Swedish cultural heritage and attractions

Travel tips for your motorhome cultural and heritage trip

 

Our suggested family motorhome trip might not take you to the most famous art treasures, monuments or tourist attractions. Rather, we want to guide you to places with rich Swedish traditions and regional culture. A true family adventure for all ages. 

Furniture design, glass production, woodwork and metal work still form part of the Swedish economy and industrial tourism is a growing and exciting trend. 

 Follow us and tag unique culture and traditions in Småland  as well as spotting culture in Dalarna

Meet the people behind traditional crafts and visit old industrial communities and villages around Sweden. Rent a local guide for a day. It may be a local historian, a glass artist or a Dalkulla. Bake traditional cinnamon buns on a farm in Småland or flatbreat at a mountain farm in Härjedalen. 

Follow the evolution from agricultural villages to industrial hubs. Get to know the people and how they used nature's resources. Find out what inspired local creativity and how hard work and an industrious approach added value to the environment they lived in. The forest, ore, hydropower, soil and sand from poor fields were used to build manufacturing industry which is still producing today. 

With a motorhome, you get closer to the Swedish culture. 

If you are looking for your Swedish Roots and you want to get in contact with your Swedish ancestry or meet up with Swedish relatives we are working with the Network Genealogical Adventures in Sweden. Check out more stories for your Swedish Genealogy and heritage trip. 

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Make your own glassware
Glassworks in Kingdom of Crystal in Småland

Culture in Småland – things to do on your trip

Park close to nature and culture 

When asked about Småland recurring destinations are  Astrid Lindgren´s world, the  Kingdom of Crystal or perhaps a  Moose safari. Perhaps you are interested in modern design and traditional craftsmanship? 

Visit one of the urban centres in the region namely,  Jönköping, Växjö or Kalmar. 

 Spend some time in the town Eksjö, beautiful wooden houses. Visit a local furniture manufacturer in Adelöv or shop leather bags directly from the workshop in Målerås. 

Do you want to know how they made glassware 100 years ago? Many glassworks in Småland invite you to discover the history of glassworks. Still today, glass blowers and glass artists develop the finest designer glass and artwork. Visit shops and get a souvenir for you to take home. 

Learn about and enjoy Glasriket's great craftsmanship. 

Sweden had its first glassworks in 1555 when the king Gustav Vasa started glass production in Stockholm. The king invited Italian glassblowers to run the factories.  

In Småland, Kosta started the first glassworks in 1742 and 150 years later the glass ovens began to burn in village Målerås. Visit Målerås and learn everything about glass making and even produce your own items. In the workshop, you will learn more about glass blowing, casting, engraving in glass and glass painting . For more fun learning activities for the whole family spend a day at the Glass village Målerås.

Book a motorhome a motorhome and discover Småland. Stay overnight at beautiful lakeside parking on a farm campsite, discover Swedish industrial heritage village and enjoy shopping crystal or locally crafted beautiful leather bags. Find fund family activities and discover the Kingdom of Crystal (Glasriket) by bike. Cycle along Swedish Heritage bike trails

Try out the authentic nature city break adventure for family and friends on the Farm resort Ödevata Country hotel.

For information on 15 top attractions in the county of Jönköping check out  Jonkoping-sweden.com. 

For more information check out Visit  Småland- Sweden for real!

A farm in the Kingdom of Crystal
Discover the Swedish countryside and park on a farm

Dalarna – tourist attractions, culture och crafts.

Go to a cultural hotspot!

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Another "hotspot" for traditional crafts and industrial legacy is in the region of Dalarna. Discover stunning nature, rich countryside traditions, local heritage and an amazing landscape.

You will bring home great memories of a trip on a Church boat across the lake Siljan on a Sunday morning, dancing traditional dances or your visit the Classic Car Week, a treat for car lovers. 

The locals in Dalarna proudly wear their folklore costumes at festivities and holidays. The Midsummer celebrations in mid-June are the absolute highlight of your Dalarna Family Holiday. 

When you holiday in Dalarna, go to small countryside shops and buy locally made delicacies such as, crispbread and thin bread. 

An excellent way to learn more about a town's history is to stop at a village ethnological or local industry museum. A way for locals around Sweden´s old industrial communities to keep the legacy alive. Book a local guide, they will gladly share their knowledge and tell you about the place.

An example of living history is the ironworks Furudals Bruk in northern Dalarna:  Here, on the Ore River, an inventor Birger Elfving, run a successful weapon factory in the 18th century. All utility buildings, including workers' dorms, are well preserved and open for visits and guided tours. 

For lovers of geoturism you can visit the Siljan Lake Geopark ('Meteorum'). This is a trip in  around the Lake Siljan and the connecting lakes ( Siljansringen), an unique place of a strong meteor impact of European and world interest.

When you book a caravan at Daylight, you will be able to experience Furudal, the local guide, Gunilla from Guidekullor, puts up a special route for you to follow.  Are you looking for great outdoor combined with learning more about the local history and traditions check out Gunilla´s online visitor´s tips . 

Swedish midsummer in Dalarna
Enjoy Swedish midsummer in Dalarna

Swedish tastes and local food culture

Countryside and foodie trip in a motorhome

Swedish culture is also about the food! Production of traditional food have recently seen a "revival".

Take the opportunity on your motorhome trip to discover Swedish food and produce. Shop local delicacies directly from the producers.  Visit farms, bakeries and workshops that produce cheese, bread or sausages.

Many of our GoNatureTrip partners run farms and offer overnight motorhome parking, for example at Nyvallen at the North Sweden nature reserve Sonfjället.

Another destination if you want to taste good Swedish fika close to Jönköping is  the farm "Hemma på Hult". A day trip and taste experience for the family is on the mountain farm Ärteråsen in Dalarna. After a short walk in the woods you will have a great view and a small summer cafe. 

More information about cafes and farms with offering deli products is available at www.gonaturetrip.com and www.premiumgonaturetrip.se 

Book a motorhome to reach these fantastic places. In the South of Sweden, close to our Jönköping rental station you can reach the Orchard hub and biosphere reserve Östra Vätternbranterna. If you are looking to discover Sweden edible country we recommend you to try out the food and homemade Swedish Fika at the farm “Hemma på  Hult”. 

There are many traditional gastronomy festivities throughout the seasons. One of the more colourful and fun ones is the  such as the Swedish Crayfish party

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Swedish food and delicacies
Swedish Cheese produced on a farm in north of Sweden

Do you have questions or queries?

You are most welcome to contact us

Bake Swedish cinnamon buns
Swedish pastry and fika, the cinnamon bun