What is Sweden famous for?

You probably already associate Sweden with ABBA, IKEA and meatballs. But there’s a lot more to the country than flat-pack furniture and catchy pop songs.

Sweden is famous for everything from fika and Midsummer celebrations to vast forests, thousands of lakes, innovative tech companies and a surprisingly influential music scene. It’s also given the world some pretty useful inventions, including dynamite, the three-point seat belt and the Celsius temperature scale.

So what is Sweden really famous for? Here are some of the things you’ll encounter on a trip, plus a few Swedish claims to fame that might surprise you.

Top ten things Sweden is famous for

Green spaces 

Sweden is famous for its lakes, forests and islands. Around two-thirds of Sweden is covered by forest, making woodland one of the defining features of the Swedish landscape. There are almost 100, 000 lakes which make up around ten percent of the country.

Forestry is a major industry in Sweden, but large areas of woodland are also protected for nature conservation and recreation.

Sweden also has an extraordinary number of islands – well over 200,000 by some official counts – scattered along its coast and across its many lakes.

So it’s not surprising that Swedes are known for their love of the outdoor life.

The Swedish royal family

Famously less formal than their British counterparts, the Swedish royal family is known as one of Europe’s “bicycle monarchies” for its more relaxed slimmed-down style of royalty.

Head of the royal family is King Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia, who have three children, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine. The heir to the throne is Crown Princess Victoria, who has two children Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar.

The king and queen’s official residence is the Royal Palace in Stockholm, though they actually live at Drottningholm Palace, their private residence on an island outside Stockholm. You can look round both the Royal Palace and Drottningholm Palace on this full-day guided tour. 

Red wooden cottages

Few things look more typically Swedish than a little red wooden cottage surrounded by forest or sitting beside a lake. You’ll see these traditional houses all over the countryside, usually painted a deep rusty red with crisp white details around the windows and doors.

The distinctive colour is known as Falu rödfärg (Falu red) and has its roots in the copper-mining town of Falun, where pigments made from mining by-products have been used to colour wooden buildings for centuries. Today, the classic red cottage has become an enduring symbol of rural Sweden – especially when there’s a lake, a little jetty and a few birch trees nearby.

Mountains

Ok, so these are not as numerous or as high as in neighbouring Norway, but Sweden does still have some mountains. The Scandinavian Mountain range forms part of Sweden’s western border with Norway, and Sweden is home to some of its less steep foothills.

Sweden’s highest mountain is Kebnekaise, whose two main peaks rise to just under 2,100 metres. The glacier-covered southern summit changes height from year to year, and the rocky northern summit is now the higher of the two.

Winter sports

So downhill skiing, of course, is popular in Sweden’s mountainous areas, but cross-country skiing is also big in the flatter regions in winter. For more on skiing in Sweden, click here (Stockholm ski slopes) and here (ski areas in Sweden).

Other winter sports that Sweden is famous for include snowmobiling, husky sledding, ice climbing and ice skating.

Open society

Sweden has long had an international reputation for progressive social policies, gender equality and a strong welfare state. While Swedish society is more complex than the stereotype suggests, these ideas remain an important part of how the country is perceived abroad.

The Vikings

Yes, the Vikings were once here (our guide has tips on where to find them) but not everyone in Sweden is tall, blonde and violent. During the Viking Age, people from what is now Sweden travelled extensively eastwards across the Baltic and into present-day Russia and beyond.

Music

Music is a major Swedish export and although plenty of home-grown artists end up becoming megastars and living in the USA, there’s still a lively music scene across the country – especially in big cities like Stockholm and Gothenburg. Beyond ABBA, Sweden has produced internationally successful artists including Roxette, Ace of Base, Robyn, Avicii, Loreen and Zara Larsson, while Swedish songwriters and producers such as Max Martin have been behind countless global hits.

Start-ups

These big southern cities are also becoming serious players on the global start-up scene.

Companies including Spotify, Klarna and King, the developer behind Candy Crush, have helped give Stockholm a reputation as one of Europe’s leading tech hubs. Skype was co-founded by Swedish entrepreneur Niklas Zennström (alongside Danish entrepreneur Janus Friis, with much of the early development taking place in Estonia).

What products is Sweden famous for?

Swedish food

Swedish food has also hit the big time recently, going far beyond classic dishes like meatballs and pickled herring (though you can still get both at any local supermarket).

The most famous Swedish chef might still be one of the Muppets, but new restaurants up and down the country are challenging old stereotypes and giving food critics a reason to take notice.

