What Makes Sweden Special: Heritage, Nature and Swedish Pride

Sweden combines deep history with a modern reputation for design and fairness: medieval towns and Bronze Age rock art, the Nobel Prize, forests and lakes everyone is free to roam, and everyday rituals such as fika and midsummer. Here is what makes it special.

Fifteen World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists 15 World Heritage properties in Sweden. Among them:

• Royal Domain of Drottningholm, home of the Swedish royal family
• Hanseatic Town of Visby, a walled medieval trading town on Gotland
• Rock Carvings in Tanum, thousands of Bronze Age images carved in stone
• Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun, once one of Europe's most important mines
• Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, richly painted rural houses

The Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prizes were founded through the will of the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, and most are awarded in Stockholm each December.

The right to roam

Sweden's right of public access, allemansrätten, allows everyone to walk and camp in the countryside, as long as they respect nature and landowners. It reflects a deep national love of the outdoors.

Light, lakes and forests

Long light summers, dark winters, the northern lights in Lapland and countless lakes and forests shape Swedish life.

Fika, lagom and midsummer

Fika, the daily coffee break, and lagom, the idea of just the right amount, are part of the Swedish way of life. Midsummer is one of the year's most loved celebrations.

Design and music

Swedish design is known for clean, practical beauty, and Swedish songwriters and bands have shaped popular music around the world.

Carrying the pride with you

History, nature and a way of life admired worldwide: Sweden gives its people a great deal to celebrate. That pride is what our Sweden designs are made for, and our guide to choosing a gift based on someone's home town shows how to make it personal.