5 Recommended Winter Destinations in Sweden This Season

5 Recommended Winter Destinations in Sweden This Season

If you're looking for a country to visit this winter season, "Sweden" is definitely a very interesting option. Besides the atmosphere of cities both large and small that are clean, beautifully harmonious, and give an elegant feel, this place is also one of the destinations where you have a chance to see the northern lights, especially if you travel up to the natural areas in the northern part of the country.

1. Stockholm, the capital city - the most beautiful in Scandinavia
2. Kiruna, a city in the Lappland region that's completely covered in snow during winter
3. ICEHOTEL, the famous ice hotel in the Jukkasjärvi area where you can stay in ice rooms year-round
4. Luleå, a coastal port city with a city lagoon that becomes a large ice rink
5. Malmö, a multicultural port city with unique charm unlike anywhere else

Moreover, traveling from Thailand is incredibly convenient with Thai Airways flights on the Bangkok (BKK) - Stockholm (ARN) route, flying direct without connections from Bangkok to Stockholm, Sweden's capital.

The flight times are also excellent because it departs late at night, allowing you to sleep through the night and arrive in the morning in Sweden, so you can start exploring right away. Complete with premium full-service experience, lovely staff who are always smiling and ready to help throughout the journey, making it perfectly satisfying.

From our experience "traveling independently" in Sweden across many cities, this review wants to recommend must-visit destinations for you to see. We guarantee it will make you fall in love with this country just like we did for sure.

Every time we travel to Scandinavia, we always choose Thai Airways because they have direct flights from Bangkok to 3 popular main cities: Oslo, Norway; Stockholm, Sweden; and Copenhagen, Denmark. No need to waste time changing planes, plus the flight times are great - departing late at night and arriving in the morning just right.

If you're a Royal Orchid Plus Gold member, you can also use the special Royal Orchid lounge services before your flight. Inside the lounge, there are comfortable seats with full food and beverage services - you can say you'll be full even before boarding the plane.

For those interested, you can check prices and flights at the Thai Airways website by clicking: 

Oslo, Norway - https://bit.ly/TG-Oslo-Norway 

Stockholm, Sweden - https://bit.ly/TG-Stockholm-Sweden 

Copenhagen, Denmark - https://bit.ly/TG-Copenhagen-Denmark

Flying direct with Thai Airways truly caters to every lifestyle. It feels reassuring like being with people you know. I'm always impressed by the premium full-service experience every time I board Thai Airways.

What I really love about Thai Airways is the in-flight meals because I'm confident I can definitely eat them - they're familiar flavors. Especially on return flights from Europe when you're craving Thai food, it's even more satisfying than usual.

Another thing I love is being able to choose meals in advance before traveling, and you can also select seats for free when doing online check-in 24 hours before departure.

The first city that you absolutely must not miss is Stockholm, the capital and center of everything in Sweden. "Stockholm" is known as the most beautiful capital in Scandinavia, to the extent that it's earned the nickname "Beauty on Water" or the Queen of the Baltic Sea.

Stockholm regularly ranks as one of the world's most beautiful capitals. The city has an archipelago characteristic, consisting of 14 islands of various sizes connected by more than 50 bridges, surrounded by the Baltic Sea and lakes, making the city look dimensional and not flat.

The first must-visit check-in spot is Stockholms stadshus or Stockholm City Hall, a government building completed in National Romantic style in 1923 on Kungsholmen island, which is the venue for the Nobel Prize ceremony held every December.

Next is Gamla stan or Old Town, Stockholm's old city island located between the city center and Södermalm island, which is also called Staden mellan broarna, meaning "The Town between the Bridges."

The old town area is home to several important buildings, such as Stockholms slott (Stockholm Palace), Storkyrkan (Stockholm Cathedral), Sankta Gertruds kyrka (German Church), and the Nobel Prize Museum.

It's said that when visiting Stockholm, you must not miss viewing the subway station art where each station is designed and decorated differently. It can be called the world's longest art gallery. Popular beautiful stations where people like to take photos include Solna centrum, Rådhuset, T-Centralen, and Kungsträdgården.

For history enthusiasts, you must head to Vasamuseet or Vasa Museum, Sweden's most famous Viking ship museum which houses the preserved warship Vasa, a royal warship completed in 1628 that was expected to be a mighty vessel, but sank after traveling only 1 kilometer from Stockholm harbor. It remained submerged under the sea for over 333 years before being salvaged.

Moving slightly outside the city center is the location of Drottningholms Slott or Drottningholm Palace, the residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia, built in 1662 on Lovön island west of the city. The architecture resembles France's Palace of Versailles.

Within the palace grounds is the Kina slot (Chinese Pavilion), which is part of Sweden's royal palace and also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Next up is destination number 2, which is Kiruna, a major city in the Lappland region of northern Sweden that's completely covered in snow during winter. This city is known for its extremely cold weather but is also beautiful with the white snow contrasting against the colors in the city.

This main city in the Lappland region of northern Sweden is like a center for everything. Even though it's a major city, the urban area isn't very vast, leaning more toward being a quiet city. Most tourists who travel far to reach this city use it as a base for exploring the surrounding nature including pine forests, mountains, and lakes, as well as going northern lights hunting at night during winter.

