The national parks of Sweden stretch the length and breadth of the country boasting the high alpine peaks, tundra and glaciers of the far north, to the more gentle climes of central, south-east and south-west of Sweden, with their rolling mountains and hills, “Hansel and Gretel” forests, craggy coasts and their bejewelled archipelagos.

If solitude and wilderness are your bag then Laponia, a  UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the place to go. Laponia is the ancestral home of the Sami people of Sweden and holds within its borders the Muddus, Padjelanta, Sarek and Stora Sjöfallet national parks. The four parks make up a huge 9,400 square kilometres of high alpine peaks, deep valleys, birch forests, tundra, waterfalls, boulder fields and frothing glacial rivers. Elk, lynx, wolverine and the endangered Arctic fox roam this region against the backdrop of the Northern Lights that you are most likely to see in March/April.

Further south, in central Sweden sees the start of the Swedish mountains, a chain that stretches 1,000 kilometres to the far north. Here you will find the bears of Sånfjället, the giant boulders of Töfsingdalen and the virgin forests of Fulufjället to the west. 

Tyresta national park meanwhile, lies just 20 km south-east of Stockholm and is a 400 year-old virgin forest, set in a unique gorge landscape which is barren and rocky. It is surrounded by forest and lakes and set among it is an old village which lends an important cultural aspect to the scene.

From Stockholm, going south-east over the Baltic Sea lies Gotska Sandön. This is the Baltic Seas’ most remote island and what an island it is. It is almost all sand dunes and long beaches with a pine forest peering out above the dunes towards the impossibly clear-blue sea. Given the storms and occasional high tides that visit the island, the shoreline changes constantly and small bays or peninsulas form. The island is populated and has an interesting history as the local buildings, particularly the churches, are testimony to.

Much further south is “Stenhuvud” which means “Sten’s head” in English. Local folklore has it that a giant once lived in the Giddastaun cave here. The ‘head’ is actually a 97 metre tall hill looking out over the Baltic Sea and offers fantastic views of the Danish island of Bornholm on a clear day. It has been used for centuries as a landmark by seafarers and today it is one of Sweden’s national parks.

There are many species of flora and fauna to enjoy here including the European tree frog, hazel dormouse, the golden oriole and very occasionally elk. There are also several species of orchids and the very rare barren strawberry. Down the headland there is a popular swimming beach. 

North to south, east to west Sweden has a national park waiting for you to visit it.