80% of Swedish live within 5 km of a nature park or nature reserve.
Sweden has 29 national natural parks, and more than 4000 nature reserves, almost a tenth of the territory: the equivalent of Denmark as a whole.
Only 3% of Sweden is inhabited
The territory is covered with 55% of forests and there are no less than 95,700 lakes. Very often, when the thick forest opens, it is on infinite stretches of water reflecting all the silver or golden light of the North.
Tiveden
Tiveden National Park is located in the municipalities of Laxå (Örebro) and Karlborg (Västra Götaland) in the province of Västergötland. It covers 1.350ha of a wild forest, partly primary, on rough terrain. His name would come from -Ved, Wood and Ti-which derives its reference from the god Tyr, god of heaven among others. The national park would never have been inhabited, although ancient sacrificial sites and traces of charcoal exploitation could be found there. At the beginning of the Middle Ages, the forest of Tiveden was a hiding place for outlaws who sought refuge there.
Tiveden National Park was established in 1983 and consists of a large area of continuous coniferous forest without buildings and main roads. The forest has many small lakes covered with red water lilies, extensive bushes, large moss-covered rock boulders, small peat bogs and marshes that fill most low-lying areas. It is the retreating glaciers that gave the dramatic appearance of the places traveled by 300 km of trails.
Large continuous coniferous areas without roads or buildings.
Small bogs and marshes fill most of the low-lying areas.
A wild forest, partly primary, on rough terrain.
Kinnekulle & Hasselfors
Kinnekulle is a plateau and a natural reserve with a very particular fauna and flora, in relation with its geological history, sculpted by ice and wind during the ice age.
Around the year 1000 the son of Eric, king Olaf was baptized in the source of Husaby, at the Kinnekulle mountain, near the lake Vänern, this made him the first christian king of Sweden. The first diocese of Sweden was founded at Husaby as early as the eleventh century, and was moved to Skara, in 1150.
Sweden
56
days of daylight in summer
95.700
lakes in Sweden
10
millions inhabitant
86%
living in cities
52%
of energy from renewables
Many deciduous trees, pastures, orchards.
Skagershults gamla kyrka, built in 1651
Hällekis, Kinnekulle
The old Västerplana church from 1100.
Flyhov engraving
Mariestad & Kållandsö
Mariestad is a city on the edge of the lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden (5648 km2 and 153km3). The city is built on both shores of the lake and on the Tidan river.
Narrow cobbled streets, old port and old houses, the peninsula of Kållandsö is sinking in the lake Vänern, it is the second largest island, with its end at Spikens a small fishermen village.
Utnäset
The archipelago is in a nature reserve, full of boulders, and in a coniferous forest of 300 year olds, it is a peninsula of the northern part of the lake Likstammen. An area of 80ha -34ha of water – with large a quantity of rare plants and fungi. The paths run along water, rocks and small beaches.
