothenburg.
\n\"route\" <\/p>\n

From Stockholm to Gothenburg<\/h2>\n

Wooden town of Askersund<\/h3>\n

Askersund<\/strong> is one of many Swedish wooden towns, the most famous being the former capital of Sweden Sigtuna. Unlike Sigtuna, Askersund is not full of people; like Sigtuna, it offers a pleasant walk along the lake shore, an old church with a graveyard, and a lot of wooden architecture.
\n\"Askersund\"<\/p>\n

\"Askersund\"<\/p>\n

\"Askersund\"<\/p>\n

Most famous is of course the falu<\/em> red type of wooden houses \u2013 a Swedish specialty. Swedes started to paint their houses in this color at least as early as in the 16th century, and it became especially popular in the 19th century when peasants started to use this color too. \u201cSwedish red\u201d paint for houses also became widely used in Estonia, especially in the places of Swedish settlements.
\n\"Askersund\"<\/p>\n

Hjo wooden town<\/h3>\n

Hjo<\/strong> is also known as a wooden town, but in addition to wooden architecture it offers several other nice things. First, there is a long pier allowing for a joyful stroll near the lake.
\n\"Hjo\"<\/p>\n

More than that, at the lake shore, there is a great place for ice-cream, pancakes, and waffles. It is really hard to choose!
\n\"Hjo\"<\/p>\n

In the tourist information center, they have a clock constructed by Harald Larsson in 1945-1950. It shows local and world time, calendar (days, weeks and weekends), and even astronomical information. Harald Larsson lived in Hjo since when he was six. He got the idea to construct the clock after his visit to Lund and seeing astronomical clock there.
\n\"Hjo\"<\/p>\n

Varnhem Abbey<\/h3>\n

Varnhey Abbey<\/strong> promises the encounter with the thrilling history of Vikings, Sweden\u2019s Middle Ages monks, and the reign of the Swedish mobility at the height of the Swedish Empire. What you see is primarily the ruins of the biggest Middle Ages Swedish monastery as well as a church still standing next to them.
\n\"Varnhem<\/p>\n

\"Varnhem<\/p>\n

This was probably our first time to see beyond the altar where the burial sites are placed.
\n\"Varnhem<\/p>\n

\"Varnhem<\/p>\n

Even if you are not up for history in general or Middle Ages in particular, Varnhey Abbey is so well-preserved and caters so many interests that you should not miss it. Also, this is another example of the perfect Swedish tourist infrastructure: they have a very nice caf\u00e9 and picnic areas, interesting descriptions of what the lifestyle was like here, and the herb garden still revealing the selection of the monks\u2019 medicinal herbs.<\/p>\n

\"Varnhem<\/p>\n

\u00c5sle T\u00e5 village<\/h3>\n

\u00c5sle T\u00e5<\/strong> is a small Skansen-type museum depicting the way of life typical of the industrial poor settlement in this region. \u201dT\u00e5\u201ds, settlements inhabited mainly by the landless poor and the elderly, were once found in many places in Sweden. However, just like with the stories about poor Sweden we read in Ikea museum<\/a>, you will hardly find the signs of true poverty here: the houses might be tiny, yet, they are cute and not falling apart.
\n\"\u00c5sle<\/p>\n

\"\u00c5sle<\/p>\n

Every stuga (house) has a description to it with the account of what family lived there; although many houses were brought here from other settlements, they functioned as real dwellings till the middle of 20th century.
\n\"\u00c5sle<\/p>\n

Skara city<\/h3>\n

Skara<\/strong> may seem very small, but it is actually one of the oldest Swedish towns.
\n\"Skara\"<\/p>\n

\"Skara\"<\/p>\n

Can you spot Ikea mouse on the Skara cathedral altar?
\n\"Skara\"<\/p>\n

The notable buildings of Skara include the theater and the water tower.
\n\"Skara\"<\/p>\n

\"Skara\"<\/p>\n

\"water<\/p>\n

Sparl\u00f6sa Runestone<\/h3>\n

The stone is one of the oldest in Sweden and second famous after R\u00f6k stone. Sparl\u00f6sa stone was used as building material in a church before being rediscovered in the 20th century. It has references to some mysterious and great battle nobody knows about nowadays.<\/p>\n

After an intensive day of visiting these attractions we stayed in the countryside in Alings\u00e5s, 50 kilometers before Gothenburg. Our neighbors were hares and deer.
\n\"hares\"<\/p>\n

On the second day we visited Gothenburg and Volvo museum<\/a>. On the third day returned back to Stockholm, following another route and visiting many more attractions.<\/p>\n

From Gothenburg to Stockholm<\/h2>\n

Bor\u00e5s city<\/h3>\n

We only had a couple of hours in Bor\u00e5s<\/strong>, which is a pity because this city deserves much more time.
\n\"Bor\u00e5s\"<\/p>\n

The first thing to explore is Bor\u00e5s city art. In the tourist information center, you may find a map with which you may have a quest for Bor\u00e5s graffiti.
\n\"Bor\u00e5s<\/p>\n

\"Bor\u00e5s<\/p>\n

\"Bor\u00e5s<\/p>\n

Bor\u00e5s is a city of outdoor sculptures, such as a huge bronze version of Pinocchio called Walking to Bor\u00e5s<\/em> by the American pop artist Jim Dine.
\n\"Bor\u00e5s\"<\/p>\n

\"Bor\u00e5s<\/p>\n

\"Bor\u00e5s\"<\/p>\n

One of the most prominent sculptures of the old town reminds of another identity of Bor\u00e5s. The city is known for its textile production, it has a textile museum, and main H&M headquarters are based here.
\n\"Bor\u00e5s\"<\/p>\n

\"Bor\u00e5s<\/p>\n

Gr\u00e4nna town<\/h3>\n

The town of Gr\u00e4nna<\/strong> is known for its red-and-white candies and Polar Exploration Museum.
\n\"Gr\u00e4nna<\/p>\n