New Nordic cuisine, with its focus on local and seasonal ingredients, has been hugely influential in Sweden, and today you’ll find Michelin-starred restaurants in Stockholm, Gothenburg and several other parts of the country.

And, of course, there’s always the traditional smörgåsbord, much enjoyed by Swedes for years. For more on this classic meal, see our quick guide to the Swedish smörgåsbord. 

Other Swedish classics include pea soup and pancakes and that famously stinky fish, surströmming!

Fashion

Walk down any high street in Sweden and you’ll see that fashion is serious business. Our guide has suggestions on how to dress like a Swede.

Traditions

Despite all this innovative stuff, Sweden is still known around the world for its strong traditions.

Fika (the art of catching up over coffee and a cake) is basically sacrosanct, while festivals like Christmas and Midsummer are still celebrated with style.

The folk-horror film Midsommar introduced a rather darker version of the celebration to international audiences, but the real thing is considerably more cheerful, with flower crowns, dancing, food and plenty of schnapps.

Other Swedish habits like being naked in the sauna and scoffing crayfish are also alive and well.

Holidays

As a visitor you’re most likely to be looking out for husky rides, the northern lights, the midnight sun, crystal-clear lakes, snow-covered forests, brightly painted wooden horses, snus, and some of the planet’s best free camping.

Swedish hotels and hostels are also doing their bit to make the country stand out. This is a nation where you can sleep in a sleek treehouse or a hotel made from ice.

Sweden’s famous right of public access, allemansrätten, also gives people remarkable freedom to hike, camp and explore the countryside, provided they respect nature and local residents.

Nordic Noir crime drama

Depressed detectives, gory murders, atmospheric scenery and the dysfunctional dark side of society are all popular themes of a Scandi Noir crime drama. 

The Bridge, Wallander and Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series, beginning with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, are among Sweden’s best-known contributions to Nordic Noir. 

What was invented in Sweden? 

Sweden has also produced its fair share of inventors and innovations. Here are some famous products and ideas that were invented in Sweden, developed by Swedes or have strong Swedish roots.

• Oat milk
• Skype
• The three point seatbelt
• Telephone handset
• The self-aligning ball bearing
• Minecraft
• Dynamite
• The Tetra pak
• The modern zipper
• The Celsius temperature scale

Sweden has played a surprisingly big role in the global tech scene. Spotify and Candy Crush both have Swedish roots, while Skype was co-founded by Swedish entrepreneur Niklas Zennström (alongside Danish entrepreneur Janus Friis, with much of the early development taking place in Estonia).

The Nobel Prize

Sweden is also famous as the home of the Nobel Prize, established by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. Every December, laureates in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and economics receive their awards in Stockholm, while the Nobel Peace Prize is presented separately in Oslo, Norway.

So, what is Sweden most famous for?

From ABBA and IKEA to fika, Midsummer and meatballs, Sweden has certainly exported its fair share of cultural icons. But spend a little time here and you’ll discover there’s much more to the country, from endless forests and islands to innovative design, world-famous music and a deep-rooted love of the outdoors.

Which Swedish export, tradition or invention do you think deserves a place on the list? Let us know in the comments below!

FAQ

What is Gothenburg, Sweden famous for? 

Sweden’s second largest city is known for Volvos, islands, craft beer and an attractive old town Haga, with its cobbled streets and timbered buildings. 

This former industrial and shipping city is the birthplace of Volvo, and car fans can explore the company’s history and innovations at World of Volvo, a modern experience centre that replaced the old Volvo Museum. If you’re not into cars, there are around twenty islands that can be easily visited from the city.

A boat tour is the best way to explore the archipelago: for more on this lesser-known city, see our guide to Gothenburg.

What is Stockholm, Sweden famous for? 

Regularly ranked as one of Europe’s most picturesque cities, Stockholm is known for its royal palaces, a stunning old town the Gamla Stan, its atmospheric waterfront and, of course, its islands.

Just beyond the city lies the Stockholm Archipelago, a vast collection of around 30,000 islands, islets and skerries that’s easily explored by boat.

Is Sweden famous for Swedish fish? 

We’re talking about the chewy, fruity sweet that was invented in Sweden and not the actual fish that swim around in the sea.

For more on Swedish fish and their origins read all you need to know about Swedish fish. 

Is Sweden famous for chocolate? 

Sweden isn’t particularly famous internationally for chocolate, although Marabou is by far one of the country’s best-known chocolate brands.

Switzerland is better known for its chocolate: for more on the differences between Sweden and Switzerland read Swedish vs Swiss: what’s the difference?

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