Äventyr
There is no better way to explore the South of Sweden during summer time, and even better with a car. So, here comes lots of inspiration for your own road trip through this wonderful country!
“Äventyr” is the Swedish word for adventure and therefore perfect for my report about our South Sweden summer road trip. Not only did we experience many new, each so different from each other places and cities, but also was it my last big trip together with the other volunteers during our year. Because of that, today I want to share our stops to give tips and inspiration to all of you who might want to travel to the South of Sweden in the future.
First of all I need to say, for such a trip it is important to plan a little in advance to always have at least a rough plan and several options on your mind, even though the details will be created spontaneously. Since the gas prices are pretty high, it is good to plan the distance in advance to check if by dividing this expanse the dream route is affordable for everyone.
We were so privileged to borrow a car from our organization, so that we only had to split gas prices and therefore were able to travel low budget but still see many beautiful places. Before starting we decided on some major cities and sights in order to create a route around them but also left space for spontaneous opportunities. Our highest prioritized destinations were Gothenburg, the home of some other volunteers we met during our ESC-trainings in Stockholm, Malmö, Copenhagen, the steep coast in the west, and the two big lakes Vättern and Vänern. Because of the weather, the amount of time we spend at the mentioned places, and new opportunities we found on the way, some places were added, but in general we all were pretty happy with this plan.
We started by driving towards the South and on the way explored Örebro, Mariestad, and Lidköping. Those cities were nice to see but comparing it to the rest, I would not add it to my favorites. Nevertheless did we see the amazing Vänern lake on which we also found a great camping spot, so this area I can highly recommend.
Afterwards we visited the other volunteers that live in a small village close to Gothenburg. Those days were amazing, not only because of the Swedish village life but because of the quality time full of BBQ and games. From there we visited Gothenburg, and then later drove South to Malmö and Lund. All these cities are so unique and definitely worth a visit. We spend one day in each and always walked around the centrum, checked out some attractions, and had great food either in a cute café or at vegetarian restaurants where you can get the best lunch buffets for affordable prices. On my birthday, which was right in the middle of the trip, my friend an I had bought tickets for a concert in Copenhagen, so we used the opportunity of public transportation and traveled one day from Malmö to Denmark to explore this unique capital. In all four cities you can definitely spend more than only one day but in order to get a first overview in such a short time, the amount of time was perfect. However, surely I will come back at some point!
As I mentioned before, it`s important to calculate the distance of your trip due to the gas prices, so we compromised already before to limit the road trip to the west coast. Because of that, after Malmö, we started our journey back to the north and therefore spent three more days exploring the inner South and the Vättern lake. Luckily, exactly during this time the weather was amazing and we mostly enjoyed our last days of vacation with playing games and relaxing at the beach. We drove up on the East side of the huge Vättern lake on the so called panorama street! And besides the half island Kullaberg at the west coast with its beautiful steep coast and light house, which we visited on our way to Malmö, this landscape along the Vättern was the most unique and beautiful nature we experienced during the two weeks. If you are in the area, both are must-dos! Since we already explored the area above Vättern, from there we took the shortest way back home in order to safe as many kilometers as possible.
Overall I can say, for us this was the perfect tour. We planned and compromised before and then used all the opportunities on our way to see as much as possible – cities and nature – but still had enough time to relax and feel the camping and road trip vibes. I can not think of anything we should have done differently because it was just amazing and we made so many unforgettable memories! I never thought it is possible to see so much in such a short time without feeling rushed, but the key is to do what feels right in the moment. If you plan your own journey, leave enough space for changes and time to recover because this kind of vacation for sure takes lots of energy and it can only be enjoyed if you have the motivation and inner excitement for it.
So, I hope you found some inspiration within this post, rather it is for places to see or tips how to create a road trip. It always depends on the season, start and ending points, individual preferences, and spontaneity. But that is what makes it special, unique and just as it is supposed to be! With that I wish you all a great and summery week, maybe even on vacation. Stay safe and talk to you soon!