Top 13 Destinations in Sweden according to Lonely Planet 13. Inlandsbanan Take a journey through the middle of Norrland along this historic train line, which passes by small mining towns, deep green forests, herds of reindeer and, if you're lucky, the occasional moose along the way. Built during the 1930s and rendered obsolete by 1992, the line has more than enough charm and historical appeal to make up for its lack of speed. 12. Winter Sports Winter sports in Lappland are a major draw. To go cross-country skiing, just grab a pair of skis and step outside; for downhill sports, be it heliskiing or snowboarding, Åre is your best bet. Few pastimes are as enjoyable as rushing across the Arctic wasteland pulled by a team of dogs, the sled crunching through crisp snow -- but if you want something with a motor, you can test your driving (and racing) skills on the frozen lakes instead. 11. Vikings There are still real, live Vikings, and you can visit them at one of Sweden's most absorbing attractions. An evocative 'living' reconstruction of a late--Viking Age village, Foteviken Viking Reserve was built on the coast near the site of the Battle of Foteviken (1134) and contains some 22 reed-roofed houses. 10. Bohuslän Coast Caught between sky and sea, the coast of Bohuslän is raw and starkly beautiful, its skerries thick with birds and its villages brightly painted specks among the rocks. Choose from myriad quaint seaside bolt-holes. 9. Islands of Stockholm's Archipelago From the Middle Ages until the end of the Cold War, the Swedish military has had troops, ships and fortifications in the archipelago, to defend Stockholm. The local population relied on subsistence fishing and farming, isolated from Stockholm's tremendous progress in the 19th century, as tourists started to colonize the area. 8. Gotland & Fårö Gotland is Sweden's largest island, in the middle of the Baltic Sea. Some 50,000 people live here all year. Gotland is said to be the homeland of the legendary Goths, who sacked the Roman Empire during the 5th century AD. 7. Kingdom of Crystal The Kingdom of Crystal is a geographical area today containing a total of 15 glassworks in the municipalities of Emmaboda, Nybro, Uppvidinge, Växjö and Lessebo in southern Sweden. Their history can be traced back to the 18th century at least. 6. Göteborg Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden with approximately 520,000 inhabitants in the municipality. It is situated on Sweden's west coast at the outlet of the Göta river. With over 60,000 students, Gothenburg University is the largest in Scandinavia. Gothenburg has a reputation of being a friendly place, even more welcoming than the Swedish capital. 5. Local Cuisine Due to Sweden's large north-south expanse there have always been regional differences in Swedish cuisine. Historically, in the far North, meats such as reindeer, and other (semi-) game dishes were eaten, some of which have their roots in the Sami culture, while fresh vegetables have played a larger role in the South. 4. Medieval Cities It's hard to overstate the beauty of the Hanseatic port town of Visby, in itself justification for making the quick ferry trip to Gotland. Inside its thick medieval walls are twisting cobble­stone streets, fairy-tale cottages draped in flowers and gorgeous ruins atop hills with stunning Baltic views. 3. Northern Delights The Northern Lights or aurora borealis are a natural phenomenon that can paint the night sky with unearthly, surreal color. The Aurorae are caused by charged particles ejected from the sun. When these particles reach the earth, they collide with gas atoms and molecules in the earth's upper atmosphere, energising them and creating a spectacular multi-coloured light show. 2. Hiking Particularly in the northern reaches, Sweden has some absolutely gorgeous hiking trails, most of which are well maintained and supplied with conveniently located mountain huts along the way. The season is relatively short, but it's worth a bit of extra planning to get out into the wilderness: its natural landscape is one of Sweden's best assets. 1. Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden, with nearly 2 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area. The inner city is made up of 14 islands across Lake Mälaren and three streams into the brackish Baltic Sea, with the Stockholm archipelago with some 24,000 islands, islets and skerries. Over 30% of the city area is made up of waterways, and another 30% is made up of green areas. SUBSCRIBE www.youtube.com/videovoyagetv?sub_confirmation=1 CONNECT Website: videovoyage.tv Google+: google.com/+videovoyagetv Twitter: twitter.com/videovoyagetv Pinterest: pinterest.com/videovoyagetv Instagram: instagram.com/videovoyagetv Tumblr: videovoyagetv.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/videovoyagetv YouTube: www.youtube.com/videovoyagetv

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