Everything you need to know about living in Sweden for the summer

You want to spend the summer in rural Sweden but are still not sure if it is really for you. Sweden is special, in many ways. This blog post should help you answer some questions and make your decision easier. I spent July and August 2022 in rural Sweden and traveled within the country. In this article, I will share my experience with you.

Living in Sweden for the summer – my experiences regarding location

The area I spent two months of my summer in was the mid-west of Sweden. The first location is in Brunskog, near Edane in the Arvika Municipality and the Värmland county. The second location was the village of Bäckefors, in Dalsland. These two locations were very different.

In Brunskog stayed next to the hostel, where my sister was working. If you are used to staying in hostels around Europe, this is a very different kind of hostel. There aren’t any dorm rooms, there are multiple bedrooms but rented as rooms, not as beds. And although there were some nice nature walks around the hostel, I felt like you couldn’t really do much around there without a car. The street from the hostel led directly to a country road where cars with 70 km/h passed by. Not such a comfortable area to go for a walk or cycling. Although, the Swedes are highly respectful whenever there are walkers or cyclists on the road. They keep an extra big distance.

The life in Bäckefors was much different. There we stayed in the village. We could go for walks around the village or into nature, and cycle to the lake. The nearby bus stop made it also possible to travel car-free. Bäckefors was very calm, but I felt freer after living Brunskog where I was pretty much car-dependent. I adored this village, as well as the concept of having no garden fences.

So before going to Sweden, check out the area. The location you are going to stay in is it easy to get around there?

Accommodation in Sweden for slow travelers

Whether you call it test-living, slow traveling, or a nomadic lifestyle, if you want to live in Sweden during the summer, let me present you with the accommodation options:

Let’s start at the most expensive: Short-term rentals. Airbnb and similar websites provide accommodations for an extended time. Facebook groups might help as well, especially when it comes to shared housing.

The cheaper options would be volunteering or house-sitting. For volunteering, I recommend helpx or again Facebook groups, or other social media platforms in order to find a suitable volunteering possibility. If you want to experience the adoring village of Bäckefors, I can highly recommend the volunteer opportunity at Thorstein’s house.

Another way to find accommodation in Sweden is to camp. Wild camping is legal in Sweden, so you can park your camper or pitch your tent wherever you want. Just keep the Swedish Allemansrätten Rule –  Freedom of Roam in mind. If you don’t have a tent nor a campervan, don’t worry you can also sleep in a wind shelter. They are all over Sweden and you can wind them through this website.

Sweden’s weather in summer

Admittedly, Sweden’s summer does not always mean summer, as you might know from Central Europe. Sweden’s weather is very unstable. It can go from a sunny morning to thunder midday to a hot sunny afternoon. But if you are lucky, it can also stay warm and sunny for a few days or the whole week. Once the sun shines, it can get pretty warm and once it rains, it can get quite cold. So, just be prepared for anything. Temperatures can be between 15-30°C.

Depending on where you are in Sweden, it gets dark around midnight and the sunrise is at 3 am. Having light for so many hours a day is indeed incredible. It boosts your mood so much.

Activities in summer in Sweden

Sweden’s nature

Sweden’s nature is indeed Sweden’s most precious asset. Endless activities can be found in the great outdoors. From hiking to cycling, fishing, and horseback riding to swimming, canoeing or golfing.

For hiking activities, you should keep in mind that most of the trails are flooded after the rain. The wind shelters mentioned above are awesome basic shelters for an overnight hike (especially for those who don’t want to carry a tent).

Regarding cycling, Sweden’s countryside does not have many cycling paths. Usually, cyclists are found on rural roads or on gravel roads. When you need to cycle on a road where cars pass by at a speed of 70 km/h, bear in mind the Swedes are mostly super respectful towards walkers or cyclists and ensure enough space while overtaking.

The calmness in nature is a perfect place to do some yoga and meditation, which is essential for a mindful traveler. While hiking or going for a walk, you might find a perfectly peaceful spot to take a break and meditate or do some yoga. If you want to connect with other mindful creators, find courses that offer outdoor yoga or meditation.

For the foodies among you, here is the good news: you can fill your belly with blueberries and raspberries while discovering Sweden’s nature during summer. Or collect the berries for a delicious jam.

Sauna in Sweden, even in summer

Some might think that Sauna is a winter thing in Scandinavians, however, I made a different experience. The sauna is also enjoyed during the summer in Sweden. Neither in Norway nor in Sweden do people have textile-free saunas. At least it is not very common, especially not in mixed saunas. Very common howsoever is a refreshing dip into a lake in-between sauna sessions. Even if you’re not a big sauna fan like me, you should at least try it. It’s so relaxing.

Fika – Sweden’s unique coffee culture

You might think that Sweden doesn’t have much of a coffee culture, but it does exist, and it is celebrated in what is known as Fika. Fika is a Swedish word translated into English that means coffee. Though it stands for so much more, Fika means to take a break, socialize, and enjoy a good coffee. With the coffee also a piece of pastry comes, of course, how could it be different? So, Fika is about taking a mindful break, unwinding, and enjoying. The best coffee I had was in the lovely café in Gothenburg’s quarter Haga.

Cultural Events

Swedes really appreciate the summer; how could it be otherwise after several months of darkness? So, during the bright months of the year, there are numerous open-air festivals and events. For instance, the Gammelvala in Brunskog (which is a kind of Middle Ages Festival) or the Arvika Summer Festival.
Theater or museum visits are ideas for rainy summer days in Sweden.

