Sweden: a hybrid of nature and urban life

Layan Damanhouri Saudi Gazette Visiting Sweden can be extremely satisfying for both nature lovers and cosmopolitan urban dwellers. Descending by plane towards Arlanda airport in Stockholm, one notices the strikingly vast green plots of Nordic forests. Indeed, around 53 percent of Sweden’s land is forest. Two million people out of around 9.8 million live in the capital city of Stockholm, a historical centre of art, culture, parks, and home to the Royal Palace, as well as global monuments such as the Nobel Museum. The city hosts around 1 million tourists annually. The country’s major cities offer a mélange of modern cultural trends and a rich history of medieval and Gothic places. Likewise, Stockholm is a mixture of an urban city that is infused with lakes and rivers so residents and tourists never feel far from nature. All forests are open to the public. Camping, hiking, and picking wild fruits are all extraordinary experiences in a Nordic forest. People are also free to swim or use boats on the thousands of rivers and lakes Sweden has to offer. Having many forests also means that the country is one of the top exporters of wood products, pulp, and paper in the world. Additionally, they are maintained in a sustainable way to protect the forests and maximize profit while planting more trees for every tree cut, protecting biodiversity. Trees are mostly spruce, pine, and birch. In cities, it’s no wonder wood furniture and parquet flooring are found indoors almost everywhere! With its historic richness, Stockholm is fascinating to explore on foot and by water. Its medieval city center hosts old buildings with fascinating architecture, the Stockholm Cathedral, small craft shops and art galleries in the numerous narrow alleys. The Royal Palace, also situated nearby, is one of the largest palaces in Europe and is open to the public. Historical artefacts from the Bronze Age, through the Viking era to the Medieval Age and all the way to the Enlightenment are found in the city’s museums. Sweden is also famous for its leading scientists and discoveries, including the Celsius temperature scale, the submarine, a method of producing phosphorous, as well as botanical and zoological works. The Nobel Museum, situated in old town Gamla Stan, exhibits the history of the prize and its winners from 1901 to the present day. Many of today’s famous world-class music, novels, and fashion also emanate from Swedish pop culture and the country’’s hipster trends. Perhaps due to the cold weather, Swedes are famous for having their fika, or cup of coffee, all day. Black, bitter coffee is served as a social ritual as well as a must in the office. It can be drunk alongside cinnamon buns called kanelbullar, among other kinds of pastries. More on the salty side, the Swedish culinary tradition is famous for potatoes and fish, such as herring and salmon, as well as meatballs.