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.

Social life

Sweden observes a range of Western social conventions. Punctuality is, however, expected and arriving early is unusual.

Apart from the fika habit of conversational coffee and a snack (see Food & drink), the only typically Swedish items of etiquette are that
● Visitors should remove their shoes when entering private homes
● Thank hosts for meals (Tack för maten)
● Visitors should again thank hosts of a previous visit when greeting them later (Tack för senast)

Door openers

These are a common sight next to heavy public doors, which are favoured because of the need to keep out cold weather. If the door you are trying to push or pull open seems heavy, look for a (usually) grey, bevelled and rectangular button, which will open it automatically. These are not uncommon in churches.