By Terri Mapes
Scandinavia Travel Expert, about.com
Here is a short list of my favorite things to do in winter in Sweden:
Stay at Hotels Made of Ice[post_ads_2]
In Jukkasjärvi, you can stay at the world’s first ice hotel. Opened in 1990, the Icehotel in Kiruna
is rebuilt every year, using ice blocks made from Torne River water.
Drink Absolut vodka from ice glasses served in the Absolut Ice Bar, and
view the intricate ice sculptures Or stay in natural igloos carved by
the frozen waters of Sweden’s waterfall, Tännforsen. When the waterfall
freezes, it forms a natural maze of caves and ice formations, and this
is how the igloo is built. Located at the edge of Lake Skabram, you can
also learn to build your own igloo. Not the cheapest kind of hotel, but
surely the most unique hotel experience.
See the Northern Lights
The
Northern Lights, or the Aurora Borealis, is a natural light show
displaying colors of green, red and purple. They are mostly visible from
October to March. Depending on if the sky is clear, they can be seen
anywhere in northern Sweden.
The best place to see the Northern Lights is at
Abisko National Park. There is a patch of sky over a lake in Abisko
that is clear of clouds even if the skies are overcast in surrounding
areas. This is called the "blue hole".
Go Skiing at a Swedish Ski Resort
There
are 200 ski resorts in the country of Sweden. The most popular downhill
ski slopes are at Åre, in central Sweden, which is one and a half hours
by plane from Stockholm. There are also resorts in Dalarna, Härjedalen,
Jämtland and Swedish Lapland.
Drive (or Sit in) a Dog Sled
Dog sledding is one of the favored winter activities around Swedish Lapland,
Padjelanta and the Sarek National Park in Lapland. There are also
companies that operate dog sledding tours, using Siberian Huskies. While
dog sledding through the wilderness you may see some wildlife as well
as the northern lights while on a dog sledding trip.
Shop at Traditional European Christmas Markets
[post_ads]If
you’d rather stay in the city of Stockholm,Gothenburg or Malmö, visit
some of Sweden’s classic Christmas markets . Stockholm’s Old Town (Gamla
stan) has warm glögg (mulled wine) and pepparkakor (gingerbread
cookies) and rows of stalls filled with toys, handicrafts, Christmas
decorations, and seasonal foods like smoked meats, sweets, jellies and
jams. You can also learn to make candles using the traditional methods
and go to the market at Skansen, the world’s oldest open air museum. In
Gothenburg, you can view the largest Christmas party lit up by 5,000,000
lights at the Liseberg amusement park.
Observe the Wildlife in the Scandinavian Region
Polar
World is the world's largest polar bear park, and it's located in the
central city of Dalarna. This enormous facility was opened in 2009 and
displays many different natural habitats. There is also snow-making
machinery used to keep the polar bears at home. Visitors can learn about
Polar World's conservation efforts for the polar bear. There are also
elk safaris in Kiruna. The nice thing about these is that most treks are
performed by snowmobile, going along side the Kalix River and into the
mountains, where reindeer and elk freely dwell. There are also wildlife
safaris where visitors in Sweden can observe moose, wolves, lynxes,
brown bears, wolverines, and musk oxen in their natural habitat.
Make sure to bring clothing that you can layer easily and find out what to wear in Sweden.
