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Northtrotter
Explorer of the north & beyond
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Category: Sweden

Times visited: 8
Cities visited: Stockholm, Malmö, Lund, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Gothenburg and Borlänge
Towns and villages visited: Gällivare, Slagnäs, Visby, Färjestaden, Borgholm, Byxelkrok, Sandvik, Mörbylånga, Grönhögen, Ottenby, Gettlinge, Hulterstad, Bäckviken, Tuna by, Norreborg, Kyrkbacken, Vrångö village, Gräv, Nedre Tjärna, Gagnef, Gangsgrådan, Ål-Kilen, Övre Österfors, Nedre Österfors, Gärde, Insjön, Leksands-Gråda, Övre Tjärna, Leksand, Moje and Djurås
Islands visited: Gotland, Öland, Ven and Vrångö
UNESCO sites visited: 
2/15

Sweden is a country I truly love and often find myself returning to. My first visit was back in 2006 on a family day trip to Helsingborg. Many years passed before I returned, but in 2015, I finally made it back for six days during a two-month spring journey through northern Europe. I travelled from the stunning Lofoten Islands in Norway to Båtsuoj Samecenter, hidden deep in the wilderness of Norrbotten County in northern Sweden. The journey took two days, with stopovers in Narvik and Gällivare. At Båtsuoj, I got a fascinating introduction to the Sami way of life. I went ice fishing (unsuccessfully!), snowmobiled to the top of two mountains, fed some friendly reindeer, and spent the night in a traditional Sami hut. Afterwards, I made my way south to Stockholm, where I spent a rainy day sightseeing before catching a ferry to the island of Gotland. That’s where I discovered one of my favourite towns on Earth: the beautifully preserved medieval town of Visby!

In 2016, I moved to Copenhagen for two years, which brought me much closer to my Swedish neighbours. With Sweden just across the Øresund Bridge, I took full advantage of the proximity. I went on day trips to Malmö and Lund, and roadtripped around the diverse and picturesque island of Öland for four days. In the spring of 2019, I returned once more to explore the tiny island of Ven, perfectly positioned between Denmark and mainland Sweden – and, fittingly, a charming blend of both cultures.

In late June 2024, I made yet another return, this time by ferry from Frederikshavn in Denmark to Gothenburg. I spent a lovely long weekend wandering the city and hiking on the car-free island of Vrångö with my little dog by my side. And now, as of May 2025, I’m hanging out in a small village in Dalarna – and I’m loving every second of it!

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Outdoor travel Sweden

In the footsteps of Tycho Brahe on the Swedish island of Ven

by Mel on 09/06/2019
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Skåneleden is a 1000+ km hiking trail through the Swedish region Scania, which also includes a 12 km…

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Sweden

13 places to discover on the Swedish island of Öland

by Mel on 10/04/2019
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Öland a 137 km long island off the east coast of Sweden, and it’s the perfect idyllic place…

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Sweden

Roadtrip through the world heritage southern end of Öland

by Mel on 05/07/2018
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On my second and last full day on Öland it was time to explore the south part of…

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Sweden

Roadtrip through the wild and rugged northern end of Öland

by Mel on 26/06/2018
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After having decided to ditch my bike plans and go for car rental instead, I headed up north…

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Sweden

A long weekend on idyllic Öland

by Mel on 23/06/2018
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It’s unheard of for me to have an entire weekend off and especially three days off – I…

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Sweden

Discovering Malmö: A day trip to Scania’s capital

by Mel on 20/06/2017
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For too long now, Malmö has been underrated and had a reputation of being an unsafe city with…

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Sweden

A day trip to medieval Lund, Sweden

by Mel on 06/03/2017
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It was a normal, gloomy day in early February. My friend Lula and I were sitting in the…

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Estonia Faroe Islands Finland Iceland Norway Svalbard Sweden

The journey comes to an end

by Mel on 07/07/2015
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2 months, 62 days, 1488 hours, 89280 minutes, 5356800 seconds. This is the amount of time that I…

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Sweden

Falling in love with Visby, Gotland

by Mel on 30/06/2015
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After sailing for three hours from Nynäshamn on the Swedish mainland, I finally arrived on Gotland at 11.20…

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Sweden

Night train to Stockholm

by Mel on 23/06/2015
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After having a rather cold, but very interesting night at Båtsuoj Samecenter, and a very eventful start to…

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Sweden

Deep in the Swedish wilderness: A Sami adventure

by Mel on 09/06/2015
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On April 27th, I had decided to leave Lofoten and my friends at the hostel behind and head…

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I'm a Danish/English archaeologist with an ardent passion for exploring the north. Whether it’s the windswept cliffs of the Faroe Islands, the icy fjords of Greenland, the misty moors of Scotland, or the deep forests of Scandinavia - the north is where my heart feels most at home. I may sometimes go astray and travel south, east or west, but I always find my way back north. In September 2023, a scruffy little pup from Romania named Minnie trotted into my life - and onto the road with me. She’s now my loyal sidekick, and the best adventure buddy I could ask for 💙 If you're into unusual destinations, wild northern landscapes, and forgotten places, you’ve come to the right corner of the internet. So go ahead - pack your virtual backpack and come explore the north with us!

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Fun facts

‣  88 countries & territories visited
‣  6 continents visited
‣  10 countries lived/worked in
‣  3 total solar eclipses seen
‣  122 mountains conquered
‣  56 destinations explored solo
‣  153 UNESCO sites visited

Where am I?

Currently just a girl trying to find a place in this world...

‣ May-June: Swedish cabin life
‣ July: Denmark

Top 10 dream destinations

1. Tristan da Cunha
2. Socotra, Yemen
3. Arctic Russia
4. Saudi Arabia
5. Falkland Islands
6. North Caucasus, Russia
7. Turkmenistan
8. Transnistria
9. Shetland Islands, Scotland
10. Antarctica

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