Sweden in a nutshell

From north to south and east to west, at 173,860 sq miles third largest country in the EU by area.  

  • The stone monument at Treriksröset, Sweden’s northernmost point, is a yellow, dome-shaped stone made of concrete, located in Lake Goldajärvi. It was built in 1926. Photo: Reinhardheydt
  • Sweden from north to south, west to east – what does it look like? Well, something like this: We start in the north, at Treriksröset, which is Sweden’s northernmost point and where three countries, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, meet (actually, the name itself can be translated into English as “Three-Country Cairn”). The name is derived from a monument of stones erected in 1897 by the governments of Norway and Russia (which at the time was administering Finland). Since Sweden could not agree on a boundary commission with the Norwegians, they did not contribute their stone until 1901. Besides being the most north you can get in Sweden, it is also the most west you can get on the Finnish mainland.

  • The little fishing village of Smygehuk is the southernmost point in Sweden. Here is the statue called "Famntaget" (The Embrace), which stands in the harbor. The model for the statue was Birgit Holmquist, grandmother of American movie star Uma Thurman.
  • From Treriksröset we travel all the way down to Smygehuk, the southernmost point of Sweden. A fishing village and harbor near Trelleborg, Smygehuk features a statue of a nude woman standing in the harbor, made by artist Axel Ebbe and installed in 1930, titled “Famntaget” (The Embrace). The model for the statue was Birgit Holmquist, mother of Nena von Schlebrügge, and grandmother of American actress Uma Thurman.

  • The most west you can go in Sweden is Stora Drammen, part of Kosterhavet’s national park, seen here. Photo: Geological Survey of Sweden SGU
  • The farthest west you can go in Sweden is Stora Drammen, an islet northwest of Kosteröarna (the Koster islands) off Strömstad in Bohuslän. It lies within Kosterhavet’s national park.

  • The island of Kataja, as far east as you can get in Sweden, is a deserted island shared between Sweden and Finland.
  • From the islet of Stora Drammen we travel east to Kataja, an islet south of Haparanda in Norrbotten, which is divided between Sweden and Finland and constitutes Sweden’s easternmost point. he border was established in 1809 between what was previously two islands, the larger Swedish one called Kataja and the smaller Finnish one called Inakari. In the decades since 1809, post-glacial rebound has caused the land in the region to rise relative to sea level, joining the two islands. Although some cabins can be found, the island is, and has probably always been, uninhabited.

  • Nothing compares with a Swedish summer... nature reboots, the blue is bluer, green greener, it's fresher than well, anywhere. (That is, whenever you ask a Swede)
  • Nuisances? Well, there are some. Not many, far from deadly unless you're extremely unlucky but, alas there a few: A Swedish summer's nuisances

  • There's never been a better time to visit Sweden. View over SIljan Lake, Dalarna from Västanvik near Leksand.
  • Lillgrund wind farm. With 48 turbines, Lillgrund on the coastline south of the Öresund bridge between Malmö, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark is one of the biggest wind-power farms in the world. Photo: Hans Blomberg / Courtesy Vattenfall
  • President Trump had only nice things to say about Sweden as Sweden's new ambassador to the United States, Karin Olofsdotter, offered her credentials her first month on the job two years ago.(And, quite frankly, what else is there to say ..?)