The main tourist attraction of the city is Kiruna kyrka or Kiruna Church, one of Sweden's largest wooden churches which began construction in 1909 in an adapted Gothic style, before being renovated in the Art Nouveau architecture we see today.นี้

The interior of Kiruna kyrka is decorated simply but imbued with charm in authentic Nordic art style. Everything looks symmetrical and is toned with light brown and black colors - extremely classic.

Arriving in northern Sweden, a must-visit destination is ICEHOTEL, the famous ice hotel located in the Jukkasjärvi area on the outskirts of Kiruna, about 20 km away. You can stay in ice rooms year-round, but rooms are limited in number, and there are many other types of accommodations at various price points to choose from. If you're lucky, you'll be able to see the northern lights right from your room.

Experience the ultimate special experience of Sweden's Lappland region by staying at ICEHOTEL, the famous ice hotel.

The ice rooms include both permanent ones open year-round and temporary ones open from December to April. Each room is built almost entirely from ice, with famous artists from various countries invited to design and carve ice blocks to create magnificent and spectacular ice sculptures.

The ice bar is another highlight zone here. Almost everything is made from ice, even the drinking glasses are made from ice. You can truly immerse yourself in the genuinely freezing cold atmosphere.

What I really love about ICEHOTEL is how everything is decorated with such delicate detail. The central hall area feels like stepping into a real ice world.

Everything is completely made of ice. A reading room where I'm not sure if you'd actually be able to read hahaha

Of course, the evening activity is coming out to watch the northern lights right in front of your accommodation. If you're lucky with clear skies and cooperative weather, you'll be able to see the northern lights without having to go hunting elsewhere. But I want to say that this area is really extremely cold, so prepare your cold weather gear and bring it ready.

For daytime activities, you can choose dog sledding through the pristine white snow for about 1.5 hours. This is a very popular activity, so you should book in advance. Prices start from approximately 7,500 baht per person.

The next destination is still in the northern part of the country - Luleå, a port city on the northeastern coast of Sweden that harmoniously blends old and new. It features a city lagoon that becomes a large ice rink as its main selling point.

During winter, the water area at Norra hamn lagoon in the city center completely freezes over, allowing you to walk on the ice. Don't miss trying spark (kicksled) on the ice surface - it's really fun!

This northern port city that played an important role during the 13th-15th centuries is known as one of the major IT industry centers in Scandinavia.

The new city area is lined with many modern Swedish-style houses and is home to more than 10 technology-related businesses.

The extreme cold makes the water in the lagoon completely freeze over, so you can walk on it. But you need to be careful too.

One of the city's tourist attractions is Luleå domkyrka, the main cathedral built since 1893 in modern Gothic art style, looking very beautiful and majestic.

If you have time, I recommend going outside the city to the old town area or Gammelstad, which requires about a 15-minute bus ride. Of course, the main tourist attraction is Nederluleå kyrka, an ancient church that's a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Inside this old town area, it's filled with old red wooden houses that all look identical. When contrasted against the pristine white snow, it becomes even more beautifully unique unlike anywhere else. This spot is perfect for leisurely photo taking.

The last city we want to recommend, heading down to the southernmost part of the country, is Malmö - Sweden's third largest city by size and population, located in the Scania metropolitan area in the country's southernmost region. Across the Øresund strait is Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.

This is a truly sustainable city of the future because today it has zero greenhouse gas emissions and relies 100 percent on renewable energy.

Malmö is Sweden's third largest city by size and population, located in the southernmost part of the country close to Denmark.

In the past, it was under Danish rule for a very long time until 1658 when it was finally annexed as part of Swedish territory. Therefore, the houses and atmosphere in the old town area still retain Danish characteristics, which are full of unique charm.

Malmö's landmark is the Optimistorkestern or Optimist Orchestra, a sculpture of 4 musicians standing in line playing music, which was created in 1985 to celebrate the opening of the city's first pedestrian street. The designer and sculptor is Yngve Lundell, a Swedish sculptor.

Malmö's old town area has been well preserved. The area around Lilla Torg or Little Square is an important coordinate for experiencing the city's atmosphere. The surroundings are filled with ancient half-timbered style houses that are now open as shops and restaurants, where people love to come sip beer and enjoy the atmosphere.

Walking slightly outside the old town center is the location of Malmöhus or Malmö Castle, an ancient fortress first built in 1434, which is currently open as a museum telling stories about Malmö's history and art from ancient times.

Since Malmö has been developed as a center for architecture, engineering, IT innovation, and biotechnology, outside the old town area is home to many high-rise buildings. One of the most famous buildings is Turning Torso, a modern skyscraper 190 meters tall and an important symbol of the city.

This building was once the tallest in Scandinavia, completed in 2005 from the design of Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect who was inspired by the twisting motion of the human body. He applied advanced technology throughout the construction, and importantly designed the building to be non-polluting with a waste recycling system and using the energy generated in the city's incineration plant.

For anyone interested in visiting Scandinavian countries, you can check prices and flights at the Thai Airways website: 

Oslo, Norway - https://bit.ly/TG-Oslo-Norway 

Stockholm, Sweden - https://bit.ly/TG-Stockholm-Sweden 

Copenhagen, Denmark - https://bit.ly/TG-Copenhagen-Denmark