Program

Picturesque Sweden

11 July – Departure from Stockholm (Cityterminalen /City Bus Terminal)

We depart from Stockholm City Bus Terminal at 09:00 heading north along E4 the main road along the Swedish north coast. During the afternoon we reach our hotel for two nights magnificent located overlooking the river Ångermanälven and the huge Höga kusten bridge.

Lunch, Dinner

Walking distance: own choice

Distance in bus: 450 km / 280 mi

Overnight in Höga kusten

UNESCO World Heritage - High coast

12 July – The High coast and Skuleskogens National Park

We are right now in the area of the country named the High coast. 10 000 years ago the inland ice melted away from Scandinavia after covering the land with a 3 km / 2 mi thick layer of ice for over 120 000 years. The enormous pressure from the ice had pressed the land down and when the pressure was gone the landmass, like a sponge, wants to get back to its original shape. The land in Sweden is going up! This unique change of the landscape has its biggest apperance at Höga kusten (The High Coast) with a raise of 10 mm / 0,4 in per year. Since the ice melted away the land has risen with 800 m / 2625 ft and has created a unique landscape. During todays hike we will be stunned by the power of the  nature in Skuleskogens National Park.

If time allows in the afternoon, we make a scenic route on our way back to the hotel.

UNESCO World Heritage – High coast

Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner

Walking distance: 8 km / 4,5 mi

The difficulty of the hike: orange

Distance in bus: 120 km / 75 mi

Overnight in Höga kusten

July 13 – The big decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland

We will start our journey inland to the landscape of Hälsingland, famous for it's big old farm houses, folk costumes and traditional Swedish folk music. We do a walk along Ljusnan river passing cow pastures and red cottages, maybe someone bathing in the river after warming up in their sauna. We stop at Stenegård Farmhouse for some free time, maybe someone would like to visit the Swedish singer Lill-Babs museum located here.  When we reach the hotel for the night there is time to swim in the river or stroll along the sandy beach or why not spend some relaxing time in the SPA (included) overlooking river Ljusnan. (Any SPA treatment is recommended to be pree-booked in advance)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Walking distance: 5 km / 3 mi

The difficulty of the hike: green

Distance in bus:250 km / 155 mi

Overnight in Järvsö

UNESCO World Heritage - Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland

14 July  – Siljansbygden with the smal towns of Mora, Nusnäs, Rättvik and Leksand

The landscape around the big lake of Siljan is stunning and in all towns and villages, Midsummer poles stand troughout the year until they are re-decorated for the Midsummer celebrations in June the comming year. A person that really loved celebrate Midsummer was the famous painter Anders Zorn. We visit his and his wife Emma's famous house in Mora. Located next to the church and the finish of The Vasa race (Vasaloppet), the longest cross-country ski race in the world, 90 km /  55 mi  from Sälen to Mora in memory of Swedens' first uniting king Gustav Vasa.  Most likely you will see the Swedish flag waving in each flagpole today since it is H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria's birthday today. Many Swedes say that the landscape of Dalarna is the most Swedish of them all. Red wooden houses, strong traditions and serveral of iconic items form Sweden come from Darlarna for excample the small most often red horse painted in kurbits (Dala horse). This little colorful horse has become the country's best-selling souvenir. We  will of course stop in Nusnäs to see how they are made.  Overlooking Lake Siljan we overnight in Tällberg.

Breakfast, Free Lunch, Dinner

Walking distance: 2 km / 1,5 mi

The difficulty of the hike: green

Distance in bus: 250 km / 155 mi

Overnight in Tällberg

15 July – Leksand and Orrnässtugan

If you haven't tried Swedish crispbread yet you should really try it now because in this region of Dalarna most of it is baked. The hard and dry ray bread is a Swedish tradition that dates back to 500 A.D and today each Swede consume 4 kg / 9 lb per person and year and that's a world record.  The small and piquresque town of Leksand located in the most southern bay in Lake Siljan really bloom during the summer mounths so we enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. Next to lake Runn is the farm Orrnässtugan, most famous for that the former king Gustav Vasa fleed from here 1520. The farm is a museum from 1758 with the same excibition . This make Orrnässtugan the worlds oldest preserved exhibition. Our bus tour through Dalarna continue east and to the city of residence of Dalarna - Falun. Once Falun was the second biggesst city in Sweden.

Breakfast, Free Lunch, Dinner

Walking distance: 3 km / 2 mi

The difficulty of the hike:green

Distance in bus: 65 km / 40 mi

Overnight in Falun

16 July – Falun - the city that colored the country

During the 1600-hundreds Sweden was one of the most powerful nations in Europe and a lot of it's wealth came from the big copper mine in Falun. The mine has an over 1000 year history and is a must see attraction. All over the country we can still see the influence from this area very clearly. After a free morning, we will walk through Elsborg the old town of Falun and to the old mining area. Here we will enjoy a intresting tour of the mine and hear some of the many stories. Who was the Mine Wife and poor Fet-Mats. No worries we willl not wear clogs and climb slippery wodden ladders with a burning wooden stick in our mouth … The old proverb says; ”He who has not seen Stora Kopparberget (the mine) has not seen Sweden”

UNESCO World Heritage – Falu mine and industrial landscape

Breakfast, Free Lunch, Dinner

Walking distance: 3 km / 1,5 mi

The difficulty of the hike: green

Distance in bus: 3 km / 1,5 mi

Overnight in Falun

17 July - Sundborn

We start our day with a hike from the National Ski Stadium of Lugnet and follow the old road throgh pine forest that has been used for hundreds of years from Falun to the small and picturesque village of Sundborn that lies along the river, Sundbornsån (by bus for those who wants). Sundborn is most famous for the national romantic artist of Carl Larsson (born in Stockholm) and his wife Karin. Both of them influenced Swedish design and furnishing, half a century before IKEA. We enjoy a guided tour in their home, Carl Larssongården. Today many of the famous paintings can be seen at The National Museum in Stockholm. Stroll along the river side to the church next to Lake Toftan or visit some of the handicraft butiques.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Walking distance: 9 km / 5 mi

The difficulty of the hike: blue

Distance in bus: 13 km / 8 mi

Overnigh in Falun

18 July - Uppsala

The nature change some as we reach Uppland. Good farmland and wast feilds lay ahead and we stop at Old Upsala to see some of the country's oldest human remains. After tasting (voluntarily) some Viking mead next to the impressive Viking burial mounds and sacrificial site of Gamla Uppsala we start a guided tour of this interesting city. The Cathedral is the largest in the Nordic coutries and Uppsala is the residence of the Archbishop of Sweden. Uppsala is proabobly most famous for it's old University and the botanist Carl Linnaeus who in the 1700-hundreds cataloged all the plants into the sexual system. Uppsala university is one of the oldest in Europe and one of the biggest universities in Sweden. After farwell dinner we arrive back to Stockholm during the evening.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Walking distance: 4 km / 2,5 mi

The difficulty of the hike: green

Distance in bus: 240 km / 150 mi

                                                                                        End of tour