Sweden

Southern Sweden is well known for its sophisticated and historic cities such as Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö where the great outdoors never feels too far away. But head north and you’ll soon be surrounded by a truly vast wilderness.

Swedish Lapland encompasses over 100,000km² of mountains, glaciers, tundra, immense forests and untamed rivers with a population density half that of Mongolia or Namibia. Those who do live here, the indigenous Sámi, have been in Lapland – Sápmi in their language – for millennia, still living a way of life that has left the landscape unchanged, dependent on migrating reindeer whose herds are a unique spectacle. Other residents include brown bears, wolverines, Arctic foxes, moose, beavers, otters and (if you are very fortunate) the Eurasian lynx. Wolves are making a gradual comeback too.

Spanning the Arctic Circle, midsummer sees endless days of hiking, fly fishing and kayaking. In winter, under a blanket of snow, dogsled to a fire-warmed Sámi camp to hear local legends, then ride a snowmobile on the hunt for the Northern Lights. Wild swim, year-round, before warming up in a traditional sauna. A European Alaska with a Scandi twist.