Sweden Holiday

Aside from nubile blonde pigtailed girls running naked in the snow, copious amounts of vodka and world-famous massages what does Sweden have to offer the British traveller?

Well, quite a lot actually - Sweden is the largest of the Scandinavian countries, offering an experience characterised by images of the fantastic forests and crystalline lakes that dot its landscape.

Visitors should also be prepared for a degree of open space that they may not be used to - with a landmass larger than California and twice the size of Britain, Sweden is vast in comparison with its nine million inhabitants.

Often distinguished by its fierce Viking history, Sweden's past is also characterised by running feuds with its neighbours, including Denmark, for a number of centuries. In recent history Sweden has been more passive, remaining neutral in both World War I and World War II.

The country is bordered by Norway on the west and Finland on the north-east, with the capital and largest city Stockholm located on the eastern coast. Sweden became a constitutional monarchy in 1866 and the Riksdag (parliament) is also situated in Stockholm - along with 750,000 inhabitants.

Stockholm is a good place to start your Swedish adventure and armed with some Krona, the city has a number of delights to sample. The Royal Park and its museums at Djurgarden are among the city's top attractions while the Royal Armoury based at Livrustkammaren is a must for history buffs.

For evening entertainment, visitors would do well to pick from any number of high quality city-centre restaurants and sample some traditional Swedish fare, the most popular dish being the highly regarded meatballs. For an unforgettable experience head down and sample some chilling vodka at the Ice Bar, where the ceiling, floor, walls, tables and glassware are made completely from ice.

Sweden's second city, Gothenberg, has a population just shy of half a million and features a spectacular harbour as well as a huge amusement park at Lisenberg. Visitors should head down to the boulevard known as Avenyn, a thoroughfare that is lined with 19th century buildings, the ground floors of which have all been transformed into cafes, bars and restaurants.

It is outside of the cities that many who travel to Sweden feel that they get to know the real country. A variety of towns and villages along the scenic coastline as well as the many idyllic islands present an opportunity to really experience a unique tranquil landscape.

The ancient province of Skane on the southern coast is popular with travellers and has a number of curving beaches backed by rolling countryside. Visitors to this area can also experience stunning rock formations and cliffs if they visit the Bjare peninsula.

The Norrland region has the famous midnight sun in summer and also contains the highest mountain in Scandinavia, which means enthusiastic hikers can pursue their love on some fine walking trails. Sarek National Park is also a must for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits; covering an area of 200 square kilometres it features over 100 glaciers and a number of peaks over 200ft high.

Swedish people are ultimately hospitable once you get past their reserved and icy cool exterior and you are sure to have a number of stories to bring back from your travels.

The Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi could well be amongst the many infamous tales - it is carved from fresh ice every October after its yearly disappearance in May. Temperatures in the room are about minus five degrees but guests sleep on reindeer hides in heavy-duty sleeping bags - just remember to go before lights out!