The most famous celebration in summer is Midsummer, the longest day of the year. Celebrated with food, dances, flower wreaths, the traditional pole and much more.

Loppis – second hand shopping

Flea markets, second-hand shops, or so-called Loppis, garage sales, can be found all over the country. No wonder the young climate activist and founder of Fridays for Future is from Sweden because Swedes are very sustainable. Stockholm turns out to be a second-hand store heaven.
In rural areas, wooden signs with loppis indicate private garage sales. Another perfect activity for rainy summer days in Sweden.

Sustainability

Sweden is genuinely sustainable. You can hear that when locals talk about how they use their cars. For short distances and for long distances, they prefer to travel by train. Recycling stations are found in every town. Also, deposit bottles and cans are very common in use in Sweden.

Oldtimer in Sweden

For Oldtimer Lovers, Sweden and Norway are the place to go! When I was passing through Halden, a small town in Norway, I was thinking I was thrown back in time. Old timers, after old timers, just hanging out at a pizza place.

Safety in rural Sweden

I would consider Sweden to be very safe. Just the fact that in a parking lot in a small town car and dog owners left their trunks open so their dogs could get air. Of course, one should not provoke. Everywhere something can happen. But I have had very good experiences with safety in rural Sweden.

Public Transportation in Sweden and alternatives

It is not deniable that the easiest to travel within Sweden is by car. Public transportation is pretty well developed, at least in the south and mid-Sweden. SJ is a railway company in Sweden. You can buy tickets online, and it also shows bus connections plus tickets. The majority of the trains have Wi-Fi and a few have gastronomical offers. Buses are another considerable mood of transportation in Sweden. To find a connection, you can even check on the SJ website, the VY website, or the low-budget bus travel company Flixbus.

If you are thinking about whether to rent a car in Sweden, check the available public transportation at the place you stay. Some rural areas are very well connected, while others have bus connections only a few times a day.

Additional transport options are by boat. Sweden has an extensive connected lake network. So, you can actually travel from the south, Gothenburg to the biggest lake of Sweden, Vänern, along the Trollhätte kanal.

Hitchhiking is another option for the adventurous. Swedes are very friendly, and it is a great way to learn more about the country.

What wildlife can be observed in the summer

Sweden is, of course, famous for its moose. There is never a 100 percent guarantee that you will see one. But a pretty high probability, I would say. I’ve seen a moose twice, once in the midday heat during a hike, at quite a distance. And the other time, on the train. He didn’t have a ticket. Haha, no, from the train on a meadow, he ran away from the tracks towards the forest. My sister was even watching a moose swimming at a small moor lake.

What about the dangerous animals in Sweden? Probably depends on your point of view. If you are preparing for Sweden’s summer, you should definitely be prepared for mosquitos and ticks. Hint for lesser tick bites: jump daily in one of the lakes or use coconut oil to cream in your whole body. The likelihood of tick bites decreases.

Mosquitos can be aggressive. I’ve heard stories of locals that couldn’t step outside during a certain time of the day because of the high number of mini mosquitoes. Before our multiple-day hike, a salesperson in an outdoor shop convinced us to buy special hats to protect us from mosquito bites. We never used them. But it is good to be prepared.

Sweden also has snakes. We encountered a few on our hike. Luckily, snake bites are not dangerous for adults.

Pros of living in rural Sweden during the summer

• How can it be different? Nature is a huge pro point! And not only nature alone but pureness and the wideness of it. While hiking in various countries you always meet people, however, due to Sweden’s size and low population density you can be in nature all by yourself. The further north you go, the higher the probability. Of course, that can be a pro and con.
• The lakes are magnificent and who does not love jumping into the natural water on a hot summer day? That’s one of the many pros of living in Sweden for the summer.
• The Swedes are very friendly and always willing to help.
• The calmness of rural Sweden is the ideal destination if you are on a journey to find yourself or find answers to your living situations. Being surrounded by nature, without distractions, gives you the chance to listen to whatever comes up.
• For German speakers, Swedish sounds hilarious 😂 at least the few words you can read around the cities or in supermarkets.

Cons of living in rural Sweden

• Sweden can be indeed isolating. Especially rural areas can let you feel bored. No wonder since 88% of Sweden’s population lives in urban areas. So, the most exciting things are going on near bigger towns. However, as already mentioned, Swedes value summer a lot, and you can find lots of events also in rural areas or villages.
• Scandinavian countries’ culture traits are known to be cold and distant. That’s what you hear in theory. But that was not my experience. Of course, getting in touch with people is not as easy as it is in Mexico or Tanzania. It is different, but I would have had to stay longer to say more about the culture.
• Sweden is expensive: Yes and No. If you want to live in Sweden for the summer and you are on a budget, it is still doable. In the accommodation section, you can find alternatives for living for free in Sweden. Another tip would be to monitor your expenses. Home-cooked meals are much cheaper than eating out, for example. Alcohol is another thing you should avoid in Sweden, as it is very expensive and not as easily accessible as in Central Europe. Alcohol consumption has a long, interesting history in Sweden.

I hope my experience of living in Sweden during the summer helps you to decide whether it is a considerable option for you. Once again, if you travel solo life in Sweden can be isolating, but it might be the right thing you need. This can be a perfect opportunity to take a digital detox and enjoy the present moment, taking pleasure in the endless nature.