If you’re looking to stay somewhere in grand style too, hotels don’t come more stylish than Scandic Grand Central. Set in an 1880s building, it’s both grand and central (appropriately enough), with elegant rooms and a winning location near the train station.
Heading to Malmö? You could plan a trip to Skanör, a medieval town 30km south of the city. While the town itself is blessed with pretty timbered houses and pleasant streets to stroll, its beaches aren’t half bad either - ribbons of white sand bordering an extensive bird and nature reserve. In spring, you might get to see Flommen reserve’s wetland meadows carpeted with beautiful blue butterfly iris. If you’re lucky enough to be saying in scenic Skanör, Hotell Gässlingen is well worth considering as a base - it offers an elegant, ecologically-minded taste of luxury close to nature.
If you happen to be in Sweden at the end of April, you’re in for a treat. 30th April is Valborgsmässoafton (Walpurgis Night). Heralding the beginning of spring with bonfires and songs, this is one of the country’s most important festivals. All of which means, if you're wondering when is the best time to visit Sweden for a culture fix, April might be your month.
When to visit Sweden in summer
Visiting Sweden in June-August
Swedish
midsummer solstice celebrations marking the longest day of the year are something else, making it the best time to go to Sweden to take-in local customs - think maypole dancing, flower headdresses, and a party that begins at lunchtime and lasts well into the small hours.
The best place to join the solstice celebrations is the picturesque region of Dalarna, where festivities are focussed around Lake Siljan. Another top spot is around Gothenburg and the Bohuslan coast, an archipelago of around 3000 islands that experience midnight sun. It’s a day of smorgasbord feasting (including eating a whole lot of herring and the first strawberries and potatoes of the season), plus plenty of drinking and making merry, often rounded-off with a sunlit midnight dip and high-spirited sing-alongs.
For seemingly endless balmy evenings and to experience the magical eeriness of the midnight sun, July is the best month to visit Sweden, especially when staying in a lakeside cabin, or camping in one of the country’s outstanding nature reserves. With over 300 km of hiking trails, and options to rent cabins and canoes, Nature Reserve Glaskogen is a paradise for active adventurers.
Crazy for crustaceans? August means country-wide crayfish parties, which are held in the moonlight to say a fond farewell to the short Swedish summer. It’s also when Malmö bursts into life for the annual Malmöfestivalen - eight days of fun, free music and entertainment. For music-lovers, August might just be the best month to travel to Sweden.