The most beautiful cities in Sweden

Sweden is a country of rare beauty, even amid its starkest northern landscapes. Its cities and towns testify to 1000 years of urban life, but there are precious places offering glimpses into even older traditions of human settlement.

Events

Walpurgis Night (Valborgsmässoafton) is celebrated on April 30 with bonfires and with May Day is generally thought to usher in the Swedish spring. Its association with witches remains.

Midsommar, the summer solstice festival on the Saturday of or after June 20, is the chief annual festival after Christmas. The most popular association is with maypole dancing and traditional songs.

Luciadagen (December 13), celebrating the legend of St Lucia of Syracuse, has a strong attraction for Swedes.