Combining city lights with nature's heights

Sweden is made up of 25 provinces occupying the eastern part of the Scandinavian peninsula, stretching from the Arctic Circle to the Baltic Sea in the south, each offering the visitor a unique window into this fascinating and beautiful land. The country has several islands, including Gotland and Oland, in the Baltic.

Stockholm is Sweden's capital as well as its largest city. It is sometimes called ?Beauty on Water' or the ?Venice of the North' due to the fact that the city is built on 14 islands and is, therefore, surrounded by water - Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea. Bridges, marinas and locks abound in Stockholm and the water is so clean that you can fish in the middle of the city.

Visitors can take trips by steamboats or by smaller canal boats that provide an intimate view of Stockholm from under the bridges. Culture abounds as Stockholm houses the world's longest art gallery - the Underground, as well as museums, churches and palaces.

The north of Sweden is mountainous (except for a narrow strip of lowland along the Gulf of Bothnia) and the south (Svealand and Gotaland) is mostly low-lying. Most of Sweden's population lives in the more temperate south.

Water is an ever-present element throughout the Swedish landscape. Several rivers run through the country, including the Gotaalv, the Dalalven, the Indalsalven, the Angermanalven, the Umealv, the Skelleftealven, the Lulealv and the Tornealv. Lakes include Vanern, Vattern, Malaren, Storsjon, Hjalmaren, Siljan and Uddjaur.

Vasterbotten, Norrbotten, and Lappland, Sweden's most northerly provinces constitute one third of Sweden's land area. This area contains varied landscapes of sea, coastlines, forests and mountains. Visitors come here for wilderness and adventure. Parks and national reserves offer unspoiled nature and the area is rich in natural resources.

The winter provides opportunities for cross-country and downhill skiing and the summer months are perfect for fishing, hiking and camping.

Jamtland/ Harjedalen, Europe's last wilderness, is in the middle of Sweden. This is an area of mountains, forests, lakes, small ponds and powerful rivers. The water is clean enough to drink it and fishing is popular all over the province. Lake Storsjon is said to be inhabited by the great lake monster - six to twelve metres long, with hunches on its back and a small head, according to those who claim to have seen it.

Halsingland is rife with rivers, lakes, valleys, mountains, forests and spectacular coastline with a stunning archipelago of islands. Halsingland has always been well known for its handicrafts and culture.

Uppland sounds like it belongs at the top of the country, but it is actually in the bottom third. This province, also known as 'Little Sweden', is where Sweden was born and encompasses parts of the entire country.

If water is your passion, Bohuslan is your province. Popular with summer visitors for its beautiful ocean, this province also boasts shipping and freighting, paper-mills, refineries and a petro-chemical industry, all dependent on the sea. In winter, when most of the visitors are gone, the area is peaceful and serene. It's a popular place for scuba divers, even in the winter.

Oland is sometimes called the pearl of Sweden, and is where Swedes come on holiday. The area is famous for beautiful beaches, varied bird life and friendly people.

Young Swedes flock to Oland to spend Midsummer's Eve, and it is among the most popular tourist destinations in Sweden.
On the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, Skane, also known as Scania, is another popular area for visitors. The Scanian people are notoriously friendly and fun. Skane boasts about 55 golf courses and a plethora of churches and castles and, like the rest of Sweden, there's something here for everyone.