The best cities in Sweden has three major cities – Stockholm, Malmo and Gothenburg. It also has many other cities across the country that can be divided into three regions – Central, Southern and Northern Sweden. Sweden has a rich culture and history dating back many thousands of years to the time of the Vikings. It also has influences from medieval, Renaissance and early modern periods, as well as Russian, German, Norwegian and Danish influences. In modern times Sweden is one of the most free and developed of Europe’s countries and is home to many millions of immigrants and refugees, who have all sought to make a new life in Sweden.

Stockholm is an international port city located in the fjords of Sweden. It has amazing shopping, fabulous food, world class hotels and a world famous club and music scene as well as a strong cultural life. Stockholm is about 700 years old and covers 14 islands on the Baltic Sea. You can see Stockholm by foot, bus, car, bike, train or boat. Stockholm has many beautiful palaces and castles. The royal family live at the famous Drottingholm Castle. Just recently, Sweden’s much loved Crown Princess Victoria was finally married to Daniel Westling, a Prince from another part of Sweden.

Gothenburg is Sweden’s second largest city. At one point it used to be an industrial seaport, but nowadays it is mainly a contemporary culture and international sports locale. An Opera House was built in 1994 and many of its museums were reimagined. Gothenburg is also world famous for its creative use of shellfish and north Atlantic fish in its meals. There are many restaurants that serve only the best Swedish food throughout Gothenburg. You can travel around Gothenburg by boat, ferry, car, bike or on foot.

Malmo is considered Sweden’s gateway to continental Europe. It is a southern port city and is directly connected by ferry and airlines to the rest of Europe, especially Denmark, northern Germany, Norway, Poland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Malmo is an interesting city because although it is considered a metropolis, it feels like its very small and cozy. Malmo is also the city in Sweden where all the immigration has seemed to have focused and for this reason it is the most multicultural of all Swedish cities, with over 164 nations and 100 languages spoken. This is showcased in the sheer variety of restaurants, cafes, bars and cultural events that the city holds every year.

The other regions like Northern Sweden is a rugged landscape of 4,000 m high towering peaks, pine forests, polar bears, reindeer, glaciers and pristine shimmering lakes. The people are mostly dotted along the coastline in settlements. Most of this land is a national park that has many touristic opportunities for those who will brave the cold. Central sweden is the heartland of Sweden and is flourishing from the influence of Stockholm and the surrounding cities. This part of Sweden is famous for its copper mines, Dalecarlian horses and Carl Larsson, the famous painter. Southern Sweden is where most of the population of Sweden lives and it is mostly farmland, forest and a great holiday place with temperate climes.

The Ice Hotel of Sweden is an ultimate place to relax. The Hotel is situated in the Swedish Lapland town of Jukkasjarvi. It opens every year in early December and closes at the end of April. Every year in October the artists and local villagers, most from the Sami tribe in the region, begin to build the new ice hotel, which opens in mid-December. Snow canons and front loaders start by forming the snow over the steel sections that are the main structure of the Ice hotel. Sections are moved around and replaced by ice pillars set in place to provide support to the snow arches. blocks of ice taken from the frozen Torne River each winter and frozen for use the following year, the Hotel at this time is in its twentieth re-incarnation and is as impressive as ever. It began meagerly 14 years ago – one room. The 2004 season boasted 50-rooms with 5,000 square metres built of 30,000 tons of snow and 4,000 tons of ice.

Inside the Ice hotel, there is a reception area, hall of pillars, Iceart exhibition, Absolut Icebar, Ice hotel cinema and an Icechurch and of course there is a warmer option. The hotel also has cabin accommodation, a warm bar where the staff is dominant take great enjoyment in asking if you’d like ice water with your drink with wry smiles in your neighborhood all round. All water that is used in taps and bathrooms coming straight from the river Torne. Each person is given an ultra-warm sleeping bag and most people commented how “warm” they felt during the night even though room the temperature is usually a steady five degrees below zero.

The Hotel also has a range of activities provided throughout the day while guests eagerly await night-fall in the hopes of catching a glimpse of those all too elusive Northern Lights. A trip by Snow Mobile is one option. After being taught to drive the equivalent of a jet-ski for on land use, the excursion follows tracks through the fir trees and along-side the frozen river before stopping for hot lingen berry juice (a local specialty), bread, cheese and smoked reindeer heart. Other activities include Hunting, Fishing, Snow driving, Horse Riding and Skiing. Most people stay at the Ice hotel for two or three nights, but you will only spend one night in the actual Ice hotel and the additional nights in the Scandinavian bungalows also on the property.