2_9_ScanMag_72_Jan_2015_Text_Q10_Scan Magazine 1 09/01/2015 23:34 Page 53
SW ED EN SP 20 EC I 15 : O AL T UR H TO EME PD : ES TIN AT ION
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Photo:Werner Nystrand
Photo: Lola Akinmade Akerstrom
Photo: Peter Grant
Photo Susanne Walstrom.
Welcome to Sweden in 2015! It’s a new year and lots of new things to look forward to in Sweden! Why not head up north this winter to view the Northern Lights? Lonely Planet has named Abisko and the Northern Lights the world's most illuminating experience as part of celebrating that 2015 is the UN Year of Light. By Anna Hjerdin, Online Communications Manager, Visit Sweden | Photos: imagebank.sweden.se
Aurora Sky Station is one of the best spots for seeing the Northern Lights. Here you can get a chair lift up to the station and learn about how the Aurora Borealis observations are made with radio receivers and cameras. And while you are up north you can visit Jokkmokk for the winter market in February, where this year’s theme is "The reindeer", or you can stay at the ICEHOTEL which is celebrating 25 years this season. If you are a fan of skiing you should pay Åre a visit, where you can try the new heliskiing experience. Åre has just been announced as the host for the Alpine World Ski Championships, which will not take place until 2019, but lots of work has already started to develop the area.
In Swedish cities there are always things to do. Stockholm is lovely in the spring, when you can take part in Walpurgis celebrations at Skansen, or in late summer, when you can visit the Eurogames. The European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) has appointed Stockholm the host of EuroGames 2015. If you have always fancied experiencing a proper Swedish midsummer party there are plenty of opportunities in and around Gothenburg. This area is famous for its seafood, and so it’s a great place to spend summer and early autumn when you can do a seafood safari. A new international attraction is set to open in Harads, Swedish Lapland, in Sep-
tember. Inspired by the success of Treehotel, there are plans to build floating cold baths on the Lule River. The south of Sweden is cosy year round and on 10 November you can try the annual goose feast, where all things goose are celebrated and then finished off with an apple cake. Speaking of cake, year round we Swedes celebrate cakes – from cream buns (Semlor) in February to saffron buns (Lussekatter) in December. Whenever you visit there will be plenty of opportunities for a ‘fika’: a coffee and cake break. Welcome to Sweden in 2015!
For more information, please visit: www.visitsweden.com
Issue 72 | January 2015 | 53