Swedes love to spend their time outside. They enjoy being in touch with the beautiful Swedish nature.
But let’s start with some facts about nature in Sweden…
Facts about Swedish nature
- More than half of the country is forrest
- Sweden has 95,700 lakes larger than 2 acres. That’s a lot. And a good reason why Sweden is so attractive for mosquitos and Germans
- There are 30,000 Swedish islands, but the only two you need to know are Öland and Gotland, both in the Baltic Sea, which is connected to Russia
- Sweden has a long coast line (7000 km/4350 miles)
- Swedes often have nature related names. Swedish first names such as Björn (bear), or surnames like Åslund (little forrest on a ridge) and Blomqvist (flower twig)
- The Swedish national anthem describes the beautiful Swedish nature, which is described as “do die for“. Here the anthem and lyrics in English and Swedish
- Swedes are highly skilled about identifying flowers, toxic mushrooms, animals and all kinds of insects that you don’t want to share your sleeping bag with
Medical advice
When you go to a Swedish doctor, because you suffer from stress or even anxiety, the advice he will give you is probably “Go out for a walk and enjoy the nature!”
Beautiful nature in Sweden
In Sweden, to go out for a walk to find some relaxation is actually not a bad idea. Swedish nature indeed is a beauty. And will certainly have a calming effect on your stressed soul.
You will probably fall in love with the idyllic lakes surrounded by forests; archipelagos with their stone-islands rising from the water surface and little cottages, painted in red embedded in vast green landscapes. Ideal for everyone who wants to be by oneself once in a while.
No wonder then why Swedes spend so much time outside in the nature, hiking, fishing, hunting, going by boat or camping.
How to win any discussion with a Swede
When you have a serious discussion with Swedes – you probably won’t notice you’re having one, because it feels like a normal conversation for you – just make clear your point of view is better for the environment.
In Sweden, everything is good, as long as it’s good for the environment
Dangerous animals in Sweden
Now that I hopefully convinced you to spend some time in Sweden’s nature, you probably ask yourself: are there any dangerous animals in Sweden you should be afraid of – like bears and wolves?
The answer is yes. There are bears and wolves. But don’t worry. You’re (rather) safe. They won’t eat you unless you try to cuddle with their babies.
Useful Swedish vocabulary for your time in the nature of Sweden
- kvällsdopp – evening dip (jump into the water on a warm summer evening)
- myggnät – mosquito net
- varg – wolf
- Oj, titta vad söt! En björnunge! – Oh, look how sweet! A little bear!
- Hopsan! – Ooops!
- Spring så fort du bara kan! – Run as fast as you